The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Set To Open Season At 2004 Arizona Pepsi Classic
2/3/2004 | Softball
Feb. 3, 2004
OXFORD, Miss. - The Ole Miss softball team will jump into the fire early, opening the 2004 season at the Arizona Pepsi Classic on Friday, February 6, at the University of Arizona.
The tournament, which will be played over three days beginning on Friday, will feature several top teams from around the country, as the Rebels will face 2003 NCAA Tournament participants Arizona and Cal State Northridge, along with New Mexico and UNLV.
The Rebels are coming off a 19-32 record in 2003 that saw the squad tie for fifth in the SEC Western Division with an 8-22 SEC record. Ole Miss is in a new position this season, returning all its position starters for the first time in the program's seven-year history.
The Rebels are led at the plate by 2003 All-SEC second team selection junior DeDe Justice. A season ago, Justice led the league in RBIs (45), homeruns (15), while hitting at a .320 clip to lead the Rebels in offense. The Vero Beach, Fla., started all 53 games for the Rebels in 2003.
"I think we are just excited to get out there and play a game," said Ole Miss head coach Candi Letts. "It's a tough opening tournament, but playing the second-ranked team in the nation right out of the gates is a good measuring stick for where we are and where we need to be as a team. This squad is really excited to find out exactly where we stand.
"Winning is always on the mind of any competitor, and this team is a group of competitors," said Letts. "Our goal is to win, but we also have a goal of becoming a better team with each inning of softball we play. We aren't going out to put our whole season in one weekend, but it's important that we get out of the gates quickly."
Cal State Northridge, the Rebels' first opponent, is coming off a 27-23 record in 2003 that saw the Matadors advance to the NCAA Regionals. The Matadors posted a 12-8 record in conference play, finishing third in the final Big West standings. Northridge returns nine starters, and will be lead by outfielder Christen Bedwell who led the team in batting last season, hitting at a .384 clip while driving in 23 RBIs and seven home runs. The Matadors also return Kia Fennell on the mound, who led the team with a 2.11 ERA in 2003, striking out 169 batters in 182.2 innings of work.
Arizona, who is ranked second nationally in the latest NFCA poll and hosts the tournament, is coming off a 56-7 season and a College World Series Appearance in 2003. The Wildcats posted a 19-2 record in the PAC-10. Arizona returns seven All-PAC 10 selections from a year ago to anchor the team.
UNLV and New Mexico are both under coaches with a year or less at their respective schools. The Rebels of UNLV posted a 21-39 overall record in 2003, while finishing sixth in the Mountain West with a 4-14 conference record. New Mexico, also in the Mountain West, is coming off a 25-37-1 performance in 2003 and a fifth-place conference finish with a 10-17 record.
Ole Miss will open play with Cal State Northridge at 10 a.m. on Friday, and conclude the first day of competition with No. 2 Arizona at 5 p.m. Both start times are listed CST.
