Ole Miss Baseball Game Notes

Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

Saturday, May 19, 2001 * Hoover Metropolitan Stadium * Birmingham, AL * 10:00 AM CDT

RECORDSTEAM     W  L  T  PCT.    HOME    ROAD  NEUTRAL    SEC  NON-CONF.  STREAKREBELS   38 20  1  .653  25-8-1   11-10      2-2  17-13    19-6-1       W1LSU 39 18  1  .681    24-9  12-9-1      3-0  18-12    19-6-1       W2
TODAY'S PITCHING MATCH-UP                                                                CAREER VS.TEAM  NO.  NAME         Yr.  L/R    IP  W  L  SV  BB  SO   ERA  OPPONENTUM    18   Mike Gray Jr.  L    69.1  3  2   0  29  51  5.58  0-0, 27.00 (2.0 IP, 6 ER)LSU   14   Tim Nugent   Sr.  L    66.0  6  2   0  39  48  3.55  0-0, 9.00 (3.0 IP, 3 ER)

TIGERS VS. GRAY: Theriot 2x2 (1.000), Fontenot 1x1 (1.000), A. Hill 1x1 (1.000), Barker 1x1 (1.000), Moore 1x2 (.500), Linden 0x2 (.000), Thibodeaux 0x1 (.000)

REBELS VS. NUGENT: Christian 1x1 (1.000), Sterbens 1x1 (1.000), Lafferty 1x2 (.500), Farrar 1x2 (.500), Tolbert 0x1 (.000), Morris 0x1 (.000), Jones 0x1 (.000)

TV/RADIO: This morning's game will be televised by FOX Sports South Net with Dave Neal (play-by-play) and Larry Conley (color analyst). If the Rebels and Tigers play again at 5 p.m, today, College Sports Southeast will pickup the coverage with Barry McKnight (play-by-play) and Kevin Hays (color analyst). Check local listings to see if College Sports Southeast is carried by your local cable or satellite dealer. This morning's game, and all Ole Miss SEC Tournament games, can be heard on the Ole Miss Radio Network with David Kellum and Gary Darby. Air time is 15 minutes prior to first pitch. Check local listings for an affiliate in your area. The Ole Miss broadcast can also be heard over the internet at www.OleMissSports.com.

REBEL SEC TOURNEY NOTES: Ole Miss is making its eighth appearance in the Southeastern Conference Tournament since the event started in 1977 ... The Rebels missed qualifying for last year's tournament, finishing a half-game behind Kentucky for the eighth and final spot ... The Rebels are 11-14 (.440 winning percentage) all-time in the SEC Tournament, including 0-2 versus LSU ... The Tigers defeated the Rebels 13-2 on Thursday in the SEC Tourney ... the Rebels are 7-6 when facing elimination in the SEC Tournament ... Yesterday's 7-6 win over Florida marked the first time since the 1977 SEC Tournament that Ole Miss has won two games in the tourney ... the 1977 tournament is also the only time the Rebels have won the event, and they also came out of the loser's bracket to capture the crown.

REBELS TURN TRIPLE PLAY: Ole Miss turned its first triple play since May 29, 1999 against Monmouth (NJ) in the NCAA Regionals during the sixth inning of Thursday's game with LSU. With runners on first and second, senior 3B Lance Jones snagged a line drive off the bat of Wally Pontiff. He then stepped on third to double off David Raymer before firing over to first to beat Ryan Theriot back to the bag.

YESTERDAY'S GAME WITH FLORIDA: Ole Miss scored three runs in the bottom of the seventh to break a 4-4 tie and then held on for a 7-6 win over Florida in yesterday's elimination game. Senior 3B Lance Jones broke the 4-4 tie with a RBI double to straight away center to spark the three-run inning. Freshman RHP Nick Bradshaw (4-1) pitched 3.1 innings of relief for starter Dan McShea to earn the win, allowing two runs on four hits an two walks. Glen Morris pitched two innings of relief to notch his ninth save of the season. Josh Christian and Chad Sterbens recorded two hits each, however, the Gators out-hit the Rebels 13-8.

THURSDAY'S GAME WITH LSU: LSU's first six batters of the game reached base safely with Mike Fontenot and Zeph Zinsman both hitting three-run home runs to ignite the Tigers to a 1-2 win over Ole Miss, in a game called after seven innings due to the 10-run mercy rule. Lane Mestepey allowed one unearned run on three hits and one walk, while striking out four to earn the win. Adam Yates (7-3) suffered the loss, allowing six runs on six hits and two walks in just an inning. All nine Tiger starters recorded a hit as they out-hit the Rebels 13-4.

SCOUTING THE TIGERS: The Tigers enter today's game 39-18-1 on the season. They are hitting .324 as a team with 84 HRs, and have outscored their opponents 667-528. Seven LSU regulars are hitting over .300, led by junior 1B Bryan Moore's .387 (82x212) BA. Junior OF Todd Linden is hitting .316 (68x215) and leads LSU in HRs (16) and RBIs (62). Tiger pitches have a team ERA of 4.49, and opponents are hitting .265 against them with 40 HRs. In two games during the SEC Tournament, LSU is hitting .407 (24x59) as a team, led by junior C Matt Heath, who is 5x7 (.714) with one HR and five RBIs. The Tigers have outscored their opponents 23-2, defeating Florida 10-0 on Wednesday and Ole Miss 13-2 on Thursday. Both games were called after seven innings due to the 10-run mercy rule. Tiger pitches have held opponents to just seven hits and a .143 batting-average-against.

SERIES INFO: Today's meeting is the 282nd all-time between Ole Miss and LSU ... the Tigers lead the series 153-128 ... They are 3-1 against the Rebels this season, taking 2-of-3 in the SEC series played in Baton Rouge, La., Apr. 13-15, and winning 13-2 Thursday in the SEC Tournament ... LSU is 33-9 against Ole Miss since 1990 ... Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco has a 3-6 career record against him alma mater, LSU, at both McNeese State (1998-2000) and Ole Miss. Bianco played two years at LSU from 1988-89, and was team captain of the 1989 squad that finished third at the College World Series. He later served as an assistant at LSU under Skip Bertman from 199-97, helping the Tigers to three national championships ... Tiger head coach Skip Bertman has posted a 48-14 career mark against the Rebels.

IN THE POLLS: Ole Miss enters this afternoon's game ranked No. 23 in this week's Collegiate Baseball Top 30. It is the ninth straight week that the Rebels have been ranked in one of the three major college baseball polls ... LSU enters today's game ranked #9 in the Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches Top 25, No. 11 by Collegiate Baseball, and No. 12 by Baseball America.

REBEL DIAMOND NOTES: Ole Miss is hitting .337 (30x89) as a team in three games during this week's SEC Tournament ... Yesterday's 7-6 win over Florida was the Rebels' 38th of the season, tying the 1986 team for the second-highest win total in school history. The record is 40 set by the 1995 team that went 40-22 ... The 7-6 victory snapped a three-game losing streak for Ole Miss in one-run games. The Rebels are 5-5 in their last 10, one-run games, and are 10-6 in one-run games this season ... Ole Miss has not hit a home run in seven straight games, and has just one in its last 11 games versus SEC opponents ... The Rebels' 49 home runs this season is their lowest total since hitting only 27 in 1996. Ole Miss has hit at least 60 HRs in three of the last four seasons ... With 412 runs this season, the Rebels need 12 runs to tie the school single-season record of 424 set by both the 1998 and 1999 teams.

TODAY'S STARTING PITCHER
#18 Mike Gray (6-1, 196, Jr., LHP)

* Is making his 16th appearance, including his 15th start of the season.
* Is 3-2 with a 5.58 ERA (69.1 IP, 43 ER).
* Did not pitch in last weekend against Mississippi State, as freshman RHP Adam Yates was inserted into the rotation.
* Ole Miss is 10-4 this season in games he's started, scoring an average of 7.5 runs per game.
* Opponents are hitting .305 (85x279) against him with five HRs.
* Is allowing an average of 11.0 hits and 3.8 walks per nine innings.
* Is striking out an average of 6.6 per nine innings.
* Has turned in seven quality starts (at least 6 IP, 4 ER or less).
* Made first career start versus Arkansas-Little Rock (2/11), earning a no decision in a 5-2 Ole Miss win (6.2 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 2 BB, 8 SO).
* Notched first career win in his start versus SE Missouri State (2/18), working six innings, allowing two runs on five hits and two walks, and struck out four.
* Worked a season-long eight innings and struck out a season-high 10 start against Arizona (3/3).
* Allowed three runs -- two earned -- on seven hits and three walks against the Wildcats in taking a no decision in the Rebels' 5-4, 17-inning win.
* Made his first relief appearance against Mississippi State in the Mayor's Trophy game in Jackson, Miss., on Mar. 28 (ND, 1.0 IP, 2 H, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 SO).
* Suffered his first loss of the season against Georgia, allowing five runs on three hits and two walks while not making it out of the first inning (5 hitters faced).
* Logged six scoreless innings versus Florida (6 H, 3 BB, 1 SO) on Apr. 22 in Oxford to earn his first win since Mar. 10.

LAST START: Lasted just two innings in his start at Tennessee on May 6 ... Allowed four runs on four hits in taking a no decision during a game Ole Miss lost 5-4 on a two-out hit in the bottom of the ninth inning ... Chris Burke hit a lead-off home run in the bottom of the first as the first four Volunteers of the game reached base to key a three-run inning ... Retired the side in order in the second ... Burke doubled to start the third and was then relieved by Adam Yates ... Threw 32 pitches, 18 for strikes.

PRIOR START: Worked into the fifth inning at Vanderbilt on Apr. 29 ... Allowed four runs, two earned, on four hits and one walk in suffering the loss ... Struck out three ... Threw 73 pitches, 43 for strikes ... Retired the first two batters of the first inning before Karl Nonemaker reached on an infield single, and Sean Luellwitz followed with a two-run home run to put Vanderbilt up 2-0 ... Sat down the next eight he faced following the home run before walking Luellwitz with one out in the fourth ... The Commodores took advantage of two Rebel errors in the fifth to score two runs to go up 4-0 ... Was relieved by Ronnie Goodwin after Nonemaker two-out single in the fifth.

GRAY VS. LSU: This will be Gray's second career appearance and start against LSU ... Took a no decision in his start against the Tigers in Baton Rouge on April 14, allowing six runs -- all earned -- on six hits and three walks ... He struck out two.

GRAY VS. SEC OPPONENTS: Is 2-2 with a 8.18 ERA (36.1 IP, 33 ER) in 10 appearances, including nine starts, against SEC opponents this season, including the Mar. 28 Mayor's Trophy game against Mississippi State.

GRAY VS. SEC WESTERN DIVISION OPPONENTS: Is 0-0 with a 9.68 ERA (17.2 IP, 19 ER) in five appearances, including four starts against teams from the SEC Western Division, including a relief appearance against Mississippi State on March 28 in the Mayor's Trophy game in Jackson, Miss.

GRAY IN THE POSTSEASON: This will be Gray's first career postseason appearance.

GRAY'S MISCELLANEOUS STATS:
* Is 3-1 with a 4.83 ERA (41.0 IP, 22 ER) in eight starts at home.
* Is 0-1 with a 6.26 ERA (27.1 IP, 19 ER) in six starts on the road.
* Is 0-0 with an 18.00 ERA (1.0 IP, 2 ER) in one relief appearance at a neutral site (Mar. 28 vs. Mississippi State, Mayor's Trophy game in Jackson, Miss.).
* Is 3-2 with a 5.40 ERA (63.1 IP, 38 ER) in 13 starts during the day.
* Is 0-0 with a 7.50 ERA (6.0 IP, 5 ER) in two appearances, including one start, at night.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

Related News

Related Videos