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The University of Mississippi Athletics
No. 12 Rebels Host No. 24 Alabama In Weekend Series
3/19/2009 | Baseball
#12 Ole Miss (13-4, 2-1 SEC) vs. #24 Alabama (14-5, 2-1 SEC)
Oxford, Miss. O-U Stadium/Swayze Field
Mar. 20-22 6:30 p.m./1:30 p.m./1:30 p.m.
Radio: Full Network coverage on the Ole Miss Radio Network
Announcers: David Kellum (play-by-play) and Gary Darby (color)
Television: None
XM Radio: XM 199 on Saturday only
Live Internet Stats/Broadcasts: www.OleMissSports.com
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCH-UPS:
FRIDAY, 6:30 P.M.
UA - Austin Hyatt, Sr., RHP
OM - Drew Pomeranz, Soph., LHP
NOTING POMERANZ: Sophomore Drew Pomeranz takes the mound for the fourh time this season and making his second straight Friday night start for the Rebels. Pomeranz worked 4.0 innings and took no decision at Vanderbilt last weekend in a game the Rebels claimed 9-3. Pomeranz has struck out 14 and walked 10 on the season while allowing only four earned runs in his time on the mound.
SATURDAY, 1:30 P.M.
UA - Adam Morgan, Fr., LHP
OM - Phillip Irwin, Jr., RHP
NOTING IRWIN: Phillip Irwin was solid in his first SEC start of his career, tossing a complete-game at Vanderbilt in the first game of a double-header last Sunday. In the 7-inning contest, Irwin allowed one run on four hits with two walks and three strikeouts. On the year, Irwin has struck out 14 and walked only four for a better than 3:1 strikeout to walk ratio.
SUNDAY, 1:30 P.M.
UA - TBA
OM - Brett Bukvich, Sr., LHP
NOTING BUKVICH: Bukvich earned the Sunday start after two solid midweek starts against Austin Peay and Arkansas State. The senior is 3-0 on the year and has allowed only two earned runs in his 20.0 innings of work this season. Against Arkansas State on Tuesday, Bukvich struckout seven and walked only two as he allowed only one run in the contest. The southpaw leads the Rebels in strikeouts with 19 on the year.
REBELS VS. RANKED FOES IN 2009:
When the Rebels and Horned Frogs faced-off on Saturday, February 28, it was the first ranked foe of the season for Ole Miss. The Rebels dropped the contest by a score 19-13 to fall to 0-1 against ranked foes in the 2009 season.
REBELS IN THE RANKINGS:
For the sixth straight season Ole Miss opened the year ranked in the preseason polls. Currently, the Rebels are ranked as high as 12th (Baseball America) and appear in the top 25 of all five of the major collegiate baseball polls.
A LOOK AT ALABAMA:
The Crimson Tide enter the weekend series as teh No. 24 team in the country and are coming off a three-game sweep of Alabama A&M in the midweek and a series win over No. 1 Georgia last weekend to open Southeastern Conference play. The Crimson Tide are hitting .346 as a team and have belted out 39 home runs - paced by Kent Matthes and his 13 home runs on the season. Matthes is also hitting .464 on the season. As a pitching staff, Alabama holds a 3.82 ERA and haev posted 184 strike outs while walking only 49 batters on the season. The Crimson Tide has allowed 153 hits on the year and given up 80 runs.
LAST TIME OUT VS. ALABAMA:
The Rebels came out on the short end of the stick last season against the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa as Alabama claimed the weekend series 2-1. Ole Miss fell 6-5 on Friday nighta 5-3 in Saturday's game before coming back to win the Sunday game 2-1 in nine innings of what was scheduled to be a 7-inning game. The Saturday game was suspended due to inclement weather and resumed Sunday morning. Justin Cryer picked up the win in relief as he pitched the final 2.1 innings, taking the mound for starter Cody Satterwhite who worked the first 6.2 innings. Ole Miss claimed the win when Zach Miller was hit by a pitch to open the inning and moved to second on a walk of Basham before taking third on a sac bunt from Fuller Smith. He then scored the go-ahead run on a single from Logan Power.
OLE MISS VS. ALABAMA UNDER BIANCO:
The Rebels have experienced success against Alabama during the Bianco era as Ole Miss holds a 16-11 record against the Crimson Tide over the last eight seasons. The Rebels have won five of the eight series played between the two teams in that time, including a series sweep in the 2001 season - Bianco's first year. In Oxford, the Rebels are 8-4 against the Tide and have only lost one series - the 2005 series when the Rebels dropped two games to the Crimson Tide.
