The second day of the 2026 MLB Draft was an eventful one for Southern Miss, as three of its players were drafted and one was signed as an undrafted free agent.
Center fielder Joey Urban was the first Golden Eagle to be selected, landing with the Toronto Blue Jays at the No. 282 overall pick in the ninth round of the draft and pitchers McCarty English and Drake Meeks were taken at the No. 503 pick in the 17th round and the No. 546 pick in the 18th round respectively.
Pitcher Colby Allen was signed as an undrafted free agent by the Tampa Bay Rays.
There was potential for Southern Miss’ roster in 2027 to be impacted by the MLB draft, but the Golden Eagles came away from it unscathed as all four departing players were not going to be on their roster next year. Urban and Allen were seniors and out of eligibility and English and Meeks announced their intentions to transfer from the program earlier in the offseason.
Another potential positive from the draft was Southern Miss left fielder Davis Gillespie going undrafted. The junior was ranked as the No. 224 best college prospect by D1Baseball and was expected to be selected at some point. Gillespie could still sign to an MLB team as an undrafted free agent, but the fact that he was not taken in the draft makes it more likely that he returns to the Golden Eagles next season.
Here is what the 2027 Southern Miss baseball roster looks like after the MLB draft.
Southern Miss starting lineup for 2027 takes shape
Gillespie could still sign a professional deal as a free agent. He hasn’t done so yet, which is a positive sign for Southern Miss. If he returns to Hattiesburg for another year, he will retain his spot in left field. The Golden Eagles brought in a pair of players who can play with Gillespie in the outfield in Toledo transfer Cade Baker and Northwest Florida State College catcher and outfielder Brock Clayton.
The Golden Eagles’ infield lost two starters to graduation in first baseman Matthew Russo and second baseman Kyle Morrison, but shortstop Seth Smith and third basemen Drey Barrett and Ty Long will all be back in 2027.
Filling in for Russo and Morrison will likely be Grand Canyon’s Cannon Peery and UAB’s Brady Waugh respectively. Peery hit .287 with nine home runs and 32 RBIs last season while Waugh hit .322 and drove in 49 runs.
At catcher, both Tucker Stockman and Lawson Odom will be back, and Clayton, the transfer from Northwest Florida State College, can play catcher as well.
Southern Miss baseball loses three bullpen arms
Even though English, Meeks and Allen’s departures were not a surprise, they leave a hole in Southern Miss’ bullpen. All three were right-handed pitchers.
Returning for the 2027 season are right-handers Josh Och, Teague Broadhead and Thomas Crabtree, all of whom will take on bigger roles. Southern Miss coach Christian Ostrander and his staff also landed right-handed reliever Luke Williams, who had a 3.49 ERA and two saves at East Central Community College last season.
Pearl River Community College transfer Drew Harrison will also be an option out of the bullpen. Harrison started 17 games last season but it will be difficult for him to break into the weekend rotation with Grayden Harris, Camden Clark and Camden Sunstrom all returning. Harrison could become a midweek starter for Southern Miss, but he also has experience out of the bullpen, making 15 relief appearances in 2025.
The left-handed arms in Southern Miss’ bullpen will be Bruce Littleton, Cooper Waddle and Andrew Visconti, all members of the Golden Eagles’ 2025 recruiting class. Littleton appeared in 13 games as a true freshman while Waddle and Visconti redshirted.
All of Southern Miss’ 2026 signees will make it to campus
Four of the Golden Eagles’ 2026 high school signees were listed in Baseball America’s top 500 draft prospects list, but none were taken in the draft.
Right-handed pitcher Alex Richardson, from Belle Classe, Louisiana, had a 0.69 ERA and 141 strikeouts last year as a senior and is another player who could earn playing time out of the bullpen. Petal High School’s Trey Barnes and Hartfield Academy’s Henry Abt and Taylor Latham were the other three signees that made Baseball America’s prospects list.
The class is Perfect Game’s No. 46 highest-ranked class nationally and the No. 1 class in the Sun Belt. It is made up of 13 signees.
Several players will have opportunities to contribute as true freshman, so getting them to campus is a win for Southern Miss.
Davis Wilson covers Southern Miss athletics and Hattiesburg news for the Hattiesburg American. Email him at DWilson@hattiesb.gannett.com or find him on X at @Davis_Wilson.
This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: How Southern Miss baseball 2027 roster was impacted by MLB draft
