Scott Nickerson
Elmore Autauga News
The Southern Miss baseball team was down to their final out against Troy, trailing 6-3, in their second game of the Sun Belt Conference tournament, when Holtville’s Drey Barrett stepped to the plate. Facing a 0-2 count, Barrett blasted a walk off grand slam to lead the Golden Eagles to a 7-6 win over the Trojans. It was Barrett’s second home run of the game.
“It felt awesome (to hit the game winning grand slam),” said Barrett. “I initially blacked out and didn’t remember much of it. But after some time, I just felt blessed to be able to experience that moment. A lot of things have to go right for me to even be in that position, so I’m just thankful for the moment.”
The Eagles went on to win the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, and Barrett was named to the Sun Belt All-Tournament Team. That was one of several big moments for the Golden Eagles during the season. They also swept the Round Rock Classic in February, knocking off Purdue, Oregon State, and Baylor in three consecutive days. In the win over Purdue, Barrett had a double to drive in the game winning run. Southern Miss also won the Sun Belt Conference regular season title, finishing with the #9 overall national seed heading into regional tournament play.
“The entire season we were inside the Top 25 and won a lot of big games. There were obviously some low points as well, which is just part of it. We played well enough to be the #9 national seed when it came time to host regionals. The season didn’t end how we wanted, but sometimes that’s how it goes. Individually, my season started slow but picked up towards the end. I’m very grateful for the year that I had and was able to fight through some adversity during the year,” said Barrett.
The Holtville native started 59 of 60 games for Southern Miss, with 48 starts at 3rd base and 11 at designated hitter. He only committed one error in 94 fielding chances at 3rd base. He batted .298 with 9 home runs and 41 RBIs.
“Overall, my goals next year are just to get better in every aspect. I’m spending the rest of the summer playing summer ball in the Cape Cod, just trying to better myself and get prepared for next season,” said Barrett.
Barrett is majoring in Fitness and Nutrition.
“I know I want to stay in the sports world, whether that be a strength and conditioning coach, or a PT. I don’t know fully but I trust God to take me in the right direction.”
