Rivalry Heads South: Southern Miss, Mississippi State Set for Biloxi Showdown in October

Southern Miss baseball is taking its show to the Mississippi Gulf Coast this fall, and the Golden Eagles will have a familiar opponent waiting for them.

Southern Miss infielder Matthew Russo (19) celebrates during an NCAA Baseball Regional game between Southern Miss and Virginia at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Saturday, May 30, 2026. Virginia defeated Southern Miss 15-11 in 10 innings. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

HATTIESBURG, Miss. –– Southern Miss baseball is headed to the Gulf Coast this fall, and the Golden Eagles will have a familiar in-state opponent waiting for them there. Southern Miss will take on Mississippi State on Saturday, Oct. 10, at 2 p.m. at Keesler Federal Park in Biloxi as part of the Hancock Whitney Classic, the Biloxi Shuckers announced on Wednesday.

The two programs split their two meetings last season. The Golden Eagles earned a thrilling 7-6 win on a Tuesday night at The Pete in March before making the trip to Starkville a few weeks later, where the Bulldogs got their get-back in a 12-0 win in seven innings. Now, the two teams will get another shot at each other, but this time it will be on the Mississippi Gulf Coast in a preseason game of sorts.

Southern Miss Golden Eagles fans watch the action against the Mississippi State Bulldogs at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Miss., on March 3, 2026. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

For Southern Miss fans, it will be an early opportunity to see the next version of the Golden Eagles before the 2027 season gets underway. Fall baseball against a preseason Omaha favorite like Mississippi State should create an incredible atmosphere in Biloxi.

The Golden Eagles appear to be as dangerous as ever heading into next season after piecing together an impressive transfer portal class and bringing in one of the most talented freshman classes in program history. Not to mention, head coach Christian Ostrander revamped his staff as well, elevating Ladd Rhodes to hitting coach, hiring Kyle Cheesebrough, who helped Mississippi State win the College World Series in 2021, as the new recruiting coordinator, and bringing back former Southern Miss shortstop and fan-favorite Dustin Dickerson in a player development role. From all angles, 2027 is looking promising for Baseburg.

Southern Miss hired former player Dustin Dickerson as a player development coach over the summer. | Southern Miss Athletics

It will be a while longer before college baseball season schedules start to be released, but for now, fans will be able to scratch their Southern Miss baseball itch five months early.

First pitch for the Golden Eagles' Hancock Whitney Classic game on Saturday, Oct. 10, 2026, will be at 2 p.m. Fans interested in attending the game in Biloxi can purchase tickets here. Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for more all-around coverage of Southern Miss Athletics.