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4 weeks 1 day ago
Photo by Jacob Brumfield, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
After three weeks of baseball, Southern Miss is 10-1 and has slid into the top 10 at No. 10 in the D1Baseball.com rankings, No. 12 by Baseball America and No. 8 by Perfect Game. The Golden Eagles have beaten Oregon State, won a series against UC Santa Barbara and are coming off a loud sweep of Louisiana Tech.
In fact, they beat Louisiana Tech so convincingly this weekend that Bulldogs head coach Lane Burroughs apologized to the Tech fan base after the series.
By DIMA MIXON on
4 weeks 2 days ago
Photo by Andrew Abadie, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
Southern Miss baseball head coach Christian Ostrander earned his 100th win as head skipper of the Golden Eagles. The milestone came in just 137 games at Southern Miss.
That is the fastest any head coach has reached the mark in Golden Eagle baseball history, ahead of Pete Taylor (163), Scott Berry (165), Corky Palmer (168) and Hill Denson (230).
By DIMA MIXON on
4 weeks 2 days ago
William Carey claimed the weekend series but came up just short of the sweep, falling 6–5 to Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College on Saturday afternoon at Milton Wheeler Field.
By Kevin Rosiere on
1 month ago
Photo by Dima Mixon, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
Sumrall didn’t have to work too hard for offense Saturday afternoon.
By DIMA MIXON on
1 month ago
MONTGOMERY, Ala. — William Carey opened its SSAC Tournament run in commanding fashion Thursday night, delivering a wire-to-wire 99–86 victory over Tennessee Southern at the Multiplex at Cramton Bowl.
By Kevin Rosiere on
1 month ago
More than 80 nominations received from across state
The 2026 Mississippi Pinnacle Awards proudly announces this year’s finalists, selected from more than 80 nominations representing exceptional achievement in business, leadership, and event innovation across Mississippi.
By Staff reports on
1 month ago
These are trying times for the Secretary of War. His penchant for bare-chested and mano a mano behavior has made him a lightning rod for critics of the Trump administration.
By Benny Hornsby on
1 month ago
Funeral homes may submit obituaries to obits@hubcityspokes.com. Death notices are printed free of charge; obituaries with photos and detailed information will incur a charge. For assistance, call (601)-268-2331.
Robert Bascle (77) of Hattiesburg passed away on February 18, 2026. Moore Funeral Service is handling the arrangements.
Mildred Frances Byrd (86) formerly of Petal passed away on February 19, 2026. Moore Funeral Service handled the arrangements.
Billy Eugene Carter (89) of Petal passed away on February 20, 2026. Moore Funeral Service handled the arrangements.
By Staff reports on
1 month ago
Jail dockets for Forrest and Lamar counties are provided to the Pine Belt News as a public records service. Arrest records are current for the week prior to publication.
Hattiesburg Police:
Ronnie Jermaine Barrett- probation violation, domestic violence (simple assault)
Demarrio Dontion Bass- possession of a controlled substance (less than 2 grams), possession of a controlled substance (between 2 and 10 grams)
Roderick Antwaun Bolton- misdemeanor shoplifting, willful and malicious trespassing
Emily Elizabeth Boone- DUI (first offense)
Breanna Breland- domestic violence (simple assault)
By Staff reports on
1 month ago
Photo by Russ Cloy, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
Southern Miss blasted two grand slams and run-ruled Alabama 14-4 in eight innings Tuesday night at Pete Taylor Park.
“Man, just proud — just proud of these guys and staying in the moment,” Southern Miss head coach Christian Ostrander said. “We had a big weekend this past weekend, and they knew today was the most important game on the schedule. They came out here and competed hard. They’re confident. They believe in each other.”
By DIMA MIXON on
1 month ago
Photo Special to the Pine Belt News from Southern Miss Athletics
It’s that time of the week again for the weekly Southern Miss report card, grading Southern Miss baseball’s weekly performances every Monday.
This week, I am grading the Southeastern Louisiana game and the Golden Eagles’ sweep of thw 2026 Round Rock Classic in Round Rock, Texas.
As a reminder, these grades will feel tough, because Southern Miss is elite and they should be graded accordingly to that scale.
With that in mind, here’s the second report card of 2026.
Starting Pitching – B+
By DIMA MIXON on
1 month ago
Photo special to the Pine Belt News from the Round Rock Tournament.
After a 4-0 week that included a signature win over a top-15 opponent, Southern Miss baseball has surged in the latest national polls, continuing to build early-season momentum.
The Golden Eagles (6-1) opened the week with a 3-1 midweek win over Southeastern Louisiana before traveling to Round Rock, Texas and sweeping the 2026 Round Rock Classic. Southern Miss earned wins over Purdue, previously No. 11 Oregon State and Baylor, navigating a tournament field that featured three Power Five programs.
The performance did not go unnoticed nationally.
By DIMA MIXON on
1 month ago
Photo special to the Pine Belt News from Southern Miss athletics.
ROUND ROCK, Texas — No. 20 Southern Miss baseball capped a resounding weekend at the 2026 Round Rock Classic, sweeping all three games — including a dramatic walk-off over Purdue, a statement victory against No. 11 Oregon State and a final slugfest 5-1 win over Baylor.
By DIMA MIXON on
1 month 1 week ago
By Brandon Shields on
1 month 1 week ago
What: Homeschool Days at the Hattiesburg Zoo
This year’s programming will focus on animal habitats.
When: Tuesday, March 3rd (Mountains)
Tuesday, April 7th (Forests)
Tuesday, May 5th (Deserts)
Tuesday, June 2nd (Wetlands)
Tuesday, July 7th (Jungles)
By Lisa S. Conn on
1 month 1 week ago
Jail dockets for Forrest and Lamar counties are provided to the Pine Belt News as a public records service. Arrest records are current for the week prior to publication.
Hattiesburg Police:
Rakajah Allen- domestic violence (simple assault)
Demeshia Lashay Amones- domestic violence (simple assault)
Devium Bickham- domestic violence (simple assault)
Alvin Lee Bridges, Jr.- trespassing
Jaylen Kashan Jones Brooks- no/expired/improper tag, domestic violence (simple assault)
Tavarus Brown- probation violation
Demarion Carter- shoplifting misdemeanor
By Staff reports on
1 month 1 week ago
Photo by Dima Mixon, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
In its first home baseball game of the season, Hattiesburg turned in what interim head coach Chris Bendenbaugh called its most complete performance of the year.
Behind a dominant first varsity start from EJ Cox and an offense that produced nine hits — including five for extra bases — the Tigers run-ruled North Forrest 11-0 in five innings Tuesday night in non-district action.
By DIMA MIXON on
1 month 1 week ago
Photo by Russ Cloy, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
It took the Sumrall boys just 80 minutes of near-perfect soccer to wipe out three years of playoff misfortune.
After coming up short in the final minutes of playoff losses in 2023 and 2025, the Bobcats left nothing to chance Tuesday night in the Class 5A South State boys soccer championship, dominating Northeast Jones from start to finish in a 2-0 victory at Lions Field.
Sumrall (21-7-1) will battle Pontotoc at noon Saturday at Germantown High School for the 5A state title, with the boys hoping to add a gold trophy to the Class 4A championship the Bobcat girls won in 2024.
By Stan Caldwell on
1 month 1 week ago
Professor of Art at Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, Louisiana, Jeff Brown demonstrates various techniques for Jones College students while on the pottery wheel, shaping clay into large pieces of stonework.
, Southeast Missouri State University Professor of Art and Ceramics, Benjie Heu (center) demonstrated various techniques working with clay to create his ceramic figures with Jones College students.
Jones College art students and those interested in the creation of art enjoyed a special demonstration by two artists, Jeff Brown and Benjie Heu in the Eula Bass Lewis Art Gallery on campus. The art instructors’ collection of ceramic sculptures and stonework pottery has been on display at the Eula Bass Lewis Art Gallery for the last month. Students learned how Heu builds his unique characters out of clay and molds the parts together before adding intricate designs, bringing his creatures to life.
By Teresa McCreery on
1 month 1 week ago
There are places that Science Fiction takes you: the stars, distant planets, galaxies we never knew were in existence. Inside of those journeys, there is travel and there is even time travel. In other words, no boundaries exist for storytelling. So, the Fantasy side of SciFi relies upon the creation of what we will call an "alternate reality." In its sub genre Speculative Fiction, this phenomena often turns a mirror on the current ills of society. In Literature, you really cannot have an illness without some bout with horror.
By Mik Davis on
