University of South Alabama Athletics

2011 (Junior):  Went 2-0 with one save and a team-leading 2.55 ERA in 18 appearances … Allowed only five earned runs in 17 2/3 innings pitched … Did not allow an earned run in 16 of his 18 appearances, including a stretch of 13 consecutive appearances (3/13-5/17) without allowing an earned run … Limited opponents to a team-best .190 batting average … Did not allow a hit in 11 appearances … Earned his first career save at Tulane (4/13) … Pitched a career-high 6 1/3 innings and struck out a career-best six batters against Arkansas State (5/28) in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament.

2010 (Sophomore):  Appeared in a team-leading 31 games, which ranked fourth in the Sun Belt Conference … Recorded two wins and 21 strikeouts in 30 1/3 innings … Did not allow a run in 16 of his 31 appearances … Earned his first career win in 1 1/3 relief innings against North Florida (2/27) … Matched a career high with three strikeouts at UALR in 2 1/3 innings of relief (3/14) … Did not allow a home run in non-conference games … Tossed three scoreless innings against Louisiana-Lafayette (3/21), which tied his longest career outing … Recorded four consecutive shutout appearances from April 13-17 … Appeared in every game of series against Louisiana-Monroe (4/16-18) … Pitched one scoreless inning without allowing a hit against Florida International in the SBC Tournament, while recording two strikeouts (5/28) … Allowed just two runs in his first seven appearances of the season, which totaled six innings.

2009 (Freshman):  Was one of USA’s most effective relievers in last half of season … Posted a 4.15 ERA in 12 appearances out of the bullpen in Sun Belt Conference play … Struck out seven and walked just two in 8.2 innings of relief against SBC opponents … Worked 1 2/3 scoreless innings against Western Kentucky (3/15) … Pitched a perfect inning against New Orleans (3/20), then came back and retired the only Privateer batter he faced the next day (3/21) … Got first start of career against Southeastern Louisiana (3/25) … Allowed one run in two innings in that outing … Pitched in three consecutive conference games where he was brought in to face one batter and was able to retire that batter … Started string against Arkansas State (3/27 & 3/29), and finished with Florida Atlantic (4/4) … Pitched 2/3 scoreless innings of relief against UALR (4/12) … Allowed one hit in 1 1/3 innings against Auburn (4/15) … Struck out three in two scoreless innings against Alabama (4/29) … Pitched in all three games of series against Florida International (5/8-10) … Ranked second on the team with 25 appearances.
 
High School:  Went undefeated with a 14-0 record and a 0.97 ERA in 94.0 innings pitched as a senior at East Central High School in Hurley, Miss. … Added 165 strikeouts for an impressive 15.8 strikeouts per nine innings … Also hit .393 with six homers and 38 RBI … Named second-team All-American by MaxPreps … Same publication also named him to first-team medium school All-American list and declared him “the top pitcher in Mississippi … Team won district championships in all four seasons … State champions in 2008 … Holds school record for wins in a season (14) … Also played football for two years and soccer for four years.
 
Personal:  Full name is Phillip Simmons Byrd … Born Nov. 13, 1989, in Pascagoula, Miss. … Middle of three sons to Michael and Mary Ann Byrd … Has an older brother, Stanley, and a younger brother, Jacob … Lists “Happy Gilmore” and “The Hangover” as his favorite movies … Favorite athletes are Cliff Lee and Randy Johnson … Favorite musical artists are Eric Church and Luke Bryan … Lists steak among his favorite foods … Majoring in exercise science.