The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Challenge No. 5 South Carolina In Weekend Series
4/16/2010 | Baseball
#14 Ole Miss (23-11, 7-5) at #5 South Carolina (26-7, 9-3)
Columbia, S.C. • Carolina Stadium
April 16-18 • 6:00 p.m./2:00 p.m./12:30 p.m.
Radio: Full Ole Miss Baseball Radio Network
Announcers: David Kellum & Gary Darby
TV: SportSouth (Friday and Saturday); RebelVision (Sunday)
Live Audio: RebelVision
Live Stats: OleMissSports.com
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCH-UPS:
FRIDAY, 6:00 P.M. (SPORTSOUTH)
USC - Blake Cooper, Sr., RHP
OM - Drew Pomeranz, Jr., LHP
NOTING POMERANZ: Pomeranz enters the weekend contest at South Carolina with a 6-0 record on the season and is coming off a 15 strikeout performance at Georgia last weekend. The soutpaw leads the SEC in strikeouts with 80 and also leads the league in ERA (1.57) and opposing batting average (.173) halfway through the season. Pomeranz was named Baseball America's Midseason Player and Pitcher of the Year a week ago. He has walked only 20 batters in his time on the mound and has given up nine runs on 20 hits this year.
SATURDAY, 2:00 P.M. (SPORTSOUTH)
USC - Sam Dyson, Jr., RHP
OM - Aaron Barrett, Sr., RHP
NOTING BARRETT: Barrett comes into the weekend having tallied eight quality starts on the season in as many appearances and has posted a 6-1 record on the season. The right-hander is coming off one of his best performances in the year with a career-long 7.1 innings of work and career-high 10 strikeouts in no decision at Georgia. Barrett is second in the league in strikeouts with 63 on the season and he is tied for the league lead in wins with Pomeranz. He is holding opposing teams to a .200 batting average against in his time on the mound.
SUNDAY, 12:30 P.M.
USC - Jay Brown, Sr., RHP
OM - TBA
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 14th (Baseball America) and appear in the rankings of all of five of the major college baseball polls. The Rebels were ranked 11th nationally the week of March 28-April 4 before dropping a weekend series to Tennessee - the highest ranking of the season for the Rebels.
A LOOK AT SOUTH CAROLINA:
The Gamecocks of South Carolina enter the weekend with a 26-7 record overall and 9-3 in the SEC and are coming off a win over The Citadel on Wednesday night. South Carolina is batting .293 as a team and are led at the plate by Whit Merrifield who is batting .341 and has seven home runs and 27 RBI. The Gamecocks' pitching staff holds a collective ERA of 3.42 and are led by weekend starters Blake Cooper and Jay Brown. Cooper holds a 2.85 ERA, while Brown holds a 2.84 ERA on the year. The Gamecocks have struck out 319 batters on the season and are led by Cooper's 47 strikeouts. Brown has struck out 22, while Saturday starter Sam Dyson has fanned 42 batters this season.
REBELS VS. SOUTH CAROLINA:
Ole Miss and South Carolina have faced off 44 times in the history of the two teams with the Gamecocks holding a 27-17 lead in the all-time series. South Carolina claimed the weekend series last year in Oxford 2-1 with the Rebels claiming the Sunday game.
REBELS ON THE ROAD:
Ole Miss has done something that's tough to do, and that's win more than they lose on the road under head coach Mike Bianco. The Rebels are 99-94 in road contests under Bianco for a .513 winning percentage in games played on an opponent's field.
