Pete Taylor Park South: A Golden Era in Biloxi — Southern Miss’ Baseball Reign at Keesler Federal Park

Between 2017 and 2019, the Conference USA Baseball Tournament found a vibrant home at MGM Park in Biloxi (now known as Keesler Federal Park). For Southern Miss, the venue became more than just a neutral site—it was affectionately dubbed “Pete Taylor Park South,” a nod to their Hattiesburg stadium, as Golden Eagle fans transformed the Home of the Biloxi Shuckers into a sea of black and gold. Though billed as a neutral site, the Conference USA Baseball Tournament’s run in Biloxi became a three-year love affair between the city and one of Mississippi’s proudest programs.

The tournament’s relocation to Biloxi in 2017 was a strategic move, bringing the excitement of college baseball to the Gulf Coast. Southern Miss fans, renowned for their passionate support, embraced the change, traveling en masse to support their team. This fervent backing provided the Golden Eagles with a palpable home-field advantage, reminiscent of the atmosphere at their own Pete Taylor Park.

The inaugural tournament in 2017 marked the first time the C-USA Tournament was hosted on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Southern Miss entered the week ranked in the top 15 with a 44-12 record and a regular-season C-USA championship under head coach Scott Berry. Led by the towering bat of Dylan Burdeaux and the arm of Kirk McCarty, the Golden Eagles stormed through the Tournament after an opening round loss to Louisiana Tech.

In the semifinals, they edged out a scrappy Charlotte squad in a tense 5-3 win before advancing to face Rice in the championship. Before a near-capacity crowd filled with Southern Miss faithful, USM jumped out early but couldn’t silence Rice’s bats, falling 5-4 in a heartbreaker. Despite the loss, it was clear: Biloxi was Southern Miss country.

With unfinished business, the Golden Eagles returned to Biloxi in 2018 hungry—and they feasted.

Southern Miss entered the tournament again as the top seed, this time boasting an even more dynamic offense led by future MLB draft picks Matt Wallner. And Luke Reynolds, who had just been named C-USA Player of the Year Newcomer of the Year. Gabe Montenegro and Hunter Slater added speed and power at the top of the lineup, while ace Nick Sandlin—the eventual Ferriss Trophy winner and C-USA Player of the Year—dominated on the mound with a sub-2.00 ERA. Sandlin increased his Draft stock in Biloxi and would go in the Second Round by the Cleveland Indians in that year’s Draft.

USM dismantled Florida Atlantic 12-3 behind a three-hit performance from Matt Wallner, a towering home run by Gabe Montenegro. The crowd in Biloxi erupted as Southern Miss hoisted the trophy, claiming its first C-USA Tournament title since 2016.

The 2019 tournament cemented the legend of Pete Taylor Park South. This Southern Miss team didn’t enter with the same regular-season dominance, finishing third in the standings, but what they lacked in seeding, they made up for in the C-USA Tournament, rolling through with an undefeated 4-0 record in Biloxi. Led by Matt Wallner, now a junior, and veterans like Gabe Montenegro and Matthew Guidry, the Golden Eagles clawed through the bracket.

In perhaps the defining game of the tournament, USM scored 6 runs to beat their own rival the Rice Owls in the Semifinals, sending the Biloxi crowd into a frenzy. That set up another final against Florida Atlantic—a rematch of the prior year. Montenegro had a two hit game behind a dominant start on the mound from Walker Powell, with relief innings from fan favorite Stevie Powers. Final score: Southern Miss 4, FAU 0.

The victory secured back-to-back C-USA championships and punched the Golden Eagles’ ticket to the NCAA Tournament once again, where they would travel to Baton Rouge and lose to LSU The next weekend.

Pete Taylor Park South: A Legacy Written in Black and Gold

Though Biloxi was over 90 miles from Hattiesburg, you wouldn’t know it by the fan turnout. Southern Miss fans packed the stands, set up tailgates near the Beau Rivage, and turned MGM Park into an electric environment that rattled opposing teams and lifted their own.

The nickname “Pete Taylor Park South” wasn’t just clever—it was accurate. Chants of “To the Top” echoed through the ballpark as though the games were being played on campus. The fans even created their own temporary Right Field Roost at MGM Park Park. Southern Miss games brought near-record concessions and attendance numbers.

Players echoed the sentiment. Wallner called MGM Park “our second home,” and Coach Berry praised the “incredible energy” from the stands.

After 2019, the tournament moved on, but for Southern Miss and the city of Biloxi, those three years live on as a golden chapter. Two championships. Three finals appearances. A legacy of dominance and fanfare on the Mississippi coast.

When the sun sets over MGM Park now, it still catches a glimmer of those glory days—when black and gold ruled the Gulf and a ballpark by the beach became Pete Taylor Park South for one week in late May.

While the C-USA Tournament moved on after 2019, the relationship between Southern Miss and Biloxi never truly ended. The Golden Eagles continue to honor their coastal connection with an annual neutral-site game in Biloxi, keeping the spirit of “Pete Taylor Park South” alive. Whether it’s a midweek clash with Nicholls State or a showcase game for Gulf Coast fans, the trip to Biloxi remains a celebrated part of the Golden Eagles’ schedule every year. Maybe one day the Sun Belt Conference Baseball Tournament will move here from Montgomery.

🏆 Titles Won at MGM Park: