.png&width=32&height=32&type=webp)
The University of Mississippi Athletics
No. 7 Rebels Set To Face-Off With Mississippi State
5/7/2009 | Baseball
#7 Ole Miss (36-13, 16-8 SEC) vs. Miss. State (21-26, 6-17 SEC)
Oxford, Miss. Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field
May 8-10 6:30 p.m./3:00 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: Saturday on FSN-South; Sunday on CSS
XM Radio: None
Live Internet Stats/Broadcasts: www.OleMissSports.com
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCH-UPS:
FRIDAY, 6:30 P.M.
MSU - Tyler Whitney, Jr., LHP
OM - Drew Pomeranz, Soph., LHP
NOTING POMERANZ: Sophomore southpaw Drew Pomeranz will make his 11th start of the season on Friday against Mississippi State and his second ever appearance against the Bulldogs. Last season vs. MSU, Pomeranz worked 2.1 innings in relief against the Bulldogs in the Sunday game - a 4-0 loss for the Rebels despite his 6 strikeouts and holding MSU hitless. This season, Pomeranz has posted a 5-2 record with a 3.27 ERA to go along with 61 strikeouts and only 25 walks. Pomeranz struck out a career-high 10 batters to beat Auburn last week. Pomeranz has pitched one complete-game this season at #20 Florida. Batters are hitting at a .234 clip against him on the season.
SATURDAY, 3:00 P.M. - FSN
MSU - Nick Routt, Fr., LHP
OM - Brett Bukvich, Sr., LHP
NOTING BUKVICH: Bukvich makes his first weekend start since taking the mound against #24 Alabama on March 26. The southpaw leads the team with an 8-1 record on the year and has posted a 3.63 ERA to go along with 50 strikeouts and only 12 walks. He has also been a part of two shutouts this season. Earlier in the year, Bukvich drew the start against Mississippi State in the Governor's Cup game, picking up the win as he held the Bulldogs to one run on five hits with a career-high 11 strikeouts and no walks in 6.0 innings of work. Bukvich has been effective in limiting hits as opponents are batting at a .243 clip against the southpaw in 2009.
SUNDAY, 1:30 P.M. - CSS
MSU - TBA
OM - TBA
REBELS VS. RANKED FOES IN 2009:
When the Rebels and TCU faced-off on February 28, it was the first ranked foe of the season for Ole Miss. The Rebels by a score 19-13. Ole Miss picked up its first win over a top 25 foe with an 8-7 win over Alabama in the Friday night game and is 7-6 against ranked foes this 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 7th (Baseball America) and appear in the top 10 of all of the major college baseball polls except Collegiate Baseball.
LAST TIME OUT VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE:
Ole Miss and Mississippi State faced off earlier this season in the Governor's Cup at Trustmark Park with the Rebels claiming an 8-1 win. Brett Bukvich picked up the win as he worked 6.0 innings and limited the Bulldogs to one run while striking out 11 and walking none. Michael Hubbard came up big for the Rebels with a 3-for-4 performance at the plate with two RBI and a run scored. Zach Miller also had a solid night offensively as he went 1-for-3 but was hit by pitch twice and scored three runs.
OLE MISS VS. MSU UNDER BIANCO:
The Rebels have seen many pitched battles with the Bulldogs throughout the Bianco era with the penulum swinging the way of the Rebels in recent years. With the overall record between the two teams under Bianco standing at 19-18 in favor of the Rebels, Ole Miss has gone 16-7 against Mississippi State from 2004 to date.
THE REBELS VS. MISSISSIPPI STATE:
Ole Miss trails in the all-time series with Mississippi State as the Bulldogs hold a 226-194-5 advantage in the history books. The two teams first faced off in 1893 - the first season of baseball for Ole Miss - and saw the Bulldogs claim the first game and the second game end in a tie.
A LOOK AT THE BULLDOGS:
Mississippi State enters the weekend with an overall record of 21-26 and a conference mark of 6-17. The Bulldogs dropped two games to Alabama over the weekend in SEC play. As a team, MSU is batting .297 and is led at the plate by Russ Sneed with a .350 average. Connor Powers is the leading power hitter with 16 home runs and 53 RBI. The pitching staff holds a team ERA of 6.42 and has posted 327 strikeouts while walking 215 batters. Nick Routt leads the staff with a 4-3 record and a 3.54 ERA. He has 78 strikeouts to 22 walks in 2009.
