Ferriday — Jarrett Hoffpauir will officially be a Hall of Fame baseball player come next week.

Hoffpauir will be inducted into Southern Miss’ Hall of Fame at a banquet Sept. 19, and Hoffpauir will be honored the following day at halftime of the Southern Miss vs. Appalachian State game.

“I’m pretty excited about it,” Hoffpauir said. “This ranks very high in terms of everything I’ve accomplished in my career. This is something that will stick forever. It’s a big honor.”

Before being drafted in the sixth round by the St. Louis Cardinals, Hoffpauir earned First Team All-American status with the Golden Eagles, recording a school record 109 hits and 92 RBIs. Hoffpauir led the team in batting average in 2004 with a .405 average, along with 11 home runs. Despite his record-setting numbers, Hoffpauir said he never once thought about the Hall of Fame during his career at Southern Miss.

“I just played baseball everyday and enjoyed myself,” said Hoffpauir who broke Vidalia’s home run record in 2001. “Good things happen when you play the right way, which is something I try to teach my kids.”

Hoffpauir is the head coach of the Delta Charter Storm baseball team.