Softball Seeks Separation In Starkville Showdown

OXFORD, Miss. With identical 7-7 records in Southeastern Conference play, Ole Miss and Mississippi State will carry their fourth-place tie in the league standings into the weekend and battle for in-state bragging rights with a three-game series on Friday and Saturday at the MSU Softball Field.

Friday’s game is slated for a 6 p.m. start, while Saturday’s doubleheader is scheduled to begin at 1 p.m.

Ole Miss and State are tied for fourth in the overall league standings behind LSU (12-2), Tennessee (11-2) and Alabama (12-4). Just behind the Magnolia State squads are Georgia (5-6) and Florida (6-8) in what is becoming a tight race for SEC Tournament positions.

“This is an important weekend because we are tied with Mississippi State,” said Rebel head coach Missy Dickerson. “We’ve already seen them this year. We know what they have, and they know us. We need to take care of business because we’re tied in conference play.”

The Rebels are off to their best start in school history through 14 conference games and need just three more league victories to tie the program-best mark of 10 set in 2005 and tied last season.

“If we want to keep this program moving in the right direction we really need to take care of things like this weekend,” Dickerson added. “It’s up to the girls to decide how they want to finish, and there’s no better place to start than against your in-state rival.”

Ole Miss will be seeking some revenge on a loss to the Bulldogs earlier this season. The Rebels led 2-1 entering the sixth inning, but faltered down the stretch in a 5-2 defeat at the M&F Fastpitch Classic in Madison, Miss., on March 28.

Prior to their most recent matchup, the Rebels had won four straight contests in the series, including all three a year ago when Ole Miss was a perfect 7-0 against in-state opponents. Mississippi State leads the all-time series, however, by a 21-14 margin.

Senior left-hander Mary Jane Callahan tops the 16-22 overall Rebel squad in pitching and hitting this season. She boasts a team-best 1.76 ERA ,8-7 record and 84 strikeouts in the circle, while leading the squad with a .318 batting average.

Freshman third baseman Lauren Grill has added some pop to an improved Rebel lineup, as she ranks second in the SEC with 11 home runs to go along with her .315 average and six doubles. She is the league’s top freshman in home runs, slugging percentage (.685) and total bases (76).

Mississippi State owns a 24-16 overall mark after their most recent loss at Samford on Wednesday. The Bulldogs are led at the plate by the reigning SEC Freshman of the Week Chelsea Bramlett. The catcher/second baseman from Cordova, Tenn., is among the league leaders in batting average, hits, runs scored and stolen bases. Senior Kelli Miller leads the Bulldog pitching staff with a 10-6 record and 1.60 ERA.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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