The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Baseball Game Notes
2/10/2000 | Baseball
Feb. 10, 2000
Game #1, Home Date #1, vs. Nicholls State
Date: Friday, February 11, 2000
Time: 3 pm
Stadium: Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field
Site: Oxford, Mississippi
TODAY'S PITCHING MATCH-UP: Ben Thompson (Soph., RHP, Redshirt) vs. Jeff McAvoy (Sr., RHP, 8-6, 4.60 ERA)
UPCOMING PROBABLE PITCHING MATCH-UPS
Tomorrow: Ronald Gilchrist (Jr., LHP, JC Transfer) vs. Nathan Lyons (Soph., LHP, 4-5, 4.34)
Sunday: David Bourg (Soph., LHP, 1-0, 4.50) vs. Joey Cramblitt (Sr., RHP, 4-2, 6.59)
REBELS VS. NICHOLLS STATE: This will be the 18th meeting in the series dating back to 1962 and the first since opening day in 1991 ... Ole Miss leads the series 9-7-1, with the lone tie coming in 1975 (2-2 in Oxford) ... The Rebels won the last meeting between the two teams, 8-2 in 1991 ... Ole Miss is 6-5-1 versus the Colonels in Oxford, and is 1-1 against Nicholls State in Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field.
SCOUTING NICHOLLS STATE: Nicholls State opened its season on Wednesday with an 8-6 win over SE Louisiana. Sophomore C Jon Boruch, junior 3B R.J. Elbin, and junior OF Kevin Larpenter had two hits each to pace the Colonels' 11-hit attack. Boruch also drove in two runs, and junior 1B Doug Gill hit a two-run, pinch-hit HR in the game. Sunday's scheduled starter David Bourg drew the start on the mound, working eight innings and allowing four earned runs on nine hits and one walk, while striking out four.
HEAD COACH PAT HARRISON: The 2000 season will mark Pat Harrison's fourth season as head coach of the Ole Miss Rebels. Harrison has a three-year record of 86-82 (.512 winning percentage) at Ole Miss, and last season guided the Rebels to their first NCAA Regional appearance since 1995. In eight years as a head coach at The Master's College (1988-1990), Pepperdine (1995-1996) and Ole Miss, Harrison has a career record of 220-199-2 (.525 winning percentage).
PRE-SEASON RANKINGS: Ole Miss is ranked No. 40 in the preseason Collegiate Baseball Top 40 - one of five teams from the SEC Western Division to make the top 40 - and was listed among "Others Receiving Votes" in the USA Today/Baseball Weekly Coaches preseason Top 25 poll.
OPENERS: Ole Miss is 59-14 in recorded season-openers dating back to 1902 ... The Rebels have won 18 straight season-openers, with their last season-opening loss coming in 1981, 8-6 to Livingston ... In home openers since 1951, the Rebels have a mark of 44-5, including a perfect 11-0 record since moving into Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field in 1989 ... Ole Miss has also won its last 18 home openers, with its last home opening loss being the 1981 set back to Livingston ... When Ole Miss' season and home opener is the same, the Rebels are 35-3 ... The Rebels are 3-0 in both season and home openers under Coach Pat Harrison.
THE FIREMAN: Junior Justin Huisman comes into the 2000 season needing one save to become Ole Miss' all-time save leader. In his first two seasons at Ole Miss, Huisman has registered 13 saves to tie him with Skipper Wright (1983-1986) as the school's all-time leader in saves. Huisman converted on 10-of-14 save opportunities last season to break Rory Ferrell's 1977 single-season record of nine.
REBEL BULLET POINTS:
The Rebels .808 winning percentage at home last season was the best in the 11 years that Ole Miss has called Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field home.
Ole Miss went 9-6 in Friday games last season, and was 16-19 in afternoon games.
The Rebels posted a 15-11 mark versus non-conference opponents in 1999.
Over the past two seasons, Ole Miss is 45-7 (.865 winning percentage) when leading after seven innings, and 49-3 (.942 winning percentage) when leading after eight innings.
TODAY'S STARTING PITCHER
#34 Jeff McAvoy (Sr., RHP, Palmer, Mass.)
Appeared in 18 games last season, making 16 starts.
Posted an 8-6 record with a 4.60 ERA, while logging a team-high 115.1 IP and striking out a team-best 88.
Recorded 10 quality starts in 1999 (at least 6 IP and allowing less than four earned runs).
Registered a career-high 10 strikeouts in 6.2 IP at South Carolina (3/12).
Won four-straight decisions against LSU (3/26), Vanderbilt (4/2), Florida (4/9) and Alabama (4/30).
Pitched 8.1 scoreless innings against the Gators to team with freshman Glen Morris on a four-hit shutout and snap Florida's 268- game streak of not being shutout, the streak was the longest in the nation at the time and is the sixth longest in NCAA Division I history.
Earned SEC Pitcher of the Week honors for his performance against the Gators.
Pitched a career-long 9.1 innings against Long Beach State (5/28) in the NCAA Regional at College Station, Texas, suffering a 4-3 loss.
Has a career mark at Ole Miss of 13-11 with a 5.51 ERA (201 IP, 123 ER).
