USM’s winningest coach, Scott Berry leads Golden Eagles to CUSA title
HATTIESBURG, Miss. (BVM) — On May 1, Scott Berry became Southern Mississippi’s baseball all-time winningest coach. But that hasn’t stopped Berry and the Golden Eagles from pursuing the ultimate goal: a national championship.
For 13 years, Berry has been at the helm of the Southern Miss baseball. And this season might be his best one yet as he continues to lead arguably, the best team in the school’s history.
The Golden Eagles currently hold a 39-14 overall record, and just yesterday, the squad captured the program’s sixth and final CUSA title.
For the sixth and final time 🏆
🗣️ 𝐂-𝐔𝐒𝐀 𝐑𝐄𝐆𝐔𝐋𝐀𝐑 𝐒𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐒#EverythingMatters | #SMTTT pic.twitter.com/AZZo82f70t
— Southern Miss Baseball (@SouthernMissBSB) May 20, 2022
But one of the most significant victories came during the first weekend of May. With a 9-6 victory over UAB, Berry passed former Southern Miss head baseball coach Will Denson (468 wins) to become the winningest coach in program history. Denson is considered one of the greatest coaches in Southern Miss history after leading the Golden Eagles to their first-ever NCAA regional appearance.
“It really means everything,” Berry said after the game on the school’s postgame radio show. “I have been a part of some special wins at this school and have been fortunate to be the head coach here. Of all those wins, the most important one [was on Sunday], and it wasn’t because of breaking a record, but it was because this team needed that win. We had to have that win, and I couldn’t be any more proud of our guys to go out there and [get it].”
Along with Berry’s historic accomplishment, the Golden Eagles also achieved something that no other team has done. Southern Miss. climbed high as No. 4 in the nation, which was the highest ranking in school history at the end of April.
Following USM’s fifth CUSA title, fans and players are excited to see what this 2022 Golden Eagle team can do next. The squad will wrap up the season with a series against season last series against Middle Tennessee State.
It really is an exciting time for the Golden Eagles baseball program, who now holds the No. 1 spot in the CUSA tournament, and they now have a real shot at winning a title in Omaha.
“I certainly share this [accomplihsment] with a lot of people who have made my life better,” Berry said on SportsTalk Mississippi. “I’m very fortunate to have had this job, but I owe it to a lot of people that have helped me get [to] where I am.”
