Baseball Game Notes

April 11, 2002

Ole Miss Game Notes in PDF Format
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Auburn Game Notes in PDF Format
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GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Date: Friday, April 12, 2002
Time: 6:30 p.m.
Site: Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field (3,500)

RECORDS

TEAM	W	L	T	PCT.	SEC	NON-CONF.	HOME	AWAY*	STRK
Auburn	24	11	0	.686	6-6	18-5	18-5	6-6	L2
Ole Miss	27	7	0	.794	8-4	19-3	21-3	6-4	W12

* - includes neutral site games.

TODAY'S PROBABLE PITCHING MATCH-UP

TEAM	No.	Name	Yr.	L/R	IP	W	L	SV	ERA	BB	SO	VS. OPPONENT
AUB	19	Colby Paxton	So.	R	53.2	7	2	0	3.69	17	29	0-1, 9.00 (1 App)
UM	21	J.R. Pickens	Jr.	R	53.0	6	1	0	2.66	15	55	First meeting

UPCOMING PROBABLE PITCHING MATCH-UPS (RADIO/TV)
Saturday vs. Auburn: Levale Speigner (Jr., RHP, 6-3, 3.88) vs. Pete Montrenes (Sr., RHP, 7-2, 3.96) - Ole Miss Radio Network (2:45 p.m.)/SEC-TV
Sunday vs. Auburn: Mike Mueller (Jr., RHP, 1-0, 0.00) vs. Alan Horne (Fr., RHP, 1-1, 5.91) - Ole Miss Radio Network (1:15 p.m.)

REBEL GAME NOTES

AT A GLANCE: No. 8 Ole Miss (27-7, 8-4 SEC) enters tonight's Southeastern Conference series opener with Auburn (24-11, 6-6 SEC) riding a 12-game winning streak and trailing first-place Alabama by one game in the SEC Western Division. Ole Miss' last loss came on March 23 to LSU in Oxford, 6-5, and the Rebels are 14-1 since being swept in a three-game series at Florida, March 15-17 to open conference play. Junior right-hander J.R. Pickens (6-1, 2.66) is slated to start on the hill this evening for the Rebels. The Tigers enter tonight's game 5-5 in their last 10 games, including dropping three of their last four. Auburn will counter on the mound tonight with sophomore right-hander Levale Speigner (6-3, 3.88). Tonight's game will aired on stations along the Ole Miss Radio Network beginning at 6:15 p.m., with David Kellum. The game will also be televised throughout the southeast by Comcast/Charter Sports Southeast with Gary Darby calling the play-by-play and Don Kessinger providing color analysis.

LAST TIME OUT: Bryce Morrison's two-run double in the third capped a three-run inning and paced Ole Miss to a 4-0 win over Murray State Wednesday evening at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field. Morrison's double was one of just three hits for the Rebels as the Thoroughbreds out-hit Ole Miss 6-3. Junior right-hander Kyle Bateman (2-0) allowed three hits over five innings to earn the win, and also struck out one.

SEC-TV TO TELEVISE SATURDAY'S GAME WITH AUBURN: Saturday's game with Auburn is scheduled for 3 p.m., at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field, as FOX Sports Net will televise the game. Saturday's game ticket will have a start time of 4 p.m., listed on it, but the contest will begin at 3 p.m.

REBELS TO HOST INDIANS ON TUESDAY: Ole Miss will complete a nine-game home stand Tuesday evening at 6:30 p.m., when the Rebels host Arkansas State. The ticket for Arkansas State was misprinted with the date April 30.

IN THE POLLS: Ole Miss is ranked as high as No. 8 in this week's National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association poll, up four spots from last week. The Rebels are No. 9 in this week's Collegiate Baseball Top 30, No. 13 in the Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches Top 25, and No. 15 in the Baseball America Top 25 ... Auburn is ranked No. 22 in the Baseball Weekly/ESPN Coaches Top 25.

SCOUTING AUBURN: Auburn boasts the SEC's second-best pitching staff with a team ERA of 3.40, and has held its opponents to the second-lowest batting-average-against in the conference at .249. The Tigers are sixth in the SEC in hitting with a .309 team batting average. Junior Bobby Huddleston is fifth in the SEC with a .413 (43x104) average, and junior Jonathan Schuerholz ranks eighth at .386. Senior Trent Pratt is batting .303 with seven home runs and 34 RBIs. Auburn is the SEC's second-best fielding team with a .970 fielding percentage, having been charged with 40 errors in 35 games.

REBELS VS. TIGERS: Tonight's game marks the 121st meeting all-time between Ole Miss and Auburn ... The Tigers hold a slight 61-59-1 advantage in the series, though, the Rebels have won nine of the last 14 meetings dating back to 1997 ... Ole Miss is 3-1-1 in SEC series against Auburn since 1997 ... The two teams split a rain-shortened two-game series in Oxford in 1998 ... Ole Miss swept Auburn last year in Auburn to mark the Rebels' first sweep on the Plains since 1983 ... Prior to last year, Ole Miss' last sweep against Auburn was in 1985 when they swept a two-game series in Oxford ... The Rebels are 35-25-1 against the Tigers in Oxford, 24-34 in Auburn, and 0-2 at neutral sites.

AFTER 34 GAMES LAST SEASON: The Rebels were 24-9-1 after 34 games last season ... Ole Miss was hitting .295 (337x1,141) with 56 doubles, 12 triples, 28 home runs and 192 RBIs ... The Rebels stole 24 bases in 36 attempts and grounded into 28 double plays ... They were outscoring their opponents 224-159 ... Rebel pitchers had a 3.68 ERA (301.0 IP, 123 ER), allowing 288 hits, including 20 home runs, walked 105 and had struck out 225 ... Ole Miss had committed 48 errors in 34 games.

REBEL MISCELLANEOUS:
* Ole Miss enters tonight's game ranked second in the SEC in team batting with a .332 average ... In the latest NCAA statistics, released April 7, Ole Miss was 15th in the nation in team batting average.
* The Rebels enter tonight's game second in the SEC for runs scored (272), doubles (79), hits (396) and on-base percentage (.415).
* The current 12-game winning streak is the Rebels' longest since winning 15 straight from Apr. 2-May 1, 1964, and is the fourth-longest in school history.
* Wednesday's game marked Ole Miss' third errorless game in the last seven contests since a streak of 20 consecutive games with an error from Feb. 27-March 30.

TONIGHT'S STARTING PITCHER
#21 J.R. Pickens (6-1, 210, Jr., RHP)

* Is making his ninth appearance and eighth start of the season ... Is 6-1 with a 2.66 ERA (61.0 IP, 18 ER) and has struck out 55 while walking 15.
* Is fifth in the SEC in ERA, fifth in innings pitched, tied for fifth in wins, and sixth in strikeouts.
* Ranks second in the SEC in opposing batting-average-against (.203).
* Won his first three decisions of the year against Jacksonville State (2/16), Eastern Illinois (3/2) and Indiana State (3/9).
* Turned in a quality start (at least 6 IP, 4 ER or less) in 7-of-8 starts this season.
* 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 against Eastern Illinois (8.0 IP, 7 H, 2 R, 1 ER, 0 BB).
* Made his first career relief appearance at Louisiana-Monroe (3/13), working a perfect ninth inning.
* Has won his last three starts against LSU (3/22), Kentucky (3/30) and Vanderbilt (4/5).
* Recorded his first career complete game against LSU, allowing three runs, two earned, on eight hits and three walks, while striking out eight in a 9-3 win.
* Pitched eight scoreless innings last Friday against Vanderbilt (4 H, 2 BB, 2 SO).

LAST START: Pitched eight scoreless innings last Friday against Vanderbilt ... Scattered four hits and walked two, while striking out two ... Threw 108 pitches, 64 for strikes ... Retired the Commodores in order in the sixth and seventh innings ... Was relieved at the start of the ninth by Nick Bradshaw with the Rebels comfortably leading 9-0.

PREVIOUS START: Allowed the first six Kentucky hitters to reach on a hit as the Wildcats jumped out a 5-0 lead ... Seth Morris hit a three-run home run to make it 5-0 ... After Mike Ferris followed Morris with a single to center, coaxed Cory Hahn to foul out to first, struck out Spencer Preston and picked Ferris off first base to end the inning ... Did not retire the Wildcats in order until the seventh inning ... Was relieved in the top of the eighth by Al Simontis, who pitched two scoreless innings to seal the Rebels' 9-5 win ... Allowed five runs on nine hits and one walk, while striking out seven over seven innings of work ... Threw 104 pitches, 69 for strikes.

PICKENS VERSUS AUBURN: Tonight will mark Pickens' first career appearance against the Tigers.

PICKENS VERSUS THE SEC: Is 3-1 with a 3.23 ERA (30.2 IP, 11 ER) in four conference starts.

PICKENS MISCELLANEOUS:
* Opponents are hitting .203 (47x232) against him with one HR ... Lefties are 13x76 (.171) against him and right-handers are batting .218 (34x156) with one HR.
* Is 4-1 with a 3.35 ERA (43.0 IP, 16 ER) in five day time starts.
* Is 2-0 with a 1.00 ERA (18.0 IP, 2 ER) in three appearances at night, including two starts.
* Is 5-0 with a 1.74 ERA (46.1 IP, 9 ER) in six starts at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field.
* Is 1-1 with a 5.52 ERA (14.2 IP, 9 ER ) in three appearances, including two starts, on the road.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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