The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Hosts SEC Western Division Rival Alabama
6/21/1999 | Softball
April 8, 1999
Ole Miss (22-19 overall, 4-8 SEC)
Ole Miss hosts SEC Western Division rival Alabama Friday, April 9 and Saturday, April 10. The teams will play two double-headers. Game 1 on Friday begins at 5 p.m. and game 2 at 7 p.m. Game 1 on Saturday is slated for a 1 p.m. start with game 2 beginning at 3 p.m.
The Series
Alabama leads the all-time series against the Rebels with an 8-0 mark. The Crimson Tide has outscored the Rebels 49-15 in the eight games and has held Ole Miss to four one-run games and two shutouts.
Last Week
Ole Miss swept a double-header from Nicholls State and won one of four from LSU to finish 3-3 for the weekend. The Rebels won the first game against the 11th-ranked LSU Tigers 2-1 behind pitcher Jennifer Hughes. The sophomore from Missouri City, Texas held the Tigers to one run on seven hits. The loss ended LSU's 15-game home winning streak and was the first for the Tigers in the SEC.
Solid "D"
The Rebels' defense boasts four players ranked in the top five in fielding percentage at their position. Mandy Shklar leads SEC shortstops with a .968 fielding percentage while 1B Korrie Kashuba (.992) and 2B Rachel Davenport (.957) rank third in the SEC at their respective positions. Right fielder Heather Swinney is tied for first for outfielders with a 1.000 percentage. As a team, the Rebels are ranked fourth in the SEC with a .961 fielding percentage.
Rebels Set Highs
So far this season five Rebels have set career highs at the plate. Kaci Coffee has set highs in hits, doubles, triples, home runs and RBI. Rachel Davenport set a career best in doubles, hits and stolen bases, while Mandy Shklar set a career best in home runs. Heather Swinney set highs in triples and RBI and Allison Willrath set a high in stolen bases.
Rebels Win MSU Series
Ole Miss won its fourth-ever SEC series by taking three of four games from Mississippi State. 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' 19 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 3-2 in extra-innings games this season, 7-6 in one-run games and 6-4 in two-run games.
Rebels vs. the Top 25
So far this season the Rebels have played six teams ranked in the top 25 and have a record of 3-8. 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. Ole Miss also dropped two games (6-5, 11-2) to No. 10 South Carolina during conference play.
Rewriting the Record Books
Through 41 games this season the Rebels are on pace to break 11 offensive records. The Rebels need only one stolen bases to eclipse last year's record of 51. The Rebels are also five 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 94 innings of work Hughes has struck out a team-high 77 batters and has struck out a team-high eight batters in a game three times this season. A transfer from San Jacinto Junior College, Hughes has a 9-5 record with two saves in 19 appearances, has a team best 1.71 ERA and has allowed only nine walks.
1999 Highlights
RF Heather Swinney
Started 40 games, 33 in RF, four games at 1B, two at C and one at DP. . .Went 4-for-6 with 3 RBI and two doubles vs. Nicholls State. . .Doubled, drove in one run and scored two vs. LSU. . .Hit safely in career-best nine straight games. . .Tripled, doubled, drove in two runs and scored two runs vs. Mississippi State. . .Hit second home run of season vs. Oklahoma State. . .Knocked in career high 4 RBI vs. Iowa St.
CF Stephanie Vaglica
Started 41 games, all in CF. . .Second on team with 13 stolen bases. . .Had RBI and stolen base vs. LSU. . .Tripled vs. Nicholls State. . .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 27 games, 22 games in LF, four in RF and one at DP. . .Had an RBI and stolen base vs. LSU. . .Went 2-for-3 with a stolen base vs. Nicholls State. . .Doubled and scored a run in game one vs. UGA . . .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 20 games, seven in LF, four in RF and nine at DP. . .Singled and drove in a run vs. Nicholls State. . .Had 1 RBI, one run scored and stole a base in game two vs. UGA. . .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 41 games at SS. . .Leads SEC in fielding percentage at SS. . .Leads team with 11 multiple hit games. . .Has four three-hit games. . .Drove in a run and scored two vs. South Carolina. . .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 41 games at 3B. . .Tied for team lead with 21 RBI. . .Leads team with eight multiple RBI games. . .Hit safely in career-best seven straight games. . .Doubled and scored a run vs. Nicholls State. . .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 41 games at 2B. . .Third in SEC with .957 fielding percentage for 2B. . .Went 3-for-5 with two runs scored vs. Nicholls State. . .Doubled and scored a run vs. UGA. . .Scored three runs in MSU series. . .Has hit safely in nine of last 12 games. . .Has four multiple hit games . . .Went 2-for-3 with 2 RBI vs. Fresno State.
1B Korrie Kashuba
Started 38 games, 36 at 1B and two as DP. . .Third in SEC with .992 fielding percentage for 1B. . .Has four multiple RBI games. . .Had three hits and scored a run vs. LSU . . .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 10 games, nine at DP and one at 1B. . .Doubled and drove in a run in game one vs. UGA. . .Went 2-for-3 vs. Western Michigan.
C Allison Willrath
Has started 40 games, 39 games at C and one at DP . . .Tied career high with five game hit streak. . .Singled and scored a run vs. Nicholls State. . .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 19 games, starting 14. . .Has 9-6 record with a save. . .Second on team with 2.34 ERA. . .Second on team with 61 strikeouts. . .Has thrown 10 complete games and four shutouts. . .Threw five-hit shutout vs. Nicholls State. . .Has appeared in seven games as DP . . .Singled vs. Nicholls State.
Kari Abney
Has appeared in nine games, starting seven. . .Has 2-3 record with 2.73 ERA. . .Third on team with 20 strikeouts . . .Struck out season high five batters vs. LSU. . .Pitched two complete games vs. LSU giving up combined 10 hits, three earned runs and seven strikeouts. . .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.
Jennifer Hughes
Has appeared in 19 games, starting 11. . .Has 9-5 record with two saves. . .Leads team with 1.71 ERA and 77 SO . . .Has walked nine batters in 94 innings of work. . .Has strikeouts to walk ratio of 8.6 to 1. . .Picked up Rebels only win vs. LSU giving up six hits and one run. . .Pitched seven innings giving up one run on seven hits in 4-1 win over Nicholls State. . .Had three wins in MSU series . . .Gave up one run in 16.1 innings vs. MSU .
Brittany Maxey
Has appeared in seven games, starting four. . .Has 1-2 record . . .Pitched complete game shutout vs. Iowa State . . .Has also appeard in 10 games as DP. . .Singled vs. LSU . . .Drove in two runs vs. New Mexico State. . .Went 1-for-2 with an RBI and run scored vs. Miami-Ohio.
Bobbi Wurth
Has appeared in six games, starting five. . .Has 1-3 record . . .Has walked four batters in 19.2 innings of work . . .Allowed two hits and one run in six and one-third innings vs. Western Michigan.
SEC Standings
East SEC ALL South Carolina 9-3 36-9Georgia 6-2 21-14Tennessee 4-8 22-16Florida 3-9 17-20Kentucky 2-6 17-25
WestLSU 9-1 28-6Mississippi State 8-4 24-14Alabama 8-4 25-15Ole Miss 4-8 22-19Auburn 4-8 20-21-1Arkansas 3-7 26-21
