The University of Mississippi Athletics
Softball Preps for Busy Weekend
6/21/1999 | Softball
March 25, 1999
Ole Miss (19-12 overall, 3-1 SEC)
The Rebels play double-headers against SEC Eastern Division foes Georgia Bulldogs (18-11, 4-0) Friday, March 26, at 5 p.m. and the No. 10 South Carolina Gamecocks (28-7, 3-1) Saturday, March 28
Ole Miss vs. Bulldogs, Gamecocks
The Rebels have a 2-2 all-time record against Georgia. Ole Miss split double-headers against Georgia in 1998 (6-0, 0-2) and 1997 (4-1, 0-1). The Rebels are 0-5 against the Gamecocks, including a 2-0 loss in the semifinals of the Speedline Invitational this year.
Rebels Win MSU Series
Ole Miss won its fourth SEC series by taking three of four games from Mississippi State last weekend. The Rebels previous series wins came against Kentucky in 1997 and 1998 and Mississippi State in 1997. The series win was also the third for the Rebels at home (UK in 1998 and MSU in 1997).
Cardiac Kids
Seven of Ole Miss' 16 wins this season have come in the Rebels final at bat. Ole Miss trailed going into their final at bat in four of the seven games and were tied in the other three. Of the seven comeback wins, six came with the Rebels scoring the winning run with two outs. Ole Miss is 3-1 in extra-innings games this season, 5-4 in one-run games and 6-2 in two-run games.
Rebels vs. the Top 25
So far this season the Rebels have played five teams ranked in the top 25. Ole Miss opened the season with a 13-3 loss to No. 11 Oklahoma at the UT-Arlington Classic. The Rebels then defeated No. 11 South Florida (2-0) and No. 23 Iowa (1-0) before losing to No. 9 South Carolina (2-0) at the USF-Speedline Invitational. The Rebels also lost to No. 3 Fresno State (5-2) at the FSU Invitational.
Rewriting the Record Books
Through 31 games this season the Rebels are on pace to break 11 offensive records. The Rebels need only six stolen bases to eclipse last year's record of 51. The Rebels are also six triples and three home runs shy of setting new highs in each category. The Rebels are also on course to set records in batting average, runs, doubles, runs batted in, on base percentage, slugging percentage, walks and at-bats.
All-Tournament Rebels
Shortstop Mandy Shklar and pitcher Amanda Fine earned all-tournament honors at the Speedline Invitational. Fine went 3-0 during the tournament picking up wins over South Florida, Iowa and Ball State. Shklar powered the Rebels' offense, hitting .444 against South Florida, Iowa and South Carolina.
The Streak
Ole Miss set a team high with a nine-game win streak this season. The streak started Feb. 27, with a 4-0 win over Iowa State and ended March 7, with a 2-0 loss to No. 9 South Carolina in the semifinals of the Speedline Invitational. During the streak Ole Miss outscored its opponents 32-12 and recorded three shutouts. The previous longest win streak for the Rebels was six games in 1998.
Hamilton Out for the Season
Freshman left fielder Jessica Hamilton broke her right leg and will miss the rest of the season. Hamilton, a 5-foot-9 lefty from Nashville, Tenn., had started the first 12 games of the season for the Rebels before suffering the injury in the seventh inning against New Mexico State. Hamilton was hitting a team-high .429 with three doubles and seven runs scored.
Super Soph
In her first year with the Rebels, sophomore pitcher Jennifer Hughes is making her presence felt on the mound. In 64 innings of work Hughes has struck out a team-high 58 batters and has struck out a team-high eight batters three times this season. A transfer from San Jacinto Junior College, Hughes has a 7-3 record with two saves in 14 appearances, has a team best 1.42 ERA and has allowed only seven walks.
Timely Hitting
The Rebels have continued their clutch hitting this season, driving in 53 two-out RBI. Shortstop Mandy Shklar leads the team with 10 two-out RBI, followed by RF Heather Swinney and 3B Kaci Coffee with nine each.
Carrying the Load
So far this season Amanda Fine and Jennifer Huges have pitched in 151 of the 215.1 total innings by Rebel pitchers. Fine, from Brentwood, Tenn., has appeared in 17 of the Rebels 31 games, while Hughes, from Missouri City, Texas, has appeared in 14 games for the Rebels.
Second Look
Ole Miss hitters have taken advantage of their second look at opposing pitchers, outscoring their opponents 61-23 in middle innings. The Rebels have put up 23 runs in the fourth inning, 23 in the fifth and 15 in the sixth inning. Ole Miss has scored 110 runs on the season with 55 percent of those runs coming during the middle innings.
1999 Highlights
RF Heather Swinney
Started 31 games, 24 in RF, four games at 1B, two at C and one at DP. . .Hit safely in career-best nine straight games. . .Tripled, doubled, drove in two runs and scored two runs vs. Mississippi State. . .Has eight multiple hit games and four multiple RBI games. . .Hit second home run of season vs. Oklahoma State. . .Knocked in career high 4 RBI vs. Iowa St.
CF Stephanie Vaglica
Started 31 games in CF. . .Second on team with 12 stolen bases. . .Has seven multiple hit games . . .Went 3-for-5 with 2 RBI vs. Miami-Ohio. . .Drove in two runs and scored two vs. Wisconsin. . .Hit .545 during S.W. Missouri St. Classic with three runs scored. . .Went 3-for-4 against SFA with two stolen bases.
LF Jessica Hamilton
Started 12 games in LF. . .Suffered season-ending injury in seventh inning vs. New Mexico State. . .Has team high .429 BA. . .Finished season with three doubles. . .Reached base safely in 10 of 11 games for the Rebels. . .Went 1-for-2 with an RBI, one run scored and a double against SFA . . .Scored two runs and doubled against Belmont.
OF/DP Kara Chapman
Has started 17 games, 12 games in LF, four in RF and one at DP. . .Singled in game winning run in 11th inning vs. Mississippi State. . .Drove in two runs and scored a run in MSU series. . .Went 1-for-2 and scored a run vs. Furman . . .Went 4-for-5 with 2 RBI and two runs scored in Belmont series.
OF/DP Paige Cochrane
Has started 14 games, seven in LF, three in RF and four at DP. . .Stole two bases and scored two runs vs. Toledo . . .Drove in two runs against SW Missouri State and Western Michigan. . .Went 1-for-2 with a double vs. Central Michigan.
SS Mandy Shklar
Started 31 games at SS. . .Leads team with 11 multiple hit games. . .Went 6-for-13 with 3 RBI, HR, 2 2B in MSU series. . .Went 2-for-3 and scored a run vs. South Florida . . .Drove in two runs and stole two bases vs. Temple. . .Hit first career home run against Stephen F. Austin. . .Went 5-for-8 with a double and two runs scored in double-header against Belmont.
3B Kaci Coffee
Has started 31 games at 3B. . .Leads team with 19 RBI . . .Leads team with seven multiple RBI games. . .Had 4 RBI, 3 2B in MSU series. . .Set career highs with three runs scored and two stolen bases vs. Furman. . . Had career high three hits against Iowa St . . .Hit first career home run against Oklahoma.
2B Rachel Davenport
Has started 31 games at 2B. . .Scored three runs in MSU series. . .Has four multiple hit games. . .Has reached base safely in five of last six games. . .Went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI vs. Fresno State.
1B Korrie Kashuba
Started 28 games, 26 at 1B and two as DP. . .Third on team with 11 RBI. . .Drove in two runs vs. MSU. . .Scored two runs and stole a base vs. Robert Morris. . .Went 1-for-3 with 2 RBI against S.W. Missouri St. . .Went 2-for-3 with an RBI and scored a run against SFA. . .Drove in only runs in 2-0 win over Texas Tech.
DP/1B Mackenzie Emel
Started eight games, seven at DP and one at 1B. . .Went 2-for-3 vs. Western Michigan.
C Allison Willrath
Has started 30 games, 29 games at C and one at DP . . .Doubled, drove in run and scored two runs vs. MSU . . .First career stolen base vs. Robert Morris. . .Went 3-for-4 with an RBI and two runs scored against NE Louisiana . . .Doubled home game-winning runs in game one against Belmont. . .Went 4-for-7 in Belmont series with 4 RBI and two doubles.
1999 Pitching Highlights
Amanda Fine
Has appeard in 17 games, starting 12. . .Has 8-5 record with a save. . .Second on team with 2.41 ERA. . .Second on team with 55 strikeouts. . .Has thrown nine complete games and three shutouts. . .Went 3-0 at Speedline Invitational with wins over No. 11 South Florida, No. 23 Iowa and Ball State. . .Has pitched in team-high 87 innings. . .Pitched complete game three-hitter against Texas Tech. . .Threw complete game one-hitter against Belmont.
Kari Abney
Has appeared in six games, starting five. . .Has 2-1 record with 2.89 ERA. . .Third on team with 10 strikeouts. . .Has walked only six batters in 26.2 innings of work. . .Pitched 6.1 innings in picking up shutout win over New Mexico State. . .Pitched five innings, allowing three runs, in picking up 8-6 win over SFA. . .Tied career high with four strikeouts vs. Belmont.
Jennifer Hughes
Has appeared in 14 games, starting seven. . .Has 7-3 record with two saves. . .Leads team with 1.42 ERA and 58 SO. . .Has walked seven batters in 64.2 innings of work. . .Has strikeouts to walk ratio of 8.3 to 1 . . .Averaging 6 strikeouts per game. . .Had three wins in MSU series. . .Gave up one run in 16.1 innings vs. MSU . . .Has allowed three runs and struck out 19 in last 27 innings of work.
