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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Host Alabama To Open SEC Play
3/17/2011 | Baseball
March 17, 2011
Ole Miss (14-4) vs. Alabama (11-6)
Oxford, Miss. • O-U Stadium/Swayze Field
March 18-20 • 6:30 PM/2:00 PM/1:30 PM
Radio: Full Ole Miss Baseball Radio Network
Announcers: David Kellum & Keith Kessinger
Television: SportSouth - Saturday (DirecTV - 649/650, 650-1 HD; Dish Network - 437; Cable - Find Your Channel Here)
Announcers: Dave Neal (Play-by-Play) & Rusty Ensor (Analyst)
Internet Stats/Broadcasts: www.OleMissSports.com
THIS WEEK FOR OLE MISS:
The Rebels kick-off Southeastern Conference play over the weekend with a three-game series against the Alabama Crimson Tide. Friday's game will begin at 6 p.m., while Saturday's game is at 2 p.m. on SportSouth and Sunday's game is set for a 1:30 p.m. start.
NEXT WEEK FOR THE REBELS:
Ole Miss will play a single midweek game at home against the Samford Bulldogs on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. before taking to the road for a swing of eight straight contests away from Swayze Field. That strech starts in SEC play at Knoxville when the Rebels take on Tennessee in a three-game series. Saturday and Sunday's games have been picked up for TV.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCH-UPS:
FRIDAY, 6:30 P.M.
UA - Nathan Kilcrease, Sr., RHP
OM - Matt Crouse, Jr., LHP
NOTING CROUSE: Junior left-hander Matt Crouse enters Friday night's contest against Alabama looking for his fifth consecutive win this season. Crouse worked a complete-game last weekend against Lipscomb, shutting out the Bison with a career-high nine strikeouts in the outing. Crouse has posted 22 strikeouts with only two walks in a team-leading 27.0 innings of work this season. He holds a 4-0 record with a 1.67 ERA and is holding hitters to a .204 batting average against.
SATURDAY, 2:00 P.M. - SportSouth
UA - Adam Morgan, Jr., LHP
OM - David Goforth, Jr., RHP
NOTING GOFORTH: Goforth comes into the weekend still looking for his first win of the season despite turning in several solid outings through the first four weekends. Against Lipscomb, the right-hander worked 6.2 scoreless innings but took no decision as the Rebels didn't score until after Goforth left the mound in the seventh. To date, Goforth holds a 2.42 ERA and has held opponents to a .247 batting average against. He has allowed only seven runs through 26.0 innings of work this season.
SUNDAY, 1:30 P.M.
UA - Tucker Hawley, Soph., RHP
OM - Austin Wright, Jr., LHP
NOTING WRIGHT: Wright comes into the opening weekend of Southeastern Conference play with a 2-1 record and is coming off a career-outing last weekend against the Lipscomb Bison. Wright worked 8.0 scoreless innings with nine strikeouts to help the Rebels post the series sweep. To date, Wright has struck out 25 and walked only nine while holding hitters to a .267 batting average against. The left-hander has given up only seven runs in 23.2 innings of work this season.
A LOOK AT ALABAMA:
The Crimson Tide of Alabama enter the weekend with an overall record of 11-6 and are coming off a midweek loss to Auburn by a score of 2-1 at a neutral field in Montgomery, Alabama. As a team, Alabama is hitting .283 and are led at the plate by Brock Bennet and Jared Reaves. Both players are hitting above the .400 mark for the season. Reaves is batting at a .417 clip and leads the team with 29 RBI and has hit one home run. The Crimson Tide pitching staff holds a 3.25 ERA this season and are led by Sunday starter Tucker Hawley. The right-hander holds a 3-1 record with a 2.16 ERA through 25.0 innings of work. He has held opponents to a .220 batting average and has struck out 17 batters with only two walks. Friday starter Nathan Kilcrease leads the team with 30 strikeouts and five walks.
OLE MISS VS. ALABAMA:
Ole Miss and Alabama have faced off 328 times in the history of the two programs with the Rebels trailing in the all-time series 139-187-2. Last season, Alabama took two of three games from the Rebels in Tuscaloosa before downing the Rebels in the SEC Tournament. In Oxford in 2009, the Rebels took two of three to win the series. Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco is 19-15 against the Crimson Tide all-time.
SOME HAVE HIT STREAKS ON THE LINE:
Three Rebels hold hit streaks of more than one game heading into the weekend's series against Alabama. Matt Smith and Taylor Hightower have hit safely in three consecutive games, while Jordan King holds a two game hit streak.
OTHERS KEEP REACHING BASE:
While hit streaks are an eye-catching stat, an often overlooked stat is reaching base. Tanner Mathis (7) leads the team in consecutive games reaching base, while Taylor Hightower (5) and Matt Snyder (5) are right behind him. Blake Newalu has reached base safely in four straight games, while Austin Anderson and Matt Smith have reached in three consecutive games. Matt Snyder held the longest streak this year with 12 games.
KEEPING THEM OFF THE BOARD:
Ole Miss' pitching staff has been effective at keeping opponents off the board in recent days. The Rebels posted back-to-back shutouts of Lipscomb last weekend before giving up a run with two outs in the ninth in Sunday's game. Ole Miss then shutout Jackson State on Tuesday night 8-0. The Rebel staff has now allowed only one run in the last 36.0 innings of baseball.
