The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Softball Makes Home Debut
2/14/2002 | Softball
Feb. 14, 2002
OXFORD, Miss. - Off to its best start ever, the Ole Miss softball team makes its home debut this weekend with the four-team Rebel/Easton Invitational, Saturday and Sunday at Ole Miss Softball Complex. Games begin at 10 a.m. CST each day, with the Rebels playing at 2 and 4 p.m. each afternoon.
Joining Ole Miss will be Evansville, Nicholls State and Tennessee-Martin. UE won last year's tournament with a 5-1 mark, while Ole Miss finished third at 2-3.
"We're excited about finally getting back home," said UM head coach Candi Letts, who is entering her fourth year at Ole Miss. "The team is off to a good start, and we're looking forward to playing three very strong teams this weekend on our own field."
With a 5-2 overall record, the Rebels have matched the 1999 squad for the best seven-game start in school history. Ole Miss posted a 3-2 tournament mark last weekend to finish fourth at the UCF/Triple Crown Classic in St. Augustine, Fla. The Rebels picked up wins over Marshall, Florida A&M and host Central Florida, whom Ole Miss lost to in the Gold Medal game on Sunday.
Rebel newcomers DeDe Justice, a freshman catcher from Vero Beach, Fla., and Becky Testin, a sophomore tranfer from Indian River Community College, each homered in the Classic and earned all-tournament honors.
Justice boasts three home runs on the young season to lead Ole Miss' power surge. She needs only two more to tie the UM single-season record. Include one long ball apiece by Testin and Andrea Brahs and the Rebels are only two away from last year's home run total of seven and four from the Ole Miss all-time season high of nine.
Evansville enters the Invitational with a 2-3 mark, and coming off a 3-1 loss to Alabama last weekend. Sophomore shortstop Jamie Davison has hit 10-for-18 with three doubles through five games to lead the Purple Aces' attack. UE has taken four of five meeting with Ole Miss.
Nicholls State split its first two games of the year against Centenary College, and will be looking to break an eight-game skid against the Rebels. UT-Martin is 0-2 all-time vs. Ole Miss and is opening its 2002 campaign this weekend.
2002 REBEL/EASTON INVITATIONALFeb. 16-17 at Ole Miss Softball Complex
Saturday, Feb. 16 Tennessee-Martin vs. Nicholls State, 10 a.m.Evansville vs. Nicholls State, NoonTennessee-Martin vs. Ole Miss, 2 p.m.Evansville vs. Ole Miss, 4 p.m.Evansville vs. Tennessee-Martin, 6 p.m.
Sunday, Feb. 17 Nicholls State vs. Evansville, 10 a.m.Tennessee-Martin vs. Evansville, NoonNicholls State vs. Ole Miss, 2 p.m.Evansville vs. Ole Miss, 4 p.m.Nicholls State vs. Tennessee-Martin, 6 p.m.
