NATCHEZ — University of Southern Mississippi senior, Golden Eagle pitcher and video blog host.

Former Trinity Episcopal baseball star Jake Winston has flexed his strength on the pitchers’ mound for the Golden Eagles during the 2016 season, along with his personality on The Hattiesburg American’s weekly video blog “What’s Up With Winston?”

Winston hosted the weekly vlog throughout the regular season, interviewing fellow teammates about their game, their hometowns and even their hair.

“(Hattiesburg editor) Jason Munz came to me and said, ‘My wife has this idea,’” Winston said. “He gave me the spiel and we tried it out. It turned out to be pretty funny.”

Winston said the internet show was a collaborative effort between Munz, his teammates and himself. He and Munz would come up with questions to ask teammates, who would also add their own humor to the show.

This week, Winston is not impersonating Buster Olney; the Vidalia native is focused on his role of eating up innings out of the USM bullpen as the Golden Eagles (36-18, 20-10 C-USA) face Old Dominion in the first round of the Conference USA Championship as a No. 3 seed.

Winston has the Golden Eagles’ third-most innings (59.0) despite in just five starts. Winston said his role shifted from the beginning of the season from spot starter to long reliever in an effort to add some consistency to the USM bullpen.

“I was in the starting role early in the year,” Winston said. “I wasn’t doing bad, but it wasn’t really me. I’ve always felt like a reliever. It’s more fun to me and it was a mutual decision between the coaches and me.”

Winston said he is embracing his role as a long reliever for the Golden Eagles. The former Saint said he is most often trying to get the team through the middle innings — usually the fourth through the seventh — to get to the setup and closer in the eighth and ninth.

“When it gets to the later innings, that’s really when the game is on the line,” Winston said. “You get that adrenaline and the game means more in that moment … I’m a big adrenaline junkie.”

Winston’s last appearance was in Game 1 of the Golden Eagles’ final series of the regular season against Florida International University. Winston logged four innings and allowed three runs — one earned — on three hits when he picked up his teammate Cord Cockrell, who missed time due to a shoulder injury, in the fourth inning. Winston was a four-inning bridge during a game that lasted 10 innings. FIU got the best of USM in Game 1, 6-5, and jumped on the Golden Eagles for the remainder of the series. After the one-run loss in Miami, FIU outscored USM 18-10 to sweep the Golden Eagles.

USM has spent stints in the Top 25 this season, and played for the prospect to host a Regional in the College World Series. Now, USM’s hosting hopes likely rely on the team’s chances of making a run in the Conference USA Championship.

“Being swept this weekend really hurt,” Winston said. “We know, to still have a chance to host, we have to win the tournament or at least go deep into it.”

The Golden Eagles are 24-4 in home games. Today’s 4 p.m. game in Hattiesburg against Old Dominion is the first game between the two schools all season.

USM leads the conference in batting average (.305) and home runs (60), but Winston said deof work before nearing his pitch limit. Redshirt-freshman Brady Feigl tossed 3.0 innings without allowing a run before the dynamic duo of Will Stokes and Wyatt Short finished the game with one scoreless inning apiece.

Heath Holder (4-5) suffered the loss for Georgia (27-30). After limiting the Rebels to one run in 7.0 frames earlier this season (May 8), Ole Miss recorded four runs off the UGA starter in 3.2 innings today. At the plate, the Bulldogs tallied seven hits, including two by designated hitter Daniel Nichols.

After Bramlett retired the first two batters of the game, Stephen Wrenn homered to left field to give UGA the first run of the game. Georgia loaded the bases to try and keep the two-out rally going; however, Bramlett settled down to get out of the jam and leave three Bulldogs on base.

The Rebels batted around in the fourth, sending 10 hitters to the plate. With the help of two extra-base hits, Ole Miss scored four runs in the big inning to take control of the game. Golsan drew a one-out walk before Blackman’s blooper to center put two runners on base for Woodman. Hitting over .400 with runners in scoring position throughout the regular season, the junior center fielder came through in the clutch once again with a triple to right field that scored a pair of Rebels. Henri Lartigue reached base after being hit by a pitch, and the Ole Miss catcher stole his first base of the season to get into scoring position. A Bortles double brought both Woodman and Lartigue across the plate to give Ole Miss a 4-1 lead.