Aside from going to the 2009 College World Series, perhaps the most iconic moment in the history of Southern Miss baseball came out of the 2016 Conference USA Tournament championship game at Pete Taylor Park where the Golden Eagles beat Rice on a walk-off double play.
- aside from going to the 2009- college world series... perhaps- the most iconic moment, in the- history of southern miss- baseball... came out of the - 20-16 - conference u-s-a tournament - championship game, at pete- taylor park... where the golden- eagles beat rice... on a- walk-off double relay.- the guy who started that game..- hayden roberts... is now- an assistant coach... at- pascagoula high school.
- between then and now... roberts- finished up his u-s-m - career, the following year... - before getting drafted by the - colorado rockies, in the 34th - round... of the 20-17 m-l-b - first-year player draft.- he went on to pitch three years- in their organization...- before his eventual release, in- 20-19... and that's when- coaching became an option.- he got hired as the panthers- pitching coach, back in - september... and is also the- middle school head coach.
- news 25 will have his full- feature story, in the coming- days... - but until then... roberts - refelcts on his favorite moment- as a professional ball player..- - - - involving a five- time all-star- and eight-time gold glover... o- the eve of major- league opening day.
- "faced arenado once.
Funny stor if you remember, he got into a- brawl.
This is my - - - second year.
We were in extende- spring training, which is not a- place you want to be.
- but we were there.
And he got - into that fight, so he has to - come down to- extended spring training with - us.
I don't even know he's here- so i run out from the - - - - bullpen, and this guy flips me - ball.
And i'm like who is this?- and it's nolan arenado, - flips me a ball.
He's playing - third base behind me.
That was- pretty special for me.- that's awesome.
Yeah.
One of- those moments where i did a - double take, and i'm- like, my god, that's nolan- arenado" - - - roberts says if he remembers- correctly... he got arenado to- fly out... to end the at-bat.
- arenado got traded to the st.
- louis cardinals...
When the Major League Baseball first year-player draft was still 40 rounds long, guys like Southern Miss alum Hayden Roberts still..