Ole Miss Baseball Hosts Memphis and North Alabama for Midweek Doubleheaders
Ole Miss baseball (10-2) is set to host Memphis and North Alabama for a pair of midweek games at Swayze Field, with both contests beginning at 6:30 p.m. and available on SEC Network+. The Rebels are coming off a 1-2 performance at the BRUCE BOLT College Classic, which included a win over Ohio State and losses to Baylor and Coastal Carolina.
Ole Miss pitchers recorded 48 strikeouts during the weekend, with Hunter Elliott, Cade Townsend, and Taylor Rabe each setting career highs. Townsend and Rabe combined for a six-hit shutout of Ohio State, striking out 16 of 34 batters faced. Dom Decker hit three home runs last weekend, bringing his season total to four. The freshman did not hit a home run prior to this season, but he drew six walks with a .529 on-base percentage over four games.
The Rebel pitching staff has totaled 145 strikeouts this season, ranking second in the SEC and sixth nationally. They also boast a 2.88 ERA, third in the SEC, and a 12.7 K/9 ratio. Cade Townsend has struck out at least eight batters in each of his outings, with 25 total punchouts and a 16.46 K/9, both NCAA top-10 marks. Will Furniss has drawn 14 walks in 12 games, and both he and Decker are averaging at least one walk per game. Ole Miss has accumulated 78 walks, third in the SEC and 14th nationally.
Projected pitching matchups include RHP Owen Kelly for Ole Miss against Memphis, and TBA for North Alabama. Both games will be streamed on SEC Network+, with radio coverage provided by the Ole Miss Radio Network.
Memphis, coached by Matt Riser in his second season, is 3-8 after being swept by Jacksonville State last weekend. Shane Coz leads the Tigers with a .422 batting average, one home run, and 11 RBIs. Freddy Rodriguez has eight stolen bases in 11 games, pacing the team in steals. The Tigers’ pitching staff has struggled, with both midweek starters posting ERAs above 9.00 and giving up 20 home runs in 11 games.
North Alabama, led by head coach Jad Prachniak, is 7-5. The Lions recently swept Saint Louis but suffered a 20-1 loss to Southern Indiana. Dylan Coleman and Nash Rippen lead the team offensively, with both batting over .330 and combining for nine of the team’s 17 home runs. The Lions’ early pitching has been limited, with only six combined strikeouts in 4 innings from their midweek starters.
Ole Miss’s Judd Utermark is closing in on the school’s all-time home run record, sitting at 35 career homers, just 13 shy of the record held by Kyle Gordon. The team has outscored opponents 53-16 in the first three innings of games this season, and Collin Reuter leads the team with a .472 batting average and seven doubles.
Other notable performances include Brett Moseley’s and Tate Sirmans’ first career home runs during opening weekend, along with Tristan Bissetta’s hot start, batting .444 with five home runs and 19 RBIs in 12 games. The Rebels will continue their homestand this weekend against Evansville.
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