HATTIESBURG — Corky Palmer, a beloved figure within the Hattiesburg baseball scene and the coach of the 2009 Southern Miss team that reached the College World Series, died Wednesday. He was 68 years old.
"I don't think there was a better representative of Southern Miss baseball and the University of Southern Miss as a whole than Corky Palmer," USM baseball coach Scott Berry said.
Born on March 15, 1954, Palmer attended Hattiesburg High School, where he earned three varsity baseball letters as a catcher.
He played collegiately at Southern Miss, taking over as the Golden Eagles' starting catcher as a freshman.