AUBURN, Ala. — Southern Miss baseball coach Scott Berry can still remember the bold declaration directed his way by his light-hitting, slick-fielding shortstop.
The No. 9 spot in the batting order wasn't for Dustin Dickerson, he told Berry. A place higher in the order would be his before long, he claimed.
Years later, he couldn't be more right. Dickerson slugged two home runs in USM's 7-2 victory over Auburn (34-23-1) in an elimination game Saturday at Plainsman Park, giving him eight on the season and four in the postseason.
"He told me, 'I'm gonna be in that two-hole,' " Berry said.