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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Rebels Open Home Slate with Ole Miss Classic
2/25/2016 | Softball
Ole Miss Game Notes - Ole Miss Classic | Ole Miss Classic Tournament Central
Games 13-17
Dates: Feb. 26-28, 2016
First Pitch: Fri: 4 p.m., 6:30 p.m., Sat: 1:30 p.m., TBD, Sun: TBD
Opponents: Northern Iowa, Stephen F. Austin, UTSA
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Venue: Ole Miss Softball Complex
Capacity: 1,000
TV: SEC Network+
Will Kollmeyer, play-by-play
Eli Savoie, play-by-play (Sunday)
Brittany McKinney, analyst
Live stats: OleMissSports.comTwitter Updates: @OleMissSoftball
PROMOTIONS
- Miranda Strother Poster Giveaway (Friday)
- Natalie Martinez Poster Giveaway (Saturday)
- Madi Osias Poster Giveaway (Sunday)
LEADING OFF
- After 12-straight games on the road to start 2016, Ole Miss returns home for a 16-game home stand beginning this weekend with the Ole Miss Classic.
- The Rebels open tournament play Friday against Northern Iowa at 4 p.m., and close the day against Stephen. F. Austin at 6:30 p.m. Ole Miss will play UTSA on Saturday, with the final two opponents/times TBD pending results.
- In the next three weeks, Ole Miss will play more than half of its home slate with two home tournaments (Ole Miss Classic, Red & Blue Classic) and the start of SEC play against Missouri (March 11-13).
- The Rebels rank fourth in the SEC in hits (102), third in ABs (315), and third in stolen bases (25). The Rebel pitching staff is fourth in opposing batting average (.175), while the defense's .973 fielding percentage is fourth overall.
- Two true freshman currently lead all Ole Miss hitters in shortstop Hailey Lunderman and utility player Ashton Lampton. Lunderman's .462 average and team-leading 18 hits paces the club, while Lampton's 11 RBI and .800 slugging is first among all Rebels.
- Ole Miss is 14-5 in home openers, outscoring its opponents 107-50 in those contests.
- Through just 12 games, every player on the 24-person roster -- including all 11 newcomers -- has played in at least one game. Six true freshmen have made their collegiate debuts, four of which are everyday starters.
SCOUTING REPORT
Northern Iowa enters the weekend 8-3 coming off tournament play in Tempe, Arizona last weekend. The Panthers went 4-1 on the weekend, picking up wins over Montana (7-1), Michigan State (13-9, 10-4) and Memphis (5-2). As a team the Panthers are hitting .313 on the year, led by Chelsea Ross' .357 clip with two long balls and a team high 13 RBI. Samantha Olson is hitting .462 on the year with just 13 at-bats. Ross is also the team's leading pitcher at 2-0 on the year with a 2.75 ERA in six starts. She's allowed 11 earned runs and struck out 25 hitters in 25 innings. As a team UNI has a 3.13 ERA, with Alyssa Buchanan 4-1 on the year in four starts and a 1.96 ERA.
Stephen F. Austin takes a 3-7 record into the Ole Miss Classic, coming off play at the Citrus Classic last weekend in Orlando. The Lumberjacks' only three wins on the year have come against Prairie View A&M,
Grambling State and ULM. As a team SFA hits just .208, led by Lindsay Campbell's .310 clip. Brittany Lewis leads the club in RBI with eight. Three different Lumberjacks' pitchers have split the starts thus far, with Hannah Welch owning the best ERA at 3.29 with a 0-1 record in 13.2 IP. Callee Guffey is 1-1 on the year with a 3.86 ERA in three starts, while Makayla Sikes is 0-3 with a 6.75 ERA.
The UTSA Roadrunners sit at .500 on the year heading into the weekend, coming off its home tournament in San Antonio last weekend. The Roadrunners' wins thus far have been over San Diego State, Canisius, North Dakota and Virginia. As a team UTSA is hitting .249 led by Alyssa Cummings' .273 clip. Bailee Baldwin leads the club in RBI with seven, while as a team the Roadrunners have hit nine home runs on the young season. Chelsea Parker has started half the games in the circle for UTSA with a 2.57 ERA and 3-2 record.
SERIES HISTORY
Ole Miss enters the weekend having never faced Northern Iowa. The Rebels lead the all-time series with Stephen F. Austin, 7-2, and also lead UTSA in the short series history, 2-0.
The Rebels and Lumberjacks last met in the 2012 campaign at the Seminole Classic in Tallahassee, Fla., where Ole Miss claimed two run-rule victories, 9-0 and 11-3 in five innings.
That same season the Rebels and UTSA Roadrunners met at the Best Western Marina Grand Islanders Classic in Corpus Christi, Texas, and also ended in a run-rule result with the Rebels in favor of a 12-2 win.
REBELS TO PLAY 16-STRAIGHT AT HOME AFTER 12-GAME ROAD STAND
After 12-straight on the road to begin the 2016 campaign, the Rebels finally return home this weekend for the Ole Miss Classic. Past weekend play, Ole Miss will also host the Red & Blue Classic next weekend for five games, and open SEC play the following weekend with Missouri at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.
The Rebels will also host Youngstown State, Central Arkansas and ULM in the home stand to complete more than half of the 29-game home slate within a three-week period.
For all Ole Miss Softball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball, on Facebook at Ole Miss Softball and on Instagram at Instagram.com/olemisssoftball. Fans can also follow head coach Mike Smith on Twitter at @msmithsb16. Additionally fans can get a behind the scenes look at Ole Miss Athletics on Snapchat under the handle, @WeAreOleMiss.
