The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Baseball Game Notes
3/9/2002 | Baseball
March 9, 2002
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RECORDS
| TEAM | W | L | T | PCT. | CONF. | NON-CONF. | HOME | AWAY* | STRK |
| Indiana State | 2 | 3 | 0 | .400 | 0-0 | 2-3 | 0-1 | 2-2 | L1 |
| Ole Miss | 11 | 2 | 0 | .846 | 0-0 | 11-2 | 10-1 | 1-1 | W5 |
TODAY'S PROBABLE PITCHING MATCH-UP
| TEAM | No. | Name | Yr. | L/R | IP | W | L | SV | ERA | BB | SO | VS. OPPONENT |
| ISU | TBA | |||||||||||
| UM | 21 | J.R. Pickens | Jr. | R | 23.1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2.31 | 4 | 26 | First meeting |
UPCOMING PROBABLE PITCHING MATCH-UPS (RADIO/TV)
Sunday: TBA vs. Alan Horne (Fr., RHP, 0-0, 0.00) (WTNM Supertalk Mississippi 105.5 FM)
REBEL GAME NOTES
AT A GLANCE: No. 9 Ole Miss (11-2) aims to match its longest win streak of the season when the Rebels host the Indiana State Sycamores (2-3) in game two of this weekend's series at 1:30 p.m., at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field. Ole Miss is currently on a five-game winning streak after an 11-8 win over Indiana State last night. The Rebels opened the season with six consecutive victories. Junior right-hander J.R. Pickens (2-0, 2.31) will get the starting nod on the hill for Ole Miss. Indiana State's starter is TBA.
LAST TIME OUT: Charlie Waite recorded a career-high three hits and hit his first career home run to pace Ole Miss at the plate as the Rebels held off Indiana State for an 11-8 win in last night's series opener. Tied 2-2, Ole Miss turned three errors by Sycamore shortstop Brad Collins into four unearned runs to build a 6-2 lead that the Rebels would never relinquish. Indiana State would plate three in the fourth to pull within 6-5 before Ole Miss scored two in the bottom half of the fourth and added a run in both the sixth and seventh to push its lead to 10-5. Senior right-hander Pete Montrenes (4-0) went five innings to earn the win. Senior Josh Christian hit his first homer of the season with a solo shot in the sixth.
IN THE POLLS: Ole Miss moved up one spot in this week's Collegiate Baseball poll to No. 9, jumped two places to No. 12 in both the Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches and National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association polls, and advanced one slot to No. 19 in the Baseball America Top 25.
REBELS VS. INDIANA STATE: Today's game marks the sixth meeting between the Rebels and Sycamores. Ole Miss holds a 4-1 advantage in the series, with all five games having taken place in Oxford. This weekend's series marks the first time the two teams have met since 1979. Ole Miss and Indiana State played a pair of single games in 1977 and 1978, with Ole Miss claiming 4-3 and 8-5 victories. The two teams then split a two-game series in 1979, with the Rebels winning 8-7 in 12 innings, and Indiana State earning a split with a 6-5 win in game two.
SCOUTING THE SYCAMORES: Indiana State is hitting .333 (61x183) as a team, with 22 of its 61 hits going for extra bases (14 2Bs, 2 3Bs, 6 HRs). Senior Tommy Jeffers leads the Sycamores in batting, .435 (10x23), home runs, 2, and is tied for the team lead in RBIs, 7. Jeffers is also the current Missouri Valley Conference Player of the Week. In addition, John Purdom and Michael Miller are hitting .400 or better at .409 and .400, respectively. Purdom is also tied with Jeffers for the team lead in RBIs. Sycamore pitchers have a team ERA of 3.50 (43.2 IP, 17 ER), and opponents are hitting .242 (40x165) against them with five home runs. Indiana State has committed 13 errors in its five games, including five last night.
AFTER 13 GAMES LAST SEASON: The Rebels were 10-3 after 13 games last season ... Ole Miss was hitting .325 (135x416) with 27 doubles, eight triples, 13 home runs and 96 RBIs ... The Rebels stole nine bases in 13 attempts and grounded into seven double plays ... They were outscoring their opponents 112-58 ... Rebel pitchers had a 3.53 ERA (107.0 IP, 42 ER), allowing 95 hits, including seven home runs, walked 44 and had struck out 91 ... Ole Miss had committed 22 errors in 13 games.
BIANCO GETS FOR WIN NO. 50 AT OLE MISS: Last night's 11-8 win marked Ole Miss Head Coach Mike Bianco's 50th victory at Ole Miss, and the 150th of his career. He reached the 50-win plateau in his 76th game at Ole Miss to become the second fastest, behind Pete Shields, to win 50 games at the school. Shields reached 50 wins in 71 games from 1923-1926. Bianco is 50-25-1 (.664 winning percentage) at Ole Miss, and has a career mark of 150-96-1 (.609 winning percentage).
CHARTING BURNEY: OF Burney Hutchinson is a triple shy of the Ole Miss career record of 14 held by Kevin Kessinger (1989-92) and Nate Riddley (1989-92) ... With two home runs Tuesday night, he became the sixth player in school history to hit 30 career homers ... Is four runs away from tying Jason Huisman (1995-98) for fourth-place in career runs scored with 150 ... Needs four RBIs to tie Mike Pomeranz (1976-79) for fifth place on the school's career list with 142 ... Is two walks shy of tying Pat Ball (1974-77) for fifth place with 109 ... Is tied for 10th in career doubles at Ole Miss with Chad Hill (1997-2000) at 37.
REBEL MISCELLANEOUS: Ole Miss has never trailed in a game during its current five-game winning streak ... The Rebels are 18-5-1 during March since last season ... Ole Miss is 43-3 since last season when leading after six innings.
TODAY'S STARTING PITCHER
#21 J.R. Pickens (6-1, 210, Jr., RHP)
* Is making his fourth start of the season ... Has a 2-0 record with a 2.31 ERA (23.1 IP, 6 ER)
* Entered weekend tied for sixth in the SEC in strikeouts with 26, ranked seventh in opposing batting-average-against at .174 (15x86), and ninth in innings pitched with 23.1.
* Made his Ole Miss debut in a start against Jacksonville State on Feb. 16, allowing three runs, one earned, on three hits and three walks over seven innings to earn the decision in an 8-4 win ... Also fanned eight against the Gamecocks.
* Worked 8.1 innings against South Alabama (2/23), carrying a shutout into the ninth inning ... Was charged with four runs on five hits and one walk, and struck out eight in taking a no decision as the Jaguars rallied for six runs in the ninth to tie game and force extra innings.
* Struck out a season-high 10 in a start last Saturday against Eastern Illinois (8.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB).
Junior College Highlights
* Recorded a 20-6 career record at Blinn Junior College.
* Was first team All-Conference selection in 2001, posting an 11-2 mark with one save and a 3.86 ERA.
* Fanned 110 in 106 innings pitched.
PREVIOUS START: Logged eight full innings last Saturday against Eastern Illinois, allowing two runs, one earned, on seven hits and no walks, and struck out a season-high 10 to earn the win ... Threw 113 pitches, 73 for strikes ... Brian Nickell hit a one-out RBI single in the fourth to score Kirk Walters, who reached on a lead-off single and stole second, to pull Eastern Illinois to within 4-1 ... Aaron Shelbourne reached second to start the fifth on an error by center fielder Burney Hutchinson and scored two batters later on Ben Duke's single ... Coaxed Walters to ground into an inning-ending double play to keep the Rebels ahead 4-2 ... Retired the last nine batters he faced before being relieved by Nick Bradshaw at the start of the ninth.
LAST START: Took a shutout into the ninth inning versus South Alabama on Feb. 23, and held the Jaguars to three hits through eight innings ... Walked Erik Smallwood to start the ninth, and after striking out Shane Scoville, allowed back-to-back singles to Ryan Mulhern and Kyle Stanky to load the bases ... Hit Buck Pettus with a pitch to score Smallwood and make it 6-1 Ole Miss ... Was relieved by Josh Grant, who a batter later, gave up a pinch-hit grand slam Jason Gross to tie the score 6-6 ... Ole Miss won the game with a run in the bottom of the 11th on Chad Sterbens' two-out single to score Jonathan Swearingen.
