strength in numbers

Southern Miss piled up some impressive numbers this season — beyond the 39 victories the Golden Eagles claimed on the field. USM had six of its high school signees for 2012 make first-team All-State. Two of those, The Clarion-Ledger’s Mr. Baseball Mason Robbins and Sumrall star Connor Barron, were drafted by MLB clubs, as were two out-of-state signees. Barron was the first Mississippian picked, going to Florida in the third round. He has yet to sign. USM juco signee Andrew Pierce, a left-handed pitcher for national runner-up Jones County Junior College, was named a first-team All-American in NJCAA Division II. Somehow, Pierce wasn’t drafted. Four 2011 USM players were drafted, including B.A. Vollmuth, who went in the third round to Oakland and was the second Mississippian picked. The junior third baseman/shortstop has yet to sign, but Ferriss Trophy winner Tyler Koelling (Minnesota), Todd McInnis (St. Louis) and Collin Cargill (Florida) have turned pro, along with Marc Bourgeois, a senior who signed a free agent deal with Arizona. The Eagles will miss those four — and Vollmuth, too, if he signs — but Scott Berry appears to have restocked the roster with top-tier talent. USM figures to pile up a bunch more wins in 2012.