Facilities / Directions

Pete Taylor Park / Hill Denson Field

In Southern Miss folklore, the names Pete Taylor and Hill Denson are legendary. Not only are the two among the greatest coaches in school history, they also are immortalized as the namesakes of the Golden Eagles' home stadium.

Pete Taylor Park / Hill Denson Field has been the home of Southern Miss baseball since 1984, when the facility was opened. "The Pete" as it is nicknamed, has seated more than a million fans who have entered its gates. During that time, the Golden Eagles have been regularly among the top teams in the nation in attendance.

The stadium is named in honor of C.J. "Pete" Taylor, who served the University in a variety of capacities until his retirement. Taylor became the 10th baseball coach in Southern Miss history and guided the Golden Eagle baseball program from 1959-83.

Ten years ago, Hill Denson Field was added to the name of the park in honor of the man, who carried the torch after Taylor and took the baseball program to the next level, a higher status where it currently competes today.

One of Taylor's pupils, Denson took the reins from his mentor in 1984 and took the Golden Eagles to unprecedented heights.

In his 14 seasons as the head coach at Southern Miss, Denson compiled a 468-386-2 record, guiding the program to 10 30-win seasons, two 40-win seasons and two trips to the NCAA Regional Tournament, the school's first in all three categories.

The stadium features chairback seating for 2,054 fans and bleacher seating for 1,212, after its current renovation prior to the 2012 season. The facility upgrade extended the main grandstand past each dugout to give it a more overall stadium look. The extended grandstands eliminated the bleacher seating that had been utilized down each of the base lines.

The stadium also has media facilities and a popular right field lounge area known as the "Right Field Roost," which has reserved parking for 40 vehicles and is equipped with barbeque grills.

Since the park first opened, it has undergone numerous improvements. In 1991, the press box was enlarged to handle radio and television broadcasts. A concession area, permanent restroom facilities and an electronic scoreboard were also added.

Over the years, other additions have included expanded sunken dugouts, an automatic underground watering system, underground french drainage system, a full-size infield tarp, Triple A specification lighting system, a state-of-the-art public address system, four covered batting cages equipped with pitching machines and covered bullpen mounds.

Pete Taylor Park is complemented by the Rogers, Thames and Welch Baseball Center, which opened its doors in August of 2001. It is located adjacent to the bleachers behind home plate and down the first base line. The complex provides the Golden Eagle program with several amenities including a team locker room, training room, meeting room, an area for equipment storage and distribution, a laundry area, as well as coaches' offices and dressing rooms for coaches and umpires. During the summer of 2003, the parking lot was paved and ornamental fencing replaced the fence and gates at the entrance of the park. A new scoreboard was added in the 2005 summer with an electronic video board.

The 2008 season saw the addition of 12 luxury suites and a new press box. This addition makes "The Pete" one of the few collegiate baseball stadium in the nation that offers luxury suites.

The addition includes two levels, both of which are accessible by elevator. There are eight luxury boxes on the first level and the second level consist of four suites and a working press box. There are also spacious booths for both home and visiting radio broadcast, a game operations booth and a larger booth to accommodate live television needs.

Because of the tradition of the program as well as the first-class facilities offered at "The Pete," Southern Miss has been selected to host several tournaments, including the 1990 Metro Conference Tournament, the inaugural Conference USA Tournament in 1996, the 2003 NCAA Hattiesburg Regional Tournament, 2005 C-USA Tournament and the 2009 C-USA Tournament.

Pete Taylor Park/Hill Denson Field has developed into one of the top baseball parks in the South and is among the best in the nation. The facility not only serves as the home for Golden Eagle baseball but also is used by various American Legion and high school championship and all-star events.

Directions To Pete Taylor Park / Hill Denson Field

Coming From I-59 North - Slidell: Continue on I-59 North until Exit 65 (Hardy St./Columbia). Exit at #65 and head East onto Hardy St. Turn Left onto 38th Ave. (Second Red Light). Continue on 38th Ave until you reach 4th Street (First Red Light you come to). Turn Right onto 4th Street. Pete Taylor Park is about ¼ of a mile on the left side.

Coming From I-59 South - Meridian: Continue on I-59 South until Exit 65 (Hardy St./Columbia). Exit at #65 and turn Left at Red Light onto Hardy St. upon exiting I-59. Turn Left onto 38th Ave. (Second Red Light). Continue on 38th Ave until you reach 4th Street (First Red Light you come to). Turn Right onto 4th Street. Pete Taylor Park is about ¼ of a mile on the left side.

Coming From HWY 49 North - Gulf Coast: Continue on Hwy 49 North until you hit the USM Campus at Hardy Street. Continue through the Red Light at the Hardy Street intersection. Exit to the left (Following signs to Coliseum). Turn Left at Red Light onto 4th Street. Pete Taylor Park is about ¼ of a mile on the right side.

Coming From HWY 49 South - Jackson: Continue on Hwy 49 South into Hattiesburg. Continue under the I-59 intersection for about 2 miles. Exit Right following the “Coliseum” Signs. Veer Right at Red Light. Pete Taylor Park is about ¼ of a mile on the right side.

Coming From HWY 98 East - McComb: Continue on Hwy 98 East until you cross over the I-59 Intersection. Continue through the I-59 Intersection. Turn Left onto 38th Ave. (Second Red Light). Continue on 38th Ave until you reach 4th Street (First Red Light you come to). Turn Right onto 4th Street. Pete Taylor Park is about ¼ of a mile on the left side.

Coming From HWY 98 West - Mobile: Continue on Hwy 98 West until the Hwy 49 North intersection. Exit onto Hwy 49 North towards Hattiesburg. Continue through the Red Light at the Hardy Street intersection. Exit to the left (Following signs to Coliseum). Turn Left at Red Light onto 4th Street. Pete Taylor Park is about ¼ of a mile on the right side.