The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebel Duo Vying For League Title With Saratoga Phillies
8/4/2006 | Baseball
OXFORD, Miss. - The summer is winding down and students are beginning to head back to Oxford for the fall session of classes. Two of those Rebels hope to come back with a little extra hardware to show for their summer.
Rory McKean and JoJo Tann, both members of the Ole Miss baseball team, begin competition for the New York Collegiate Baseball League Championship tonight in the first of a three-game series. The duo, who plays for the Saratoga Phillies, will take on the Allegany Nitros beginning Friday night at 7 p.m.
It's a prospect that is exciting for Tann, a sophomore for the Rebels.
"It's a great feeling anytime you can play for a championship," Tann said. "Playing baseball at Ole Miss has kind of made me used to the feeling of competing for a championship, and that makes you want to keep playing for championships. We're definitely glad to have this opportunity."
"I'm excited to be playing for the championship," McKean added. "This is only the third year of the Saratoga team, and we have been a part of making this program the top seed in the playoffs and getting to the championships so quickly."
Both Tann and McKean have spent the season with the goal of playing for a championship with the Phillies, but with a bigger goal of becoming better players in the hopes of adding another option to the roster for Ole Miss when the players return in the fall.
Tann, who has spent the entire summer playing in the outfield, is batting .237 as the leadoff hitter for the Phillies. Not only has the speedy player been able to get on base, but he has displayed his footwork on the base path, going 11-for-12 in steals this season to lead the league in percentage.
"It's been a wonderful experience and I have liked the opportunity of playing in the outfield," said Tann. "I hope the experience I have gained this summer will carry over to the fall and make me ready so I can add another dimension to what we are able to do as a team."
He also thinks the experience will be one that makes him a better player at the plate for the Rebels, as hitting with a wooden bat has presented new challenges.
"It's so different hitting with a wooden bat, and the grass is so thick up here, you have to really make good contact and get the ball into the outfield to have a chance," Tann said.
The difference in the wooden bats has been one that has helped McKean build his confidence on the mound, as the right handed pitcher has posted a 3.74 ERA through 10 appearances on the mound. Nine of those have been relief appearances.
"It's definitely different to face a batter with a wooden bat," McKean said. "it gives the pitcher somewhat of an advantage I'd say, but you still have got to throw strikes and place the ball well.
"Primarily, I'm just trying to get as much work as I can and use the experience to make me more of an asset for the team when I get back to Oxford."
It's been an adjustment for McKean, who is seeing his first live action after red-shirting the past season with the Rebels. But, he says it's one that has been made more easily with Tann in the field backing him up.
"It's been helpful having JoJo around," McKean said. "He's been able to give me feedback and tell me what he sees when I'm on the mound. He's also backed me up and gotten me out of trouble a couple of times when hitters have been able to get the ball into the outfield."
Tann said it's been nice to be able to help out a teammate and that having McKean on the team made the transition easier for him as well.
"It's great having a familiar face out there," Tann said. "Rory has come up big for us at times. It's really tough to go from playing every year to a red-shirt season, then coming back to live action. You have to get back into the swing of things, so to speak, and I've been trying to help him handle that adjustment because I just went through the same thing a year earlier."
According to McKean, though, no matter what happens, the bottom line is gaining experience that can make both players better for Ole Miss.
"It's been a really good experience," McKean said. "It's nice to get out there and see live action again. I think we're just excited to get as many reps as possible out here so we can come back and jump right into making the Rebels an even better team in 2007."
Rory McKean and JoJo Tann, both members of the Ole Miss baseball team, begin competition for the New York Collegiate Baseball League Championship tonight in the first of a three-game series. The duo, who plays for the Saratoga Phillies, will take on the Allegany Nitros beginning Friday night at 7 p.m.
It's a prospect that is exciting for Tann, a sophomore for the Rebels.
"It's a great feeling anytime you can play for a championship," Tann said. "Playing baseball at Ole Miss has kind of made me used to the feeling of competing for a championship, and that makes you want to keep playing for championships. We're definitely glad to have this opportunity."
"I'm excited to be playing for the championship," McKean added. "This is only the third year of the Saratoga team, and we have been a part of making this program the top seed in the playoffs and getting to the championships so quickly."
Both Tann and McKean have spent the season with the goal of playing for a championship with the Phillies, but with a bigger goal of becoming better players in the hopes of adding another option to the roster for Ole Miss when the players return in the fall.
Tann, who has spent the entire summer playing in the outfield, is batting .237 as the leadoff hitter for the Phillies. Not only has the speedy player been able to get on base, but he has displayed his footwork on the base path, going 11-for-12 in steals this season to lead the league in percentage.
"It's been a wonderful experience and I have liked the opportunity of playing in the outfield," said Tann. "I hope the experience I have gained this summer will carry over to the fall and make me ready so I can add another dimension to what we are able to do as a team."
He also thinks the experience will be one that makes him a better player at the plate for the Rebels, as hitting with a wooden bat has presented new challenges.
"It's so different hitting with a wooden bat, and the grass is so thick up here, you have to really make good contact and get the ball into the outfield to have a chance," Tann said.
The difference in the wooden bats has been one that has helped McKean build his confidence on the mound, as the right handed pitcher has posted a 3.74 ERA through 10 appearances on the mound. Nine of those have been relief appearances.
"It's definitely different to face a batter with a wooden bat," McKean said. "it gives the pitcher somewhat of an advantage I'd say, but you still have got to throw strikes and place the ball well.
"Primarily, I'm just trying to get as much work as I can and use the experience to make me more of an asset for the team when I get back to Oxford."
It's been an adjustment for McKean, who is seeing his first live action after red-shirting the past season with the Rebels. But, he says it's one that has been made more easily with Tann in the field backing him up.
"It's been helpful having JoJo around," McKean said. "He's been able to give me feedback and tell me what he sees when I'm on the mound. He's also backed me up and gotten me out of trouble a couple of times when hitters have been able to get the ball into the outfield."
Tann said it's been nice to be able to help out a teammate and that having McKean on the team made the transition easier for him as well.
"It's great having a familiar face out there," Tann said. "Rory has come up big for us at times. It's really tough to go from playing every year to a red-shirt season, then coming back to live action. You have to get back into the swing of things, so to speak, and I've been trying to help him handle that adjustment because I just went through the same thing a year earlier."
According to McKean, though, no matter what happens, the bottom line is gaining experience that can make both players better for Ole Miss.
"It's been a really good experience," McKean said. "It's nice to get out there and see live action again. I think we're just excited to get as many reps as possible out here so we can come back and jump right into making the Rebels an even better team in 2007."
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