The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Ole Miss Alumni Game
Current Rebels Down Alumni Squad In Inaugural Alumni Game
2/14/2011 | Baseball
Feb. 5, 2011
OXFORD, Miss. - The inaugural Alumni Game at Ole Miss was dominated by pitching early, but a big fifth inning for the Rebels excited a crowd of roughly 1,000 people as the current Rebel squad defeated the alumni team by a score of 7-0 on Saturday.
It was a day of fun for all as the current professional players who comprised the alumni team were introduced prior to the game with video highlights of their careers at Ole Miss.
"What an exciting day for our program," said Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco. "I was glad to see the weather clear up and that we had a good turn-out with our fans. This was a good day two-fold. It was good to welcome back the pro guys and see all of them, as well as getting to see a good effort from our team now with a lot of hits and runs scored."
"It was great to get back out here with guys we played with and the current players in the program," said Alex Presley, currently a member of the Pittsburgh Pirates. "It really felt like we were just going out and doing this again like old times and it was truly great to be back here in Oxford."
Matt Crouse started off strong for the current Rebel squad, striking out the side in order in the top of the first. Not to be outdone, Rebel alum Drew Pomeranz returned the favor in the home half of the first.
"It was definitely exciting," Crouse said. "What a lineup to face to get things started. To open the game facing Jordan Henry, Matt Tolbert (currently with the Minnesota Twins) and Chris Coghlan (the 2009 NL Rookie of the Year for the Florida Marlins) was exciting. If you can handle that, you can handle anything."
The alumni got the first hit of the day when Presley singled through the left side in the second inning, but a pair of fly outs ended the inning for the alumni team and sent the game into the bottom half of the frame.
Jordan King got things started for the Rebels in the second, ripping a double to right center before moving to third on a ground-out to second from Miles Hamblin. A groundout ended the inning, however, leaving the game scoreless as King was stranded at third.
Taylor Hightower was hit by a pitch to open the home half of the third, but Blake Newalu lined into a double play at shortstop and pitcher Mark Holliman struck out the next batter get the alumni out of the inning with the game still scoreless.
The fifth inning saw a rally from the Rebels as a walk of King put a man on base with one out. Preston Overbey then singled up the middle, moving King to third and leaving men at the corners for Hightower. Overbey then stole second to put two men in scoring position with one out. A walk of Hightower loaded the bases before a Newalu groundout to second pushed King across the plate and put the home team on the board.
Tanner Mathis was hit by a pitch to load the bases for a second time in the inning before a walk of Yarbrough pushed a second run across the plate. A base hit to right field from Matt Smith pushed two more runs across as the Rebels staked a five-run lead on the alumni. The lead grew to six on the next at-bat with a double from Zach Kirksey. Kirksey scored on a single from Jordan King that pushed the lead out to seven for the home team.
The pitching staffs for both teams held the other in check the rest of the way as the current squad downed the alumni team 7-0.
Ole Miss will open the 2011 season on Friday, Feb. 18 at 3 p.m. when the Rebels host Wright State in the first game of a three-game series at O-U Stadium/Swayze Field. Season tickets are still on sale and can be purchased through the Ole Miss Ticket Office at www.OleMissSports.com.
