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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Heads to Missouri to Battle No. 14 Tigers
4/30/2015 | Baseball
WEEKEND SERIES
Matchup: Ole Miss (24-22, 10-11 SEC) at Missouri (26-19, 12-9 SEC)
Date: May 1-3, 2015
Location: Columbia, Mo.
Venue: Taylor Stadium at Simmons Field
Capacity: 3,031
Television: SEC Network+
   Tex Little, play-by-play
   Sean Hamel, analyst
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
   David Kellum, play-by-play
   Keith Kessinger, analyst
Live Audio: OleMissSports.com
Series: Ole Miss leads 7-4
Last Series: March 21-23, 2014
      Ole Miss won 3-0
      Oxford, Miss.
QUICK HITS
- Ole Miss is currently 33rd in RPI with the nation's toughest schedule
- The Rebels enter the weekend after downing Mississippi State, 11-1 in the Governor's Cup
- The 10-run win over the Bulldogs was the largest margin of victory in the 36-year history of the Mayor's Trophy/Governor's Cup
- Senior Scott Weathersby was named MVP of the 2015 Governor's Cup
- The Rebels have recorded 83 hits in the past six games, tallying double digits in five of the six contests
- With the impressive offensive production, Ole Miss improved its team season batting average by 19 points
- Junior Connor Cloyd has recorded seven straight multi-hit games
- Ole Miss is 7-7 against teams ranked in the top 15 this season, including 5-4 versus No. 1 ranked teams
- Junior Cameron Dishon leads the SEC with eight sacrifice bunts
- Redshirt-sophomore Brady Bramlett is third in the SEC with a 2.18 ERA
- Sophomore Colby Bortles recorded 26 RBI over 17 games in the month of April
PROBABLE PITCHING MATCHUPS
FRIDAY, 6:00 P.M.
Missouri - Reggie McClain, Jr., RHP, 5-5, 3.79 ERA
Ole Miss - Christian Trent, Jr., LHP, 6-4, 3.75 ERA
NOTING TRENT:
- Went a season-long 8.0 innings against Alabama, surrendering two runs (one earned) on six hits with five strikeouts to earn the win
- Pitched 6.1 innings and allowed one run on three hits to defeat No. 1 Florida, going 4.1 innings without giving up a hit
- Has made 28 career starts, recording 136 strikeouts over 179.1 innings for a record of 15-4
- Won his first 12 games as a Rebel, the best start to a career by any pitcher in Ole Miss baseball history
- Named to the 50-player preseason Golden Spikes Award watch list
SATURDAY, 2:00 P.M.
Missouri - Tanner Houck, Fr., RHP, 6-3, 3.54 ERA
Ole Miss - Brady Bramlett, R-So., RHP, 5-2, 2.18 ERA
NOTING BRAMLETT:
- His ERA of 2.18 ranks third in the SEC, he holds opponents to just a .216 average at the plate
- Struck out nine hitters over seven scoreless innings in a victory over Alabama, his last start
- Pitched seven innings without allowing an earned run at No. 1 LSU
- Went six scoreless innings against Stetson, giving up just three hits and one walk to go along with his 12 strikeouts
- Only Rebel to record 12 strikeouts in one game as well as double digit strikeouts in two or more starts since Drew Pomeranz in 2010
- Returned to the mound this season after missing the end of the 2013 season and the entire 2014 season due to injury
SUNDAY, 1:00 P.M.
Missouri - Peter Fairbanks, Jr., RHP, 4-3, 2.52 ERA
Ole Miss - TBA
A LOOK AT MIZZOU
Missouri enters the weekend as the No. 14 team in the country according to Baseball America. The Tigers are 26-19 on the 2015 campaign, including 12-9 in SEC play. Mizzou has dropped its past five contests, falling in three games to Vanderbilt sandwiched between a pair of midweek losses to Missouri State. MU has a consistent rotation as three Tigers have each made 11 starts. Reggie McClain, a three-time SEC Pitcher of the Week this season, will get the ball in the series opener. Freshman Tanner Houck, who will start on Saturday, boasts a team-high six wins on the rubber. Rounding out the series, junior Peter Fairbanks will head to the hill with a rotation-low 2.52 ERA. At the plate, Ryan Howard leads Missouri with a .294 average to go along with 10 doubles, three home runs and 30 RBI. Tim Jamieson is in his 21st season as head coach of the Tigers.
CLAIMING THE GOVERNOR'S CUP
Senior Scott Weathersby threw seven scoreless innings, and the Ole Miss baseball team used 15 hits to score 11 runs in a 11-1 thumping of Mississippi State in the annual Governor's Cup, Tuesday night, April 28, at Trustmark Park. The 10-run win for the Rebels marked the largest margin of victory in the 36-year history of the Mayor's Trophy/Governor's Cup between the two archrivals. Ole Miss re-claimed the Governor's Cup for the first time since 2012 behind a veteran arm out of the Rebels' bullpen. In the first start of his four-year career, Weathersby was brilliant, tossing seven scoreless innings. The senior right-hander allowed just six hits and walked one, while striking out three. For his outstanding performance, Weathersby was named the Governor's Cup Most Valuable Player. Ole Miss recorded 15 hits paced once again by leadoff hitter Connor Cloyd. The junior went 3-for-6 with a career-high four RBI. Cloyd also produced his seventh-straight multi-hit game. Four more Rebels provided multi-hit games as Colby Bortles, Cameron Dishon, Austin Knight and Sikes Orvis all recorded two hits apiece. Bortles and Dishon each knocked in a pair of Rebels.
WEATHERSBY NAMED GOVERNOR'S CUP MVP
Senior Scott Weathersby made 47 relief appearances in his Ole Miss career before head coach Mike Bianco called upon the veteran to make the start in his final Governor's Cup versus rival Mississippi State. Going into the contest, the most innings Weathersby threw was six in relief against No. 1 Vanderbilt. Taking the mound in the annual rivalry matchup, the Hattiesburg, Miss. native looked as if he's been a regular start. The senior right-hander tossed a gem, pitching a career-high seven scoreless innings and allowing just six hits, while striking out three. Weathersby was named the Governor's Cup Most Valuable Player for his performance, a well-deserved accolade for a veteran reliever making his first career start.
ESPN ADDS REBS TO MAY 14 SCHEDULE
The Southeastern Conference announced April 29, that ESPN has chosen the May 14 baseball game between Ole Miss and Texas A&M to air on national television. The series opener between the Rebels and Aggies will be broadcast live on ESPNU with first pitch still set for its original time, 6:30 p.m. CT, at Swayze Field. The three-game set against Texas A&M is the final regular-season series for the Rebels. Ole Miss baseball on ESPNU will mark the 12th time this season the Rebels are slated to appear on national television. The Diamond Rebels have played eight of those contests thus far, sporting a record of 4-4 that includes victories over then-No. 1 LSU and then-No. 1 Vanderbilt. Ole Miss will host rival Mississippi State at Swayze Field, May 7-9, with all three games set for broadcast on SEC Network
SEC TOURNAMENT OUTLOOK
With three weeks remaining in the regular season, the 2015 SEC Baseball Tournament is on the horizon. For the 18th straight year, the tournament will return to Hoover Metropolitan Stadium in Hoover Ala., May 19-24. The top 12 teams will qualify for the tournament with the top four seeds earning byes to the double-elimination format. Seeds 5 through 12 will square off on May 19 with the losers of the four games going home and the winners advancing to double-elimination play. If the season ended today, Ole Miss would head to the tournament as the No. 9 seed and face No. 8 seed Auburn in a single elimination contest.
CLOYD LEADING OFF
Junior Connor Cloyd has provided Ole Miss the production it needs from the leadoff spot as of late. Leading off as either the team's left fielder or designated hitter depending on the day, Cloyd has seen his average rocket to .429. The Tacoma, Wash. native has recorded at least two hits in each of the last seven games, going 18-for-31 (.581). Against Central Arkansas, Cloyd tallied a career-high four hits to go along with three runs and three RBI. He followed that offensive performance with a three-hit game versus Memphis. Last weekend, Cloyd smacked a pair of hits in all three games against Alabama to help Ole Miss claim the conference series. Cloyd continued his hot hitting in the Governor's Cup, going 3-for-6 with a career-high four RBI in the Rebels' win over Mississippi State.
OFFENSIVE EXPLOSION
Ole Miss has collected a combined 83 hits in its five games last week, recording at least 10 in five of those contests. During the stretch, the Rebels have hit .374 as a team to increase their season average by 19 points. Ole Miss also averaged 8.7 runs per game and blasted six home runs. To kick off the five-game home stand, the Rebels scored 14 runs in the first two innings in a convincing 18-4 victory over Central Arkansas. The 18 runs were a season high for the Rebels. In its latest game, Ole Miss used 15 hits to plate 11 runs in a 10-run victory against rival Mississippi State in the Governor's Cup. Each Rebel in the everyday starting lineup has had at least one multi-hit game over the period; junior leadoff hitter Connor Cloyd led the way with multiple hits in all six games, including three hits and a career-high four RBI versus the Bulldogs.
SHOWERS OF POWER
In the winning series over Alabama, Ole Miss hit five home runs to spark plenty of famous Swayze showers out in right field. The Rebels' three-leading home run hitters all cleared the fence over the weekend. Colby Bortles hit a three-run shot as part of a five-RBI game in the series opener, a 10-2 win over the Crimson Tide. In the nightcap, Sikes Orvis and Austin Knight each homered in the eighth inning to provide the Rebels some breathing room on their way to a 4-0 victory and sweep of the doubleheader. In the weekend finale, Knight homered for the second time in as many at-bats, while J.B. Woodman blasted his sixth home run of the season. On the season, there have been 24 home runs hit between the four Rebels that left the yard over the past weekend. Orvis leads the way with nine, while Bortles has seven and Woodman has six. Knight's two home runs were the first two of his Ole Miss career.
APRIL SLUGGERS
Colby Bortles, Connor Cloyd and Austin Knight had success at the plate throughout the month of April. Cloyd has hit at an impressive .460 clip, recording all 11 multi-hit games in his Ole Miss career during this month. With his production at the dish, the Maple Valley, Wash. native has secured his spot in the everyday lineup. Cloyd is hitting .429 this season and has recorded multi-hit games in seven straight contests; last week, he was 13-for-23 (.565) at the plate with six runs and six RBI. Meanwhile, Bortles has added the power in the Ole Miss order during April, hitting .348 with seven doubles, four home runs and 26 RBI. Two of Bortles' home runs have been grand slams in wins over No. 1 Vanderbilt and UT Martin. The Ole Miss third baseman has recorded hits in 14-of-17 games this month, helping increase his season batting average to .301. The 26 RBI during the month has also propelled Bortles to the team lead with 41 through 46 games. Knight has also hit over .300 during April, increasing his average this month to .360 after batting .500 last week. Knight went 8-for-16 over five games, recording the first two home runs of his career.
1-2 PUNCH
Junior Christian Trent and redshirt-sophomore Brady Bramlett provided the 1-2 punch that the Rebels needed in the weekend rotation, leading Ole Miss to a doubleheader sweep over Alabama. Trent worked a season-long 8.0 innings, giving up two runs -- one earned -- and scattering six hits with a walk and five strikeouts. The win gave Trent his team-leading sixth of the season. Bramlett followed his teammate's impressive start with a gem of his own. He went a career-long 7.1 innings, shutting out Alabama and limiting the Crimson Tide to just four hits. Bramlett also struck out nine batters with no walks, and he was one strikeout shy of recording his third double-digit strikeout game of the season. He faced the minimum in the second, third, fifth, sixth and seventh innings and stranded a runner at second in the fourth on his way to securing the series for the Rebels.
SOPHOMORE MAINSTAYS
Only two Rebels have started all 46 games this season, and they both happen to be sophomores. Errol Robinson has started every game as the Rebels' shortstop, while J.B. Woodman has been penciled in the Ole Miss outfield, splitting time between center field and right field. Robinson and Woodman have made phenomenal plays with their gloves, but the duo also produces at the plate. Woodman has 47 hits to lead the Rebels, and Robinson is third with 45; Woodman has scored a team-high 34 times, while Robinson's 24 runs are fourth on the Ole Miss ball club. In the 7-2 win over Auburn, Woodman and Robinson led Ole Miss at the plate as each Rebel recorded three hits in the contest. Woodman nearly left the yard in the first with a triple off the green monster in left field, later scoring for the game's first run. One inning later, Robinson belted a ground-rule double to set up a two-RBI opportunity that gave Ole Miss an early three-run advantage.
WEATHERING THE STORM
One of two captains, senior Scott Weathersby has been a leader to a youthful Ole Miss baseball team. On the mound this season, Weathersby has posted a 1.79 ERA in 14 appearances. Through 40.1 innings of work, he has struck out 43 batters, while only walking eight. Perhaps the most impressive statistic of all by the Hattiesburg, Miss. native is that he is holding opposing hitters to just a .169 average at the plate. Weathersby's veteran presence on the mound showed against No. 1 Vanderbilt, April 10, as he retired 18 of the 21 batters he faced in a six-inning relief appearance. The senior right-hander struck out a career-high 10 hitters and got out of a bases-loaded jam, all while keeping the nation's top-ranked team off the scoreboard. Behind Weathersby, the Rebels stayed alive in the extra-inning contest before winning in the 16th. Weathersby shut the door to collect the win on the road. The performance earned the senior SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week honors, and he built off the accolade in his next appearance, earning the win at Auburn, before tossing 1.2 scoreless innings to collect a save versus Alabama. Weathersby continued his dominance as he got the start against rival Mississippi State in the Governor's Cup. The senior tossed a career-high seven innings without allowing a run, earning MVP honors and leading Ole Miss to an 11-1 victory.
GOOD KNIGHT
Senior Austin Knight has waited his turn to be the Ole Miss starting catcher, spending time backing up All-Americans Stuart Turner and Will Allen. In his final season as a Rebel, Knight has been on a tear in the second half of the 2015 campaign. The Hattiesburg, Miss. native hit .360 during the month of April and has recorded a pair of three-hit games over the past week. Also, in his first 183 at-bats, Knight did not hit a home run. However, that all changed on his 184th at-bat as he sent a ball over the left field fence and into the Ole Miss bullpen, giving the Rebels an eighth-inning insurance run in a 4-0 victory versus Alabama. The next day, Knight proved that his homer was not a fluke, leaving the yard on an opposite field home run in his first plate appearance of the game.
LET'S PLAY TWO
Although having just one doubleheader scheduled prior to the start of the 2015 campaign, Ole Miss has played in seven other twinbills this year. Following a sweep over Alabama on Saturday, the eighth doubleheader of the season, the Rebels are 9-7 on doubleheader days. Playing so many doubleheaders is not familiar territory for the Rebels; the last time Ole Miss played eight doubleheaders in one full season occurred in 1993 when the Rebels played eight twinbills throughout the year due to them being regularly scheduled by the SEC. Once the conference stopped scheduling doubleheaders, the most Ole Miss had played up until this year was four in each of the following seasons: 2008, 2006, and 1996.
SHORT'S STUFF
Sophomore southpaw Wyatt Short has been a shutdown reliever out of the Ole Miss bullpen this season. In 16 appearances, Short has a 3-1 record, six saves, an impressive 1.82 ERA, 32 strikeouts, only 11 walks and just six earned runs over 29.2 innings. His win total and number of saves are team highs out of Rebel relievers as he had held opposing hitters to a .236 average at the plate. Against Tennessee, the Southaven, Miss. native entered the game with the bases loaded and the tying run at the plate, but he pitched out of the jam, allowing just one of the inherited runners to score. He also pitched the final 2.2 innings to earn the save in game one of a doubleheader at Auburn. At one point this season, March 1 through April 18, Short surrendered just one run over 21.2 innings spanning 12 appearances.
THE GAUNTLET
The Rebels have gone through the gauntlet in 2015 with a difficult non-conference schedule as well as facing three teams ranked No. 1 in the country. According to NCAA statistics, Ole Miss has had the nation's toughest schedule to this point as the Rebels' opponents are a combined 483-322-1 (.600) this season. Through 46 games, 14 of those contests came against top-15 teams, including nine against No. 1 teams. The Rebels are 7-7 in games against ranked teams and recently took two-of-three from No. 1 Vanderbilt. Ole Miss went through a stretch of playing 8-of-11 games against teams ranked in the top 10, posting an even 4-4 record in those matchups that included a series victory over then-No.1 Florida. The brutal schedule has forced a young Ole Miss team grow up fast, and the Rebels could benefit from the pressure down the final stretch of the 2015 campaign. Â
ON THE HORIZON
Due to finals week at Ole Miss, the Rebels will not play a midweek contest for the first time since week two of the season when games versus Arkansas State and Central Arkansas were postponed. Ole Miss will return to the friendly confines of Swayze Field for a three-game series against Mississippi State, May 7-9. The first game of the rivalry is set for Thursday night, May 7, at 7:30 p.m. CT. The series continues Friday night with a first pitch set for 6:00 p.m., while the finale will begin at 4:00 p.m. CT on Saturday. All three games of the in-state battle will be nationally televised on SEC Network. As with all Ole Miss baseball games, fans can catch all of the action on the Ole Miss Radio Network.
