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The University of Mississippi Athletics
No. 14 Rebels To Host Houston In Weekend Series
3/7/2012 | Baseball
March 7, 2012
Game Notes vs. Houston 
| Top Moments So Far Video
#14 Ole Miss (10-2) vs. Houston (6-6)
Oxford, Miss. • O-U Stadium/Swayze Field
March 9-11 • 6:30 PM/1:30 PM/Noon
Radio: Full Ole Miss Baseball Radio Network (When not in conflict with SEC Basketball Tournament)
Announcers: Richard Cross & Keith Kessinger
Television: None
Internet Stats:
Internet Audio/Rebelvision:Click Here
THIS WEEK FOR OLE MISS:
The Rebels will face off against the Houston Cougars in a three-game series this weekend beginning at 6:30 p.m. on Friday night. Saturday's contest will begin at 1:30 p.m. and Sunday's series finale is set for a noon start.
NEXT WEEK FOR THE REBELS:
Ole Miss will hit the road for the first time since the opening weekend next week when the Rebels travel to face No. 16 Louisville in a pair of midweek games on Tuesday and Wednesday. Ole Miss will then return home to kick off Southeastern Conference play with a weekend series against the Auburn Tigers at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field.
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCH-UPS:
FRIDAY, 6:30 P.M.
UH - Jared Ray, Sr., RHP
OM - Bobby Wahl, So., RHP
NOTING WAHL: Sophomore right-hander Bobby Wahl is set to make his fourth start of the season on Friday night in the series opener against Houston. Wahl currently leads the team in innings pitched, having worked 17.0 innings on the year with 18 strikeouts and 6 walks on the season. He holds a 2.65 ERA in that time, allowing five earned runs on 14 hits and has been a part of one shutout. He was named SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week last week after helping post a 2-0 win over UNC-Wilmington.
SATURDAY, 1:30 P.M.
UH - Jordan Lewis, Sr., LHP
OM - R.J. Hively, Sr., RHP
NOTING HIVELY: Senior right-hander R.J. Hively looks for his third consecutive win when he takes the mound on Saturday against Houston. Hively is coming off a solid performance against Miami (OH) in which he held the Redhawks scoreless and allowed only two hits with seven strikeouts in 6.0 innings of work. Hively leads the team in strikeouts with 20 entering the weekend and has walked only four batters. He holds a 2.87 ERA with only five earned runs allowed on15 hits .
SUNDAY, NOON
UH - Aaron Garza, Fr., RHP
OM - Mike Mayers, So., RHP
NOTING MAYERS: Sophomore right-hander Mike Mayers makes his third start of the season in the series finale against Houston on Sunday. Mayers is coming off a career-long 7.0 innings in the start against Miami this past weekend, allowing only four hits and not allowing a base runner to advance past first base in his time on the mound. Mayers has fanned 17 batters in 16.0 innings of work this season and holds a 3.94 ERA while holding hitters to a .200 batting average against in 2012.
A LOOK AT HOUSTON:
The Cougars of Houston enter the weekend series with an overall record of 6-6 and are coming off a midweek loss to UL-Lafayette on Tuesday night. Jake Runte leads the squad at the plate, hitting at a .341 clip with six RBI, four doubles and a triple, while Price Jacobs has been the leading offensive producer with a single home run and nine RBI to tie for the team lead in that category. Friday night starter Jared Ray is the top pitcher on the team, holding a 1-0 record through three appearances and a 1.42 ERA. Ray has allowed three runs on 14 hits in 19.0 innings of work. He has struck out 20 batters and walked only six in that time, while holding opponents to a .209 batting average against.
OLE MISS VS. HOUSTON:
Ole Miss and Houston have faced off a total of five times in the history of the two programs with the Rebels holding a 4-1 lead in the all-time series. The two teams first met in the 1992 season with caliming a 12-3 win in the single game played that season.
LAST TIME OUT VS. HOUSTON:
Ole Miss and Houston faced each other in a three-game series last season in Houston. The Rebels claimed the series 2-1, winning the Friday and Sunday contests against the Cougars. Zach Kirksey played in two of the three games, leading the Rebels at the plate with an .800 batting average (4-for-5) with a home run, three RBI and two runs scored. Ole Miss won the Friday game 4-2 and the Sunday game 8-3. The Rebels dropped the Saturday contest 8-2.
GAMES ON REBELVISION:
Fans of Ole Miss baseball who can't make it to Swayze Field can catch all the action live on the subscription based RebelVision or listen to the games online. Both features can be found at www.OleMissSports.com on any game not carried live on television as a part of the Southeastern Conference's 2012 television package.
LISTEN TO THE GAMES ONLINE:
Rebel fans who can't make it to the game at Swayze Field have options for catching all the action with Rebel Baseballl. In addition to the RebelVision option for video and audio, fans can also download the Ole Miss App for their phone and receive live stats and streaming audio right in the palm of their hand.
NO PLACE LIKE HOME:
The home field has been kind to the Rebels during Bianco's tenure as Ole Miss has posted a 292-109-1 record within the friendly confines of O-U Stadium/Swayze Field for a .728 winning percentage at home.
OLE MISS VS. NON-CONFERENCE FOES UNDER BIANCO:
Ole Miss has posted an impressive non-conference record over the course of the past nine seasons under head coach Mike Bianco. Since Bianco's arrival in Oxford in 2001, the Rebels have posted a 237-85-1 (.735 win percentage) mark in non-conference foes. Just a year ago, the Rebels were 17-8 in non-conference games, posting a .654 win percentage.
HIT STREAKS ON THE LINE:
Six Rebels hold hit streaks of more than one game heading into the midweek contest against UT-Martin. Freshman Auston Bousfield has hit safely in six straight games for the longest hit streak on the team. Alex Yarbrough is right behind him with a hit in four consecutive games, while six other Rebels have notched a hit in back-to-back games.
HUBER CHASING SAVES RECORD:
Junior RHP Brett Huber has four saves this season and is chasing the career saves record at Ole Miss. Currently, the closer holds 20 career saves and sits at third all-time on the career list. He trails Justin Huisman by four saves and is six off the all-time leader Stephen Head.
SURGING ATTENDANCE:
Rebel baseball continues to be one of the top draws for the sport on the collegiate level as the Rebels ranked second nationally in average attendance a year ago. It marked the fifth straight season for Ole Miss to finish in the top 5 nationally for attendance and the seventh consecutive season in the top 10 for the Rebels.
Currently, the Rebels are third in the nation in total attendance with 65,323 fans at O-U Stadium through nine home games. The Rebels are fourth in average attendnace with 7,258 fans per game at the park. All of the top five attendance leaders are in the Southeastern Conference by average.
