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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Move To No. 9 In Latest Collegiate Baseball Poll
3/4/2002 | Baseball
March 4, 2002
OXFORD, Miss. - Ole Miss moved up one spot in this week's Collegiate Baseball poll to No. 9, and will put its top 10 national ranking on the line Tuesday night against the Memphis Tigers in a 7 p.m., contest at AutoZone Park, home of the AAA Memphis Redbirds. Tuesday's game will be aired on stations along the Ole Miss Radio Network.
The Rebels also gained two places in this week's Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches poll to No. 12, and jumped one spot to No. 19 in the Baseball America Top 25.
Freshman right-hander Alan Horne is scheduled to start Tuesday's game in what will be his first career appearance as a Rebel. Horne, a first-round draft pick by the Cleveland Indians in last June's Major League Baseball Draft, was sidelined during the first three weeks of the season with discomfort in his back.
"We're excited about playing at AutoZone Park," said Ole Miss Head Coach Mike Bianco. "It's a beautiful facility, and we have a great fan base in Memphis. Of course, we're all excited about seeing Alan get the chance to get on the mound and see what he can do."
Ole Miss (9-2) brings a three-game winning streak into the game with Memphis after sweeping a three-game series from Eastern Illinois over the weekend in Oxford. Freshman outfielder Seth Smith is leading the Rebels in hitting with a .500 batting average, going 12-for-24 with two home runs and nine RBIs during nine games this season. Junior outfielder Burney Hutchinson is hitting at a .356 clip with one homer and eight runs batted in, and is a triple shy of tying the Ole Miss career record of 14.
Memphis (2-3) has been off since Feb. 24 after having its three-game series at SW Missouri State postponed due inclement weather this past weekend. The Tigers have lost three straight to Villanova, Navy and Air Force, all of them coming at the Service Academies Classic in Millington, Tenn.
Junior right-hander Joel Posey, 0-1 with a 4.15 ERA, is slated to start for the Tigers.
Following Tuesday's game, the Rebels will return home to open a three-game series with Indiana State, Friday night at 6:30 p.m., at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field.
