The University of Mississippi Athletics
OleMissSports.com's Super Regional Blog From The Box
6/7/2009 | Baseball
OleMissSports.com will be blogging from the Oxford-University Stadium press box this weekend, as Ole Miss and Virginia battle in a three-game series to determine a berth in the College World Series.
On this blog, we'll attempt to answer your questions about the Super Regional, its coverage and the teams involved. If you have a question, please e-mail webchat@olemiss.edu.
June 7, 2009
5:23 pm: Despite the undesirable results for the home fans, this weekend was truly an amazing display of college baseball from both teams, and from thousands of dedicated college baseball fans in the area. The 29,000+ fans that came to Oxford this weekend were treated to outstanding play, and they created a tremendous atmosphere for the two top-10 clubs and national TV audiences, as well. Safe travels. Blogger, out.
5:19 pm: Kevin Arico shuts the Rebels down in the top of the ninth, ending the game at 5-1. Virginia advances to its first-ever College World Series appearance by winning the 2009 Oxford Super Regional. Ole Miss is unable to advance to its first CWS appearance since 1972 and falters for the third time in Super Regional play in Oxford, dropping the series to eventual national champion Texas in 2005 and Miami in 2006.
5:11 pm: Ole Miss is down to its last chance here in the top of the ninth. Virginia leads 5-1. Up for Ole Miss are Zach Miller, Jeremy Travis and Kevin Mort against UVa right-handed closer Kevin Arico.
5:05 pm: UVa is showing their muscle and building on the lead against Jake Morgan here in the bottom of the eighth, and Virginia has made it 5-1 with an RBI single by Steven Proscia to score John Hicks.
4:57 pm: The Rebels do not score in the eighth and are down to three more outs for a chance to continue their season. Matt Smith hit a two-out single and got to second on a throwing error, but Matt Packer struck out Kyle Henson to keep Ole Miss from a two-out rally.
4:52 pm: Today's attendance of 10,110 at O-U Stadium/Swayze Field is the third-highest in stadium history. The weekend attendance of 29,646 is the highest-ever mark for a three-game series in school history.
4:44 pm: Rory McKean and Jake Morgan combine to keep Virginia off the scoreboard in the bottom of the seventh despite a pair of walks and an error. Virginia leads 4-1 heading into the final two frames. Rebel fans are getting restless, while the few Cavalier fans in the stadium are quite loud and excited.
4:37 pm: Karen asked about how many stolen bases Virginia has. The Cavaliers have swiped six bases today, which is the second-most for them in a game this season. Their 12 stolen bases in this Super Regional are the most in a weekend series by UVa this year. Thanks for the question.
4:34 pm: Check out some awesome photos from today's game in the Photo Gallery.
4:33 pm: Ole Miss goes down quietly in the top half of the seventh. Score remains Ole Miss 1, Virginia 4.
4:22 pm: McKean strands a Cavalier on second to keep any further runs from coming across. Score after six: Ole Miss 1, Virginia 4. The Cavaliers bring in a new pitcher, junior LHP Matt Packer, who will now have pitched in all three games this weekend.
4:17 pm: We'd like to thank all the viewers of the blog this weekend - including the Tillmans in Paris, France, who would like to say hey to Keith Heflin in Jackson. Just like when the presidential debate was held here on campus this past fall, Oxford is once again at the center of global attention for such a great baseball series. Well, kind of.
4:14 pm: Rory McKean is on the hill for the Rebels. He comes in with a 5-1 record and 4.67 ERA on the season. Baker's final line: 5 IP, 5 hits, 4 runs (2 earned), 1 walk, 6 K's.
4:11 pm: Wilson strikes out Miller to quell any Rebel rally. The score heading into the bottom of the sixth: Virginia 4, Ole Miss 1. This large crowd is very quiet except for a raucous little group of blue and orange above the visiting dugout.
4:08 pm: The top of the sixth starts out promising for the Rebels after a leadoff walk to Matt Snyder. However, Virginia catches a big break when Matt Smith's scoring grounder down the first-base line is gobbled up by first baseman Danny Hultzen, whose glove conveniently falls right onto the bag to double off Snyder and give the Rebels two outs with no runners. Henson answers with an infield single, bringing Zach Miller to the plate to try for a two-out rally.
4:03 pm: We've gotten an email asking why Brett Basham didn't start at catcher today for Ole Miss. The answer is that Coach Mike Bianco has used different starting lineups against right-handed and left-handed starters fairly consistently for the past few weeks. Since Virginia started a righty today, Kyle Henson is the catcher, leaving the DH spot to left-handed batting Matt Snyder. Basham normally starts when a lefty is on the hill for the opponent, leaving Henson as the DH. Thanks for the question!
4:00 pm: Virginia puts up a 3-spot in the bottom of the fifth to take a rather commanding 4-1 lead. Four runs has been enough to win each of the first two games this weekend in Oxford, so we'll see how it plays out today. The Cavaliers had three hits in the frame and also took advantage of a pair of Rebel errors to plate the three runs.
3:54 pm: For those of you not fortunate enough to make it to Oxford this weekend for an amazing baseball series, you're also missing some entertaining moments by the fans, especially the ones in right and left field. Anytime they disagree with an ump's call, they make it known loud and clear. They also tend to be pretty creative with their comments to the Virginia pitchers out in the bullpen, as acknowledged at yesterday's postgame press conference by UVa hurler Matt Packer, who said "it can be pretty rough."
3:49 pm: Virginia catcher Franco Valdes continues his clutch hitting this weekend with an RBI single through the middle, scoring Steven Proscia. Cavaliers lead 2-1 with no outs in the bottom of the fifth. Action in the Rebel bullpen: RHPs Rory McKean and Aaron Barrett.
3:42 pm: Rebs go down in order in the fifth. Pitching continues to dominate in this series, which is the lowest-scoring of all of this year's Super Regionals by a wide margin. The home team has won the first two games by a 4-3 score each time here in Oxford this weekend.
3:33 pm: Virginia pushes across the tying run in the bottom of the fourth on John Hicks' sacrifice fly to right that scored Phil Gosselin. Baker ran into serious trouble for the first time this afternoon. Today is Baker's first start since April 28 (against Southern Miss) and just his seventh start of the season. He gets out of the fourth with no further damage and now has allowed just one run on two hits with five K's through four frames. Score is Ole Miss 1, Virginia 1.
3:30 pm: Today's winner is looking to make an appearance in the College World Series and join LSU, North Carolina, Cal State Fullerton and Arkansas, which have already punched their ticket to Omaha. Three other Super Regionals are also still playing. Eight total teams will face off for the national championship in the heartland of the U.S.A.
3:20 pm: Ole Miss goes scoreless in the top of the fourth and is unable to take advantage of Kyle Henson's leadoff single. Rebs 1, Cavs 0.
3:17 pm: Today's crowd may not be quite as large as yesterday's stadium record of 10,323, but there are still hundreds of people wthout a seat, and even some that found a seat underneath the big oaks way up the hill above center field. The place is packed, to be sure.
3:08 pm: Baker keeps Virginia scoreless for the third straight inning. Second baseman Evan Button makes a tremendous diving stop up the middle and guns down speedy UVa leadoff hitter Jarrett Parker at first to end the frame. Parker needs one hit to take over sole possession of the most hits in a season in Cavalier history, but Button's web gem keeps him from the record in this at-bat. At the end of three: Ole Miss 1, Virginia 0.
3:03 pm: We have an email question from Kristi: "What is the Rebels' all-time record in game 3 of Super Regionals?" The answer is 0-2. Since the NCAA went to the current postseason format in 1999, the Rebels have advanced to game 3 of a Super Regional twice before, losing to Texas 6-4 in 2005 and 14-9 to Miami in 2006, both in Oxford. The Rebels lost both games of the 2007 Tempe Super Regional to Arizona State.
2:58 pm: Yet another Rebel celebrity is in the house. Former All-American tight end Wesley Walls has a foul ball land his way just moments ago. He was also pretty good at having touchdowns thrown his way during an All-Pro NFL career. Virginia is already changing pitchers to sophomore righty Tyler Wilson (8-3, 2.90 ERA). Rebs have runners on first and third with two outs and Matt Smith coming to the plate.
2:54 pm: Henry gets to third base for the second time today. After he walked for a team-leading 56th time this season, he stole his school-record 38th base to get to second and then tagged up on a fly to center and slid just under the third baseman's tag to reach third. With two outs, Matt Snyder walks to first bringing up the cleanup-hitting Matt Smith to try and drive in another Rebel run.
2:46 pm: After two innings, the score is Ole Miss 1, Virginia 0. Wahoo right-handed starter Poutier has four strikeouts through two frames and will face Evan Button, Jordan Henry and Logan Power to start the third.
2:43 pm: With the Rebels vying for a spot in Omaha, Ole Miss' favorite son Eli Manning and his wife Abby are in the suite level taking in the game.
2:38 pm: Thanks to all you who have sent in your thoughts by email. We'll try to give Cliff and the rest of you guys some descriptive action of the game and atmosphere all afternoon. Nathan Baker retired the first four batters he faced before just giving up a double down the left-field line to John Hicks for UVa's first hit.
2:28 pm: For the person who asked about satellite radio, this game is not scheduled to air on XM or Sirius. The game is being televised across the country on ESPN. There is also a live radio broadcast on NCAA.com, and of course live stats and this very live blog right here on OleMissSports.com. Hope that helps!
2:22 pm: Baker sets the Cavaliers down in order in the bottom of the first. There is nothing leisurely about this Sunday afternoon at Swayze Field. Today's crowd is big and loud. It's possible that we'll see record weekend attendance numbers when they are announced later in the game.
2:15 pm: Ole Miss gets off to a "fast" start, literally, against UVa senior RHP Robert Poutier. Jordan Henry legged out a leadoff double, moved to third on Logan Power's sacrifice bunt, and later scored on Matt Smith's single to right to give the Rebels an early 1-0 lead. Ole Miss also scored first yesterday, leading 2-0 after the first inning when Power hit a two-run homer. Middle of the first: Ole Miss 1, Virginia 0. Cavaliers come up to bat with junior LHP Nathan Baker on the hill for the Rebels.
2:01 pm: We're unfortunately back for another day after seeing UVA rally late for the win yesterday to force this win-or-go-home scenario. A coin flip has the Rebels as the visiting team for the second straight day and sporting the navy jerseys and hats. The weather has been perfect and the grandstands packed all weekend and today is no different. Don't forget to email us at the address above if you have any questions during the game. We've had great response from many of you, particularly those via the mobile phones.
June 6, 2009
2:40 pm: Henry grounds out to second and Virginia lives to see another day. We move to a championship game of the Oxford Super Regional tomorrow. Game time is 2 p.m. CT. If that game is anything like the first two, a lot of people's nerves may not be able to take it. Until then, this blogger is out.
2:37 pm: Mort flies out to short left. Pinch-hitter Tim Ferguson takes the first couple of pitches low and then is intentionally walked. Packer faces Jordan Henry in a lefty-on-lefty with two seasons on the line.
2:31 pm: Top of the 9th. Zach Miller leads off with a double down the third-base line. Michael Hubbard bunts him over to third. Virginia brings in a new pitcher - Matt Packer - a Memphis native who also pitched yesterday. Rebel diminutive shortstop Kevin Mort is at the plate with the Rebs needing a run to tie.
2:20 pm: Cavaliers take the lead 4-3 on a groundout to short that nearly missed being an inning-ending double play for the Rebs. This game is eerily similar to yesterday's game (just with the teams reversed) when the Rebels were down one and rallied in the late innings for the victory.
2:18 pm: Virginia rallies in the bottom of the 8th against Goforth. An Evan Button error comes back to haunt the Rebels, as Franco Valdes drives in the runner with an RBI single to right. Score is all knotted at 3-3, and the Cavaliers have runners on first and third with only one out.
2:04 pm: The game has hit the 3-hour mark, but no fan has left and the crowd's anxiousness is building. Rebels lead 3-2, but go down in order in the top of the 8th. Virginia is up to bat next. Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco brings in David Goforth to relieve starter Drew Pomeranz, who went 7.0 innings, allowing 2 runs on 7 hits with 3 walks and 10 strikeouts.
1:55 pm: And here's an update from the Tallahassee Super Regional: Arkansas 6, Florida State 5 in the top of the 8th. The Razorbacks could be the first team to advance to the 2009 College World Series if they keep it up.
1:53 pm: As requested, here's a score update: Ole Miss 3, Virginia 2. Two outs in the top of the seventh for Virginia. Runner on second. Pomeranz is still pitching.
1:46 pm: Seventh-inning stretch here at Swayze Field. For those not here, imagine over 10,000 people moving their various limbs around all at once. Not much elbow room, to say the least. Bathroom lines are also getting long. Good thing the multi-million dollar renovations have added several more bathrooms to this state-of-the-art venue.
1:33 pm: Pomeranz pitches through the sixth with no further Cavalier runs. The sophomore southpaw has struck out 10 batters, bringing his postseason total to 36 K's in three appearances. Score remains Ole Miss 3, Virginia 2.
1:24 pm: Today's attendance of 10,323 is the largest in the history of Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field. It surpasses the previous mark of 10,119 set April 9, 2005, against Alabama (the day of the annual Red-Blue spring football game). The crowd is enjoying perfect weather and amazing baseball. ESPN and the NCAA could not have asked for a better Super Regional between two top-10 teams. Great pitching. Clutch hitting. Outstanding defense. Close scores. What a series!
1:20 pm: Ole Miss pushes ahead 3-2 on an RBI single by Kyle Henson to score Snyder from second. Smith is thrown out on the play at third, but Zach Miller adds another hit to give the Rebels runners at the corners with only one out. David Phillips then grounds into a double play to prevent any further damage for UVa pitchers.
1:17 pm: Morey walks Matt Snyder and Matt Smith to start the 6th, and UVa coach Brian O'Connor brings in senior right-hander Andrew Carraway. It's just the second relief appearance for Carraway, who has started 14 games this season. He is 7-1 with a 4.30 ERA entering today's contest.
1:08 pm: An update from two other Super Regional games currently in progress: Florida State leads Arkansas 5-1 in the bottom of the 6th. North Carolina is up on East Carolina 4-1 also in the bottom of the 6th.
1:05 pm: We have activity in both bullpens. The starters have each allowed just two runs so far as we head to the sixth inning, but several walks and long at-bats have led to high pitch counts for Pomeranz and Morey. Speaking of Pomeranz, he just fanned his seventh and eighth batters of the game to give him 122 strikeouts for the season, moving him past Mark Holliman's 2005 campaign for the fourth-most K's in a season ever by a Rebel hurler.
12:52 pm: After Virginia pushed across the tying run in the bottom of the fourth on an RBI double down the right-field line by John Barr, Ole Miss is unable to answer back in the top of the fifth as Morey puts 'em down 1-2-3. In fact, after giving up hits to the first two batters of the game, Morey has forced the Rebels to go 0-for-16 since. Heading into the bottom of the fifth: Ole Miss 2, Virginia 2.
12:46 pm: Ole Miss' dugout performs its daily ritual dance during the song "Love is Gone" between the fourth and fifth innings. The phenomenon has swept through the gigantic crowd. Fans of all ages join the Rebels pumping and swaying their arms to the music's rhythmic beat. The intensity of the game is really taking over.
12:41 pm: The pitching depth of these two national top-10 clubs is pretty remarkable. Even though neither of today's hurlers has been at the top of his game, they still find a way to pitch out of most of the jams. In fact, with Morey's four strikeouts today, the UVa staff has 555 K's this season, surpassing the previous school record of 551 set last year. Ole Miss pitchers have not been too shabby this year either, compiling 609 K's through four innings today. Both teams rank at or near the top of their respective conferences in team ERA.
12:31 pm: Just a heads-up out there: If you're away from your computer, you can follow our blog on your Blackberry or iPhone if you want to stay abreast of all of today's action. Here's the link: http://m.olemisssports.com.
12:18 pm: Pomeranz ends UVa's two-out rally by getting John Hicks to fly out to right and leave the bases full of runners. Despite two hits and two walks, the Cavaliers can only push across one run in the bottom of the third, leaving the score 2-1 heading into the fourth inning.
12:09 pm: We've passed from morning to afternoon here at Swayze Field, and Virginia has just scored its first run of the game on a Tyler Cannon RBI single up the middle that plated John Barr from second base. It doesn't seem like either team is going to run away with this Super Regional without a tightly contested fight from the other. Score update: Ole Miss 2, Virginia 1.
11:49 am: Rebel offensive catalyst Jordan Henry walked in his second plate appearance today. His 55 walks this season are the second-most in school history behind Pat Ball's 59 free passes in 1977. If Ole Miss' season continues, Henry has a chance to add this school record to the one he already owns - 37 stolen bases this year.
11:44 am: Solid pitching on both sides in the second inning. Pomeranz has three K's through two innings for Ole Miss. Morey has settled down and not allowed a hit since the first two Rebel batters of the game.
11:36 am: The SEC has shown its strength thus far in the Super Regional round of play. League teams went 3-0 yesterday with Ole Miss downing Virginia 4-3, Arkansas beating Florida State 7-2 and LSU out-lasting Rice 12-9. In today's action, Arkansas and FSU are scoreless in the top of the third. Florida will be the fourth SEC squad to take the field this weekend when the Gators host Southern Miss starting at 3 p.m. ET today.
11:17 am: OK, the game got off to a quick start. Rebs up 2-0 at the end of the top half of the first. Ole Miss is the designated road team, wearing red jerseys and white pants. Virginia has on all white as the designated home team. Sophomore RHP Robert Morey is starting on the hill for the Cavaliers. Sophomore LHP Drew Pomeranz, coming off his epic performance in the championship game of last weekend's regional, is starting for Ole Miss. By the way, with the game being so early, there was breakfast food provided for the media, and the sausage biscuits were especially tasty.
11:07 am: Just three pitches into the game, Ole Miss is already up 2-0. Jordan Henry doubled to lead off the game, and Logan Power drove them both in with a first-pitch homer to the home bullpen in left field. That means the Rebels have homered twice in the last four pitches they've seen, including yesterday's walk-off by Matt Smith. In fact, Smith's long ball was the No. 1 play on Sportscenter's "Top Plays" of the day yesterday.
11:05 am: First pitch here at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field - Game 2 of the NCAA Oxford Super Regional. It's an early game today, but the crowd is already in full force. Could be the largest of the year and maybe the largest in some years at O-U Stadium. Yesterday's attendance of 9,213 was the sixth-largest in school history and the biggest ever for a postseason game in Oxford. The weather is absolutely gorgeous for the second straight day.
June 5, 2009
5:24 pm: Matt Smith hits a walk-off home run to left. Rebs win 4-3. This was college baseball at its best. What a game! Rebels take a 1-0 lead in the series. First pitch for game two tomorrow is slated for 11 a.m.
5:20 pm: A couple of Rebel errors put Ole Miss in a tough spot with Wahoo runners on first and second and only one out in the top of the 12th, but Morgan pitches out of the jam. Steven Proscia hit a deep fly ball to left-center that Jordan Henry tracked down and caught against the wall to end the top half of the frame.
4:55 pm: Jake Morgan is in for his second inning of work on the mound today. Morgan was actually hit by a stray throw in pre-game warmups and is pitching with gauze stuffed up his nostrils.
4:49 pm: Evan Button hits a powerful drive to center field, but it dies at the warning track for the third out of the 10th inning. Heading to the 11th. Absolutely no one has left this stadium.
4:36 pm: Extra innings here at O-U Stadium. Two of the top teams in the nation are dead-locked at 3-3 in front of a roaring crowd of 9,213. Exciting NCAA Baseball, to be sure. NOTE: The Rebels are 1-1 in extra inning games this season, while the Cavaliers are 0-1.
4:29 pm: Logan Power hits a single through the left side to score Evan Button from second. Score tied 3-3. Crowd is going wild.
4:22 pm: Do the Rebels have a rally in them? Runners on first and second with no outs here in the bottom of the 9th, still trailing 3-2.
4:02 pm: Rebel fans are getting loud and anxious for Ole Miss to push across the tying run here in the 8th inning. The Rebs are down 3-2 with one out and Zach Miller on first base while UVa brings in new pitcher, left-hander Matt Packer from nearby Germantown, Tenn. Incidentally, Packer and Ole Miss starter Phillip Irwin were teammates at Christian Brothers High School, and Packer led the nation with a 1.14 ERA last season at Virginia.
3:50 pm: David Goforth relieves Rebel starter Phillip Irwin, who went 7.0 innings and allowed 3 runs on 9 hits with 2 walks and 5 strikeouts. Goforth struck out each of the first two batters he faced and retired the side in order.
3:40 pm: Today's amazing early-afternoon attendance is 9,213. It's the sixth-largest crowd in the history of O-U Stadium/Swayze Field and the largest-ever for an NCAA Tournament game in Oxford.
3:17 pm: Jeremy Travis lines a double off the left-centerfield wall to score Zach Miller and pull the Rebels within one run at 3-2 here in the bottom of the 6th. The run knocks UVa starter Danny Hultzen out of the contest. He is replaced on the hill by right-hander Tyler Wilson. Hultzen's line for the day: 5.1 IP, 5 hits, 2 runs (both earned), 1 walk, 5 strikeouts. He had allowed a total of just one run in his previous three innings.
3:05 pm: UVa pitching surrendered just two runs in all of its Regional games, and thus far has allowed only one run to cross the plate through five innings for the Rebels today.
2:52 pm: After a solid first four innings, Irwin runs into trouble in the top of the fifth. Two walks and three consecutive hits led to a pair of Cavalier runs, but Irwin induced a lineout to short by Tyler Cannon to strand three Virginia runners and leave the score at 3-1 Virginia. The Rebels' starting pitching was outstanding in the Regional last weekend, as the starters compiled a 1.57 ERA in 28.2 innings pitched, allowing just five earned runs and striking out 42 batters.
2:25 pm: Zach Miller scores on Kevin Mort's single to center, bringing the score even at 1-1. Miller had broken up Hultzen's early no-hit bid in unconventional fashion. Miller hit a high fly ball to short right field, but the Cavalier right fielder and second baseman both lost it in the sun. The ball dropped right next to them, and Miller hustled all the way to second for a double.
2:18 pm: Head football coach Houston Nutt has been spotted taking in the game from one of the suites. Nutt just returned to Oxford after visiting U.S. troops overseas.
2:10 pm: Matt Smith lines a ball to center, but Virginia's Jarrett Parker makes a highlight-reel diving catch on the ball to retire the Rebels in the bottom of the third. Look for it later on Sportscenter's "Top Plays" or Baseball Tonight's "Web Gems."
1:56 pm: Today's crowd at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field is filling in everywhere. Just by looking at it, even on a Friday afternoon this crowd looks larger than any of the crowds at last weekend's Regional. In fact, reserved seating tickets for this Super Regional were sold out by Tuesday, with standing-room-only seats the only ones still available entering the weekend.
1:44 pm: Virginia dents the scoreboard first on Wahoo catcher Franco Valdes' double to right-centerfield, scoring speedy Steven Proscia from first base. Irwin gets out of the inning with no further damage, bringing the Rebels back to the plate.
1:36 pm: The first inning ends with no runs scored. Virginia lefty starter Danny Hultzen strikes out Zach Miller on a high fastball to end the frame, stranding Rebel baserunners on first and third.
1:27 pm: Jordan Henry is wreaking havoc on the basepaths already. After getting his team-leading 54th walk to lead off the contest, Henry stole second to extend his school record to 36 stolen bases on the year. He also has a team-high 68 runs scored. Will he get his 69th to put the Rebs ahead?
1:15 pm: You could hardly find better baseball weather than in Oxford today. We have clear skies with a handful of light puffy clouds. Temperature at game time is 74 degrees, and there is a gentle breeze blowing in toward right field.
1:09 pm: Irwin strikes out Virginia's leadoff hitter, CF Jarrett Parker, to start the Super Regional with a bang for the Rebels. The last time Ole MIss was on this field, Rebel left-hander Drew Pomeranz struck out a school record-tying 16 batters in an epic performance in the Regional Championship victory over Western Kentucky.
1:06 pm: The Rebels take the field, donned in navy blue jerseys and white pants. Philip Irwin is on the hill with the first pitch against the Cavaliers, who are dressed in orange jerseys with white pants.
1:02 pm: The Virginia and Ole Miss coaches are exchanging lineups and meeting with the umpires. First pitch of the 2009 NCAA Oxford Super Regional approaching fast!
12:30 pm: Ole Miss fans are treated to one more weekend of baseball at O-U Stadium this year, as last weekend's incredible Regional win has the Rebels hosting a Super Regional for the third time in the last five years. Thursday was a practice day, and you can click here to see what the coaches and players had to say about this series.
