The University of Mississippi Athletics
Hitters Slug It Out In Fall Scrimmages
10/14/2010 | Baseball
Oct. 14, 2010
OXFORD, Miss. - The Ole Miss baseball team has been holding fall practice for the last several weeks with intra-squad scrimmages on the weekend that provide coaches with a chance to evaluate players and athletes a chance to stake a claim for playing time when the spring rolls around.
The Rebels will hold three more of those scrimmages this weekend facing off on Friday (2:30 p.m.), Saturday (noon) and Sunday (1:30 p.m.) in the fifth weekend of intra-squad play. Fans can attend the open scrimmages at O-U Stadium/Swayze Field.
The scrimmages have been a time for newcomers to come in and prove their worth, while returning players show their growth in the off-season. It's a time for the new teammates to get acclimated to each other and the coaching staff.
"This year has certainly been different with so many new players," said assistant coach Matt Mossberg. "We're very excited about the guys who have come into the program and the progress they have made. Our young hitters have really hit the ground running with players like Will Allen, Austin Anderson and Preston Overbey - this freshman group hasn't looked like typical freshmen.
"We always look to returning players and are excited to see the growth they demonstrate," Mossberg said. "Players like Tanner Mathis and Matt Smith, or Jordan King who use the fall to get more opportunities to show us what they are capable of doing. It's also a good opportunity for newcomers to show us what they bring to the table like Blake Newalu and Zach Kirksey have done."
Primarily, the fall serves as a proving ground and the first four weekends of scrimmages have allowed the coaching staff to play with lineups and see how players handle specific situations in controlled scrimmages and practices.
"Overall, we're really pleased with our offense thus far," Mossberg said. "You can only play so many people at a time, so the fall really gives us a chance to see who is able to bring consistency over the long run. We use the time to evaluate the players and see who pushes strong through the finish line and how they carry themselves through the weeks of practice in the fall."