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1 month 2 weeks ago
Photo by Jacob Brumfield, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
Southern Miss evened its weekend series with UC Santa Barbara on Saturday afternoon at Pete Taylor Park, using a late two-run home run from Joey Urban and five scoreless innings from its bullpen to secure an 8-6 victory.
“I thought our guys competed hard,” Southern Miss head coach Christian Ostrander said. “Really good arm on the mound again. We knew it was going to be a fight coming into it. They got the lead and it didn’t look good, but our guys kept competing and we were able to put some things together.”
By DIMA MIXON on
1 month 2 weeks ago
Photo by Jacob Brumfield, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
Jackson Flora was everything he was advertised to be in his 2026 debut. He pitched six innings, allowing just three hits with no runs and no walks.
“Got to give credit where credit is due,” Southern Miss head coach Christian Ostrander said. “Their guy pitched really well, as advertised. That’s a really good arm. We kept it close for the most part until that two-run home run there in the ninth inning.”
By DIMA MIXON on
1 month 2 weeks ago
Photo by Amanda D. Lee, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
City, county and State leaders break ground on the new $30 million Recreation and Sports Event Center at Monday morning’s groundbreaking ceremony.
City, county and State leaders gathered on Monday morning to break ground on the new Recreation and Sports Event Center, located in Tatum Park. Upon completion of the project, the facility will be donated to the City of Hattiesburg for public use. Funding for this project is provided by anonymous donors through the Pinebelt Foundation.
By Amanda D. Lee on
1 month 2 weeks ago
The vast majority of states across the U.S. now allow some form of high school NIL.
A bill that would have allowed Mississippi high school student-athletes to accept Name, Image and Likeness, or NIL, money or benefits quietly died in the House of Representatives last week.
Legislation filed by State Rep. Jeffery Harness (D) titled the “Mississippi High School Student-Athlete NIL Protection Act” died the House Judiciary A Committee on deadline day.
By Frank Corder - Magnolia Tribune on
1 month 2 weeks 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:
Gregory Javonta Barnes- DUI (first offense)
Ronald Demario Berry- careless driving, eluding law enforcement, probation violation, no proof of liability insurance
Ivan Eric Bush- possession of marijuana in a motor vehicle, DUI (first offense)
Andre Germaine Carter- contempt of court
Kenneth Andre Chandler- fugitive of other jurisdiction (Stone County)
Christopher Clark- contempt of court
By Staff reports on
1 month 2 weeks ago
Photo by Jesse Johnson, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
The 2026 Southern Miss pitching staff has all the makings as being one of the best staffs that Christian Ostrander has ever had at Southern Miss. On top of that, with the addition of bringing over pitching coach Gunner Leger from Louisiana to help out, this staff is loaded with talent and arms.
While this staff may not have a MLB prospect like JB Middleton on the bump on Friday night’, the 6-14 pitchers are deeper than potentially Ostrander has ever had.
By DIMA MIXON on
1 month 2 weeks ago
Photo by Russ Cloy, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
In a game that felt more like a playoff matchup than opening day, runs were scarce and, in the end, just one swing made the difference.
Easton Giger launched a two-run home run over the wall in right field just a few pitches after Sumrall ace Drew Davis exited the game, lifting Petal to a 2-1 victory in a classic season opener that featured just four combined hits and 21 strikeouts between the two teams.
By DIMA MIXON on
1 month 2 weeks ago
Photo by Russ Cloy, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
When Christian Ostrander hired another pitching coach with pedigree, some wondered if it signaled a shift – a step back from the part of the game that has defined his career. A passing of the torch for him to focus on head coaching duties.
But, that was never the plan.
“I will never not be a pitching coach,” Ostrander said. “That’s one of my strengths. I told him that on the front end. I said, ‘I want you to come in here and treat it like it’s yours, but we’re going to do it together.’”
By DIMA MIXON on
1 month 2 weeks ago
The move is part of the company’s $1 billion investment in its U.S. manufacturing operations. The Rankin County site will create roughly 300 new jobs.
The Mississippi Development Authority announced Tuesday that Siemens Energy is investing up to $300 million and creating up to 300 new advanced manufacturing jobs through an expansion in Rankin County.
The move is part of the company’s $1 billion investment in its U.S. manufacturing operations.
By Frank Corder - Magnolia Tribune on
1 month 2 weeks ago
‘You don’t have to be perfect to make an impact,’
The Hattiesburg High School’s choir program is continuing to gain national accolades as their director, Gary McCullum, earns a nomination for the 2027 Grammy Music Educator Award. For McCullum, the recognition is less about trophies and more about transformation- proof that intentional teaching and belief in students can resonate far beyond their practice and performance spaces.
By Amanda D. Lee on
1 month 3 weeks ago
Photo by Russ Cloy, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
Southern Miss softball used 11 hits to slug its way to an 8-0 run-rule victory over Southeast Missouri Redhawks on Friday to open the 2026 season.
Kayla Giardina got the start in the circle for the Golden Eagles and allowed a leadoff single before sitting down three straight Redhawks.
“We were really proud of Kayla coming out and setting a tone for us on the mound,” Southern Miss head coach Natalie Poole said. “After that, we were really able to see our offense get after it right away.”
By DIMA MIXON on
1 month 3 weeks ago
Photo by Hattiesburg Athletics, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
Photo courtesy of Hattiesburg Athletics
Hattiesburg head baseball coach Brent Barham is stepping aside from his head coaching role before the 2026 baseball season starts, a source told the Pine Belt News.
Barham was entering his 22nd year at the school, and sixth year as a head coach. His career record was 61-66.
Chris Bedenbaugh has been named interim head coach of the Hattiesburg High School Tigers Baseball Team, Hattiesburg schools announced.
By Staff reports on
1 month 3 weeks ago
Southern Miss head football coach Blake Anderson knew when he took the job a couple of months ago just how difficult the first few weeks would be.
After former head coach Charles Huff left for Memphis and took a substantial portion of the roster with him — along with more than 30 seniors out of eligibility — the Golden Eagles were left with a roster in dire straits.
By DIMA MIXON on
1 month 3 weeks ago
Photo special to the Pine Belt News from Southern Miss Athletics
It was a familiar story — until it wasn’t.
Southern Miss women’s basketball once again staged a fierce rally after trailing by as many as 17 points, but this time the comeback fell short. The Lady Eagles dropped an 83-72 decision to James Madison on Wednesday night at Reed Green Coliseum.
By DIMA MIXON on
1 month 3 weeks ago
Photo by Dima Mixon, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
PCS celebrated a joyous signing day on Wednesday as six-student athletes officially signed to continue their athletic careers at the collegiate level.
Surrounded by family, teammates and coaches, the signees put pen to paper in a ceremony that highlighted not only individual accomplishments, but the continued growth of PCS athletics.
By DIMA MIXON on
1 month 3 weeks ago
The University of Southern Mississippi
By Mike Lopinto on
1 month 3 weeks ago
Photo by Dima Mixon, © 2026 Emmerich Newspapers, Inc.
Believe it or not, Southern Miss has yet to win a regular-season Sun Belt Conference baseball championship since joining the league in the fall of 2021.
The Golden Eagles have come close. They finished as the runner-up in three straight seasons — behind Coastal Carolina in 2023, Louisiana in 2024 and Coastal Carolina again in 2025. During that stretch, Southern Miss has proven itself in the postseason, winning the Sun Belt Tournament championship in 2023 and 2024 before falling in the title game last season.
By DIMA MIXON on
1 month 3 weeks ago
Hattiesburg Police Department and the Drug Enforcement Administration have been combining their efforts for a yearlong investigation which resulted in the Friday morning arrest of a Hattiesburg man, David Walls.
Investigators conducted a coordinated enforcement operation in the 600 block of Buschman Street, arrested the 45-year-old without incident. Along with the arrest, authorities seized 90 grams of crack cocaine, eight firearms, three vehicles and more than $130,000 in cash.
By Amanda D. Lee on
1 month 3 weeks ago
Any of my friends who live out of town know that when I visit, there’s a ritual I perform every day: picking up a copy of their local daily newspaper. In fact, I don’t feel my visit is complete without a copy of that town’s daily paper to read. And I mean paper, literally, as in a print edition. Oh, I know everything is going digital these days as technology consumes every part of our lives.
By Elijah Jones on
1 month 3 weeks ago
The community is invited to experience the extraordinary musical talent of The University of Southern Mississippi’s School of Music during two special concert evenings this February. In celebration of the school’s ongoing excellence and as part of the National Association of Schools of Music accreditation site visit, both concerts are free and open to the public.
By Mike Lopinto on
