The University of Mississippi Athletics
Softball Hosts Rival Auburn
6/21/1999 | Softball
April 20, 1999
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss takes on SEC Western division rival Auburn (22-25, 6-12) weekend. The Rebels lead the Tigers by one game for the eighth and final spot for the SEC Tournament. Game one on Friday, April 23, is set for 5 p.m. and game two at 7 p.m. Game one on Saturday begins at 1 p.m. and game two at 3 p.m.
The Series
The Rebels are 4-4 all-time against the Tigers. Ole Miss won the season series from the Tigers in 1998, winning three of four games in Auburn. In 1997, the Tigers took three of four from the Rebels in Oxford.
Last Week
The Rebels lost two games to Tennessee in Knoxville, but rebounded to sweep a double-header from Kentucky. The Rebels pounded out a season-high 14 hits in game two against the Wildcats and tied their season high for runs in a game with 10. The Rebels also won another game in their final at-bat. Ole Miss trailed Kentucky 1-0 heading into the top of the seventh of game one, but rallied for three runs to pick up their eighth comeback win of the year.
High Stakes Heading into the weekend the Rebels hold a one game lead over Auburn for the eighth and final spot for the SEC Tournament. The Tigers swept Florida last weekend to move to 6-12 in the SEC West, while the Rebels went 2-2 to go to 7-13 in the conference. Ole Miss also holds a 2 game lead over Kentucky and Florida. The Rebels trail Mississippi State by 2 games for seventh place.
Rebel Bats Come Alive
In the weekend series against the Vols and Wildcats, Ole Miss hitters had their most productive output of the season against conference opponents. The Rebels had 35 hits in the four games and scored 19 runs. Ole Miss had 14 hits in two games against Tennessee and 21 hits against Kentucky, including a season high 14 in game two. Ole Miss also tied a season high for runs in a game with 10 in game two against Kentucky. The previous best came against Mississippi State when the Rebels had 22 hits and scored 17 runs in a four game series.
Shklars Hit Parade
Shortstop Mandy Shklar set a career high and tied a team record with four hits in a game over the weekend. The junior from Owasso, Okla., went 4-for-5 in game two vs. Kentucky with three singles, a double, three runs scored and an RBI. Shklar finished 6-for-8 with two RBI in two games against Kentucky and raised her batting average 24 points to .280.
Cardiac Kids
Eight of Ole Miss 25 wins this season have come in the Rebels final at bat. Ole Miss trailed going into their final at-bat in five of the eight games and were tied in the other three. Of the eight 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 8-5 in two-run games.
Rebel Firsts
Freshmen Mackenzie Emel and Audra Wadsworth had a memorable game against Kentucky. Emel, from Bellefonte, Penn., hit her first collegiate home run in game two vs. Kentucky. After striking out in her first at-bat, Emel stepped to the plate with two runners on and ripped the first pitch over the left field fence. Wadsworth, from Covington, Tenn., got her first hit as a Rebel in game two against the Wildcats. Wadsworth, who was hitless in five at-bats, has appeared in seven games with one start at second base for the Rebels.
Rebs Break Steals Record
With four steals against Alabama the Rebels broke their previous record for stolen bases in a season. Mandy Shklars first-inning steal in game one eclipsed the old record of 51 set in 1998. So far, the Rebels have swipped 57 bases this season on 82 attempts.
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.
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.
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.
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 Georgia 9-7 25-19Tennessee 11-9 29-18South Carolina 10-10 37-16Kentucky 4-12 21-32Florida 3-13 23-24
WestLSU 17-1 38-6Alabama 13-5 30-16Arkansas 11-7 34-21Mississippi St. 9-11 27-21Ole Miss 7-13 25-24Auburn 6-12 22-25-1
Pronunciation Key
Ceriani SARE-e-ON-eeKaci Coffey kay-CEEEmel em-LKorrie Kashuba CORE-ee Kuh-SHOE-buhMaxey MAX-eeShklar SK-larSwinney SWEE-neeVaglica vag-LEEK-uhWurth WORTH
