The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebel Fastpitch Looks for Turnaround at Alabama
6/21/1999 | Softball
April 2, 1998
OXFORD, Miss. -- The Ole Miss fastpitch softball team will look to put an end to its current four-game losing skid this weekend as the Rebels travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala., to face Alabama for a pair of doubleheaders Saturday and Sunday.
Ole Miss, which upset No. 16-ranked Louisiana State but finished 1-3 with the Tigers last weekend, is looking to get back into winning form after dropping two home contests to Mississippi State Wednesday night. The Rebels and Crimson Tide kick off the four-game series with a 1 p.m. doubleheader Saturday at Bowers Park followed by a second two-game tilt Sunday at 1 p.m.
Ole Miss head coach Joyce Maudie knows her teams faces a difficult challenge as the Rebels (18-28, 2-10 SEC) go against one of the hottest hitting teams in the country in Alabama.
Not only does the Crimson Tide stand on top of the SEC West Division with a 7-1 record, they also lead the country in home runs (44).
"We know going in that Alabama is a very explosive team," Maudie said. "They lead the nation in home runs and we will have to pitch very well in order to be successful. It will be a barn burner and we have to be aggressive at the plate and score runs and then play solid defense on top of that."
The Crimson Tide feature one of the SEC's top newcomers this year in freshman shortstop Kelly Kretschman, who is in the midst of a 32-consecutive game hit streak. She also leads the SEC in batting average (.489), home runs (17), runs scored (58) and doubles (15).
As a team, Alabama is hitting .339, but is struggling on the mound with a 2.41 earned run average.
The Rebels are led by sophomores Amanda Fine and Mandy Shklar. Fine, who is 7-11 on the mound with a team-best 2.01 ERA, also leads the Rebels with a .326 batting average and has hit in 10 of her last 11 games. Shklar has been the sparkplug for the team, hitting in 10 of her last 12 games in the leadoff position and has a team-best 35 hits on the year.
Ole Miss is also looking to get back into contention for the SEC Tournament, which will be held in Columbus, Ga., May 8-10. The top eight teams in conference play will advance to the tournament, and Ole Miss is battling with Auburn, Arkansas, Kentucky and Tennessee for the seventh and eighth place spots.
