USM Head Baseball Coach Scott Berry to Serve as Grand Marshall for Southern Miss Coca-Cola Classic Rodeo

Mon, 01/24/2022 - 01:30pm | By: April Jordan

University of Southern Mississippi Baseball Coach Scott Berry will serve as grand marshal for the 36th Annual Southern Miss Coca-Cola Classic Rodeo set for Jan. 28-29 at the James Lynn Cartlidge Forrest County Multi-Purpose Center.

Berry joined the Southern Miss Golden Eagles baseball team prior to the 2001 season and will enter his 13th season at the helm of the program this spring.

Under Berry’s tutelage, Southern Miss has captured four Conference USA tournament titles, registered four league regular-season crowns and obtained seven NCAA Tournament appearances. The Golden Eagles head coach has won the league’s Coach of the Year Award three times.

Last spring, Berry led his young club to the NCAA Oxford Regional final as the program collected its fifth straight 40-win season, currently only behind Dallas Baptist for consecutive 40-win campaigns, who have seven. The 2021 Golden Eagles started the year at 4-5 before going 36-16 down the stretch to finish 40-21 as they went to the NCAA Tournament for the fifth-straight time and 17th time overall.

Berry completed his bachelor’s degree in secondary education with an emphasis in physical education from Southwest Missouri State University in 1986 and also received his master’s degree from SMSU in 1989 with a degree in secondary education with an emphasis in administration.

He, and his wife, Laura, have two children, Garren, and Kathryn (Kitty Grace). Laura received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Southern Miss, while Garren also recently received his bachelor’s degree from Southern Miss.

Advance tickets will be on sale beginning December 13, 2021, at Boot Country on U.S. Highway 49 and Hub City West Farm and Garden on U.S. Pioneer Road in Hattiesburg for $12. Starting Jan. 28 at 8 a.m., all tickets will be sold at the Forrest County Multi-Purpose Center for $15. All seats are reserved and have chair backs.

The rodeo is also sponsored by Southern Beverage, Xfinity, B-95, Pine Belt Motors, Keith’s Super Stores, Hattiesburg Clinic Sports Medicine, Forrest General Hospital, Bourne Brothers Printing, The Hattiesburg American, Neel-Schaffer, Service Master, Papa Johns, Eagle Dining, Southern Miss Campus Recreation, and F45 Training.