In 2007 Mississippi State first baseman
Trey Sutton lead the Golden Eagles to a 39-23 record 
and
paced the team in almost every offensive category including
batting average (.368), runs (69), hits (88), doubles (18),
triples (3) and on base percentage (.459). The hometown
Hattiesburg, Mississippi native earned NCBWA All-American
honors as well as his third consecutive All-Conference-USA
Selections for his effort. The season ended on a sour note
however as he suffered a season ending injury in a win over
UAB in the first round of the C-USA tournament. Sutton had
extended his hitting streak to 21 games earlier in the game
before dislocating his knee and being forced to miss the
remainder of the tournament, USM's regional games as well
as summer and fall ball.
The Golden Eagles are once again one of
the more dangerous teams in the nation and currently have
in impressive 28-13 record despite playing a schedule heavy
with stiff competition that has included games against Louisiana-Lafayette,
Cal State Fullerton, Mississippi, East Carolina, Rice, Tulane
and LSU. However a regional invitation next month is far
from a sure thing as USM sits in the middle of the C-USA
standings and Sutton and company will have to step it up
if they want to continue playing deep into the postseason.
The highly accoladed competitor recently took some time
to answer some questions from Ping!:
PING!: A
knee injury forced you to miss the end of the Conference
USA Tournament as well as the NCAA Regionals. What hurt
more, the injury itself or having to sit out the postseason?
Sutton: I would have to
say that both hurt a great deal, but not being able to play
in the regional last year hurt more. A dislocated knee doesn't
feel too great but having to sit there and watch your team
play when you know you could be out there helping them was
really tough to do.
PING!: Are
you suffering any lingering effects of the injury this season?
I saw that you sat out fall workouts in hopes of giving
it some extra rest.
Sutton: Early in the season
I was still battling a little soreness and stiffness, especially
playing on cold nights. But with the weather warming up
a little bit and my quad continuing to regain strength,
I feel pretty good. I even started playing without my knee
brace here lately.
PING!: You
were active in a number of sports and organizations in high
school including soccer, student council, the Fellowship
of Christian Athletes and Beta Club. What interests do you
have outside of baseball now that you're in college?
Sutton: Well here at college
baseball takes up most of my time, but I do participate
in Reformed University Fellowship. I also love watching
other sports like football and the whole experience of tailgating.
I also love watching our basketball team play. I think I
missed one home game this year which just happened to be
the Memphis game. College basketball is so much fun to watch.
PING!: Two
teammates, David Clark and Tyler Conn were selected in last
year's amateur draft, but decided to come back to campus.
Can you describe the benefit that the having the two back
in Black and Gold has been?
Sutton: Well those two
guys were huge cogs in our success last year as well as
our early success this year. They are two veteran guys who
know what it takes to be successful in Division I baseball.
T Conn especially has done an outstanding job. There is
no one else I would rather have on the mound with the ball
in a tight spot.
PING!: You've
played with and against a number of remarkable players during
your three plus years at Southern Miss. Which opponents
or teammates do you think you'll see playing again someday
in the big leagues?
Sutton: Marc Maddox was
an unbelievable player. I learned a lot from him just picking
his brain and learning the game at this level from him.
Brian Dozier is the best infielder I have ever played with,
and just frustrates teams with his approach at the plate.
He has the best eye-hand coordination I have ever seen.
One guy who left a year before I got here but that you could
see playing in St. Louis very soon is Jarrett Hoffpauir.
He is probably the best all around player to come through
here in a very long time.
PING!: Some
teams struggle to draw 100 fans a game while Southern Miss
averages over 3,000. What kind of advantage does playing
at "The Pete" give the Golden Eagles?
Sutton: Well it's a huge
advantage, and I think our records at home in the past indicate
that. We never feel out of a ballgame, especially when we
are at home. The fans are into every pitch, and the enthusiasm
and excitement they bring fuels our play on the field.
PING!: Would
you rather sweep intrastate rivals Ole Miss and Mississippi
State or conference foes Rice and Tulane?
Sutton: I would probably
have to take sweeping Rice and Tulane, just because of the
conference impact it would have. Its always great beating
those in state guys too though, and if I could have it my
way, I would just take a sweep over them all!
PING!: How
has Coach Palmer (who recently earned his 400th win at USM)
helped you develop as a player?
Sutton: Well Coach Palmer
is an old school guy. He is definitely hard nosed, and he
expects anyone who plays for him to be the same way. He
tries to motivate his players, sometimes in unique ways,
to get everything out of them that he can, and those who
are tough mentally become better ballplayers under him.
Many times he challenges you to prove him wrong about something,
and he loves it when we do.
PING!: If
I were to stop by Hattiesburg, where should I go for good
Southern cooking?
Sutton: Good southern
cooking... hmm... A rack of ribs at Leatha's BBQ, Lake Serene
Grocery's Lunch Plate, Strick's BBQ's Lunch Buffet, or a
hamburger from Mugshot's Bar and Grill would be some good
places to start.
PREVIOUS PLAYER SPOTLIGHTS
* - DII
DII
Previous Years
DII
PREVIOUS COACH SPOTLIGHTS
DII
2008
