Rebels Open SEC Softball Play at Tennessee

March 7, 2002

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OXFORD, Miss. - Carrying the second-best start in school history, the Ole Miss softball team travels to Knoxville this weekend for a three-game set with Tennessee in the Southeastern Conference opener for both squads.

The Rebels and Lady Volunteers open the series with a Saturday doubleheader at 1 p.m. ET at Tennessee Field at Tyson Park. Sunday's finale is also scheduled for 1.

"It's important that we go into this weekend feeling good about where we are and ready to build on our 11-5 record," said Ole Miss head coach Candi Letts, who is in her fourth year with the Rebels. "Both Tennessee and us have a lot of prove, being picked last in our respective divisions. We both need to get off to starts in conference play."

Dealing with last-second scheduling and freezing temperatures, Ole Miss (11-5) turned in a 2-1 mark on the road last weekend, sweeping a Friday doubleheader at Southeast Missouri and dropping a Sunday affair at Louisiana-Monroe.

Junior RHP Lindsay Price tied her career high for strikeouts with 11 in the 5-3 game one victory over Southeast. Game two saw sophomore transfer Becky Testin rip her second home run of the season, leaving the Rebels only one short of the team single-season homer record of nine after only 15 games. Leslie Day pulled into a tie for the team-lead in pitching wins with her fourth victory.

Behind a second-place finish at last weekend's UVA Cavalier Classic, Tennessee (23-7-1) reached the 20-win plateau faster than any time in the program's seven-year history. Junior righthander Stephanie Humphrey leads all SEC pitchers in victories with 14 after tossing three shutouts in four games, including her first career no-hitter in an 8-0 rout of Appalachian State.

Offensively, UT easily tops the league in home runs with 28, led by Blaine Teasley's nine homers. With Wednesday's doubleheader sweep of Tennessee State, Ralph and Karen Weekly's Orange is only one victory away from last year's win total after only 31 games.

Tennessee leads the all-time series with Ole Miss 10-2. After dropping the first seven, the Rebels have taken two of the last five, including the finale of last year's three-game set in Oxford - a 4-0 10-inning affair. The Lady Vols have never lost a season series with Ole Miss and won last year's 2-1.

Ole Miss is 3-2 all-time in conference openers.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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