USM head coach Scott Berry, takes lessons from MCC with him into Super Regionals

HATTIESBURG, Miss. (WTOK) - Current Southern Miss head baseball coach and former Meridian Community head coach, Scott Berry is preparing to coach on the biggest stage in his career up to this point.

As he prepares for the NCAA Super Regionals against Ole Miss he the former Meridian Eagles baseball coach says his time in Meridian helped shape him to the coach he is today.

“Looking back that was the ‘90′s-2000′s. We had some really good teams there. We went to the World Series 5 out 10 times there in Grand Junction... My time at Meridian was a special time. We were on top of the Junior College as that program that everyone was trying to chase and I just think the things in their own little way there wasn’t. I always tell people there really wasn’t pressure at Meridian. I figured it out now. The only pressure was me. You know putting it on myself or coach Palmer, putting it on him. But there wasn’t the pressures you know obviously as we move forward and we get to the bigger programs and the bigger fan base but in it’s own way it did prepare me and it did lead me in with people who are very smart on baseball and I just tried to do what I could to soak up every bit of what they knew to try to help me.”

Coach Berry did follow a similar path like former MCC and USM coach Corky Palmer. Coach Palmer went from MCC to Southern Miss and helped coach Berry with both of his stops.

“Of course I owe a lot to coach Palmer, I never had been under a head coach that lets you work. You know there’s responsibilities and in all honesty that’s what I do, it’s not about me here.”

Seeing the connection on the field for Meridian also brings up former Northeast Lauderdale pitcher, Landon Harper, and former West Lauderdale pitcher, Ben Ethridge. Ethridge and Harper are excited to see the Queen City continue to represent on the field.

“It’s just really cool actually,” said Harper. “I knew he was at MCC before I came here when I was at Pearl River and that was kind of one of the reasons I came here. I knew what kind of coach he was, not really but I kind of did know around what kind of coach he was so. It’s really cool honestly to play with him. He was at MCC obviously you know, Ben’s here you know, it’s just kind of fun.”

Ethridge said, “I’d say it’s getting represented pretty well. I didn’t know how long coach Barry was there but it was probably at least 5 years and he coached from there and came straight to southern miss. I’m sure he gained a ton of experience from meridian community college and all the experience me and Landon have gained from coming here it’s kind of the same because it all builds off one another.”

USM will host Ole Miss in game one at 3 p.m. on Saturday.

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