The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Softball Hosts Rebel/Easton Invitational
2/16/2001 | Softball
Feb. 16, 2001
OXFORD, Miss. - The Ole Miss softball team will host the Rebel/Easton Invitational Friday through Sunday at Ole Miss Softball Complex. Evansville, Samford and Southwest Missouri State compete in the tournament, which begins at 1 p.m. on Friday with the Rebels and SMS Bears.
The Rebels enter on a four-game winning streak, equaling its longest from last year. Samford is 1-6 on the young season, while Southwest Missouri and Evansville will be playing their season-openers.
Ole Miss is hosting a tournament for the second consecutive weekend. The Rebels won the Ole Miss Softball Classic last weekend, going 4-0 against Tennessee-Martin and Nicholls State. All four Ole Miss ptchers tossed complete game wins, and no one allowed more than one earned run.
Evansville shared the Missouri Valley Conference regular season crown in 2000, and are tabbed to finish second this year. Returning from last year's 37-21-1 squad is the reigning MVC Player of the Year, Jessica Huff, and Pitcher of the Year, Maggie Ross. Huff, a senior catcher, batted .370 with four homers a year ago, while Ross recorded a 19-9 mark and a 1.20 ERA.
Samford turned in a 24-33 record in 2000, but went 5-2 against SEC teams, including an upset of 20th-ranked Mississippi State. The Bulldogs were picked by both the coaches and the media to finish sixth in the Trans America Athletic Conference, and senior first baseman Heather Graham was named Preseason All-TAAC. Graham is batting .300 with one home run through seven games.
Southwest Missouri State is coming off a 30-28 season and return one of its most powerful components, sophomore Stacy Wattie. Her rookie season saw Wattie earn first team All-MVC honors, tie the Valley lead in RBI with 43 and set a new school record for home runs with seven.
Rebel/Easton Invitational (Oxford, Miss.)Feb. 16Ole Miss vs. Southwest Missouri, 1 p.m.Samford vs. Southwest Missouri, 3 p.m.Ole Miss vs. Samford, 5 p.m.
Feb. 17Samford vs. Southwest Missouri, 9:30 a.m.Evansville vs. Southwest Missouri, 11:30 a.m.Ole Miss vs. Samford, 1:30 p.m.Ole Miss vs. Evansville, 3:30 p.m.Southwest Missouri vs. Evansville, 5:30 p.m.
Feb. 18Evansville vs. Samford, 9 a.m.Ole Miss vs. Southwest Missouri, 11 a.m.Samford vs. Evansville, 1 p.m.Ole Miss vs. Evansville, 3 p.m.
