HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Southern Miss baseball's success can be measured in wins, championships, NCAA Tournament appearances and the professional players it continues to produce. But sometimes the strongest evidence of what a program has built comes from the players after they leave it.More than a year after being selected by the Houston Astros in the fourth round of the 2025 MLB Draft, former Southern Miss standout second baseman Nick Monistere has no regrets about the path that helped him get to this point in his career. Now working his way through the Astros' minor league system, Monistere joined our Nasty Bunch & Beyond podcast to discuss his early professional journey and reflect on the culture he came from in Hattiesburg.Southern Miss Golden Eagles’ Nick Monistere (8) cheers after tagging out Ole Miss Rebels’ Isaac Humphrey (51) during the game at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Miss., on Tuesday, March 18, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectGiven the opportunity to make his college decision again, his answer would be an easy one."You couldn't pay me to go anywhere else," Monistere said.Throughout this episode, Monistere talks about what all has been happening with him since being drafted last year, including some injury hurdles he's had to work through. He also offers his thoughts on the potential of this year's Southern Miss baseball team, including a stacked freshman class coming in and a handful of coaching changes that could make a big difference. Specifically, the Brandon, Miss., native is excited to see some of the talented kids coming in from around his area, like Justin Word (INF), Henry Abt (OF) and Taylor Latham (RHP).One of those coaching additions is new player development coach Dustin Dickerson, who was Monistere's teammate at Southern Miss. Monistere also talks about why other up-and-coming kids considering Southern Miss should choose to be a Golden Eagle, as well as some of his go-to spots in Hattiesburg that he misses.The Southern Miss dugout comes out to celebrate a home run hit by Nick Monistere (8) during an NCAA baseball super regional game between Tennessee and Southern Mississippi held at Pete Taylor Park in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Saturday, June 10, 2023. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters ConnectDuring his three-year career at Southern Miss, Monistere racked up 180 hits, 37 home runs, 34 doubles and 153 RBI while having a .294 batting percentage. During his junior year before going pro, he exploded for a team-best 21 homers.Although Monistere improved as a player throughout his college career, he hit the ground running in his freshman year in 2023, delivering several big moments and helping the Golden Eagles win the Auburn Regional as underdogs. Although Southern Miss proved that it belonged in the Super Regionals against Tennessee that year, Monistere still gets frustrated thinking about how that year ended and what could have been.You can listen to today's Nasty Bunch & Beyond episode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or any other major podcast platforms. If you'd prefer to watch on YouTube, you can access the video below. Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for more Southern Miss Athletics coverage over the weekend.Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow