Injury bug bites Southern Miss squad

By Alan Hinton

Call a doctor.

Recent injuries may keep two key University of Southern Mississippi players out of the starting lineup when the Golden Eagles host Marshall in the Feb. 18 season opener.

Right fielder Jody Blount hurt his shoulder in a weekend scrimmage and designated hitter/first baseman Eddie Burger has not been able to practice lately due to a back problem.

"Blount had played great in the fall and early spring but right now he can't lift his arm very high," Southern Miss coach Corky Palmer said. "He was going to be our No. 5 hitter, but he is questionable for opening day.

"Burger had a good fall with the bat but now he's way behind."

Because of the injuries, the starting lineup becomes more of a puzzle, Palmer said.

"The players who have been in the program are where I thought they would be," Palmer said. "A lot of the newcomers are struggling.

"We're being a lot more technical than we were in the fall. We've got to make sure we've got everything down. We have so many unproven guys, it's hard to tell about them until we start playing games."

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