The University of Mississippi Athletics
Gameday Preview: Rebels Host ULM on SEC Network
3/16/2016 | Softball
Game 28
Ole Miss (22-5, 1-2 SEC) vs. ULM (14-10, 2-1 Sun Belt)
Date: March 16, 2016
First Pitch: 6:30 p.m.
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Venue: Ole Miss Softball Complex
Capacity: 1,000
Dimensions: L-200, C-220, R-200
TV: SEC Network
Melissa Lee, play-by-play
Cheri Kempf, analyst
Series: ULM leads, 5-3
Last Meeting: March 18, 2015
ULM won, 9-1
Oxford, Miss.
Live stats: OleMissSports.comTwitter Updates: @OleMissSoftball
PROMOTIONS
- $1 Hot Dogs
- St. Patrick's Day Koozie Giveaway
LEADING OFF
- Ole Miss closes its 16-game homestand Wednesday with a midweek tilt vs. ULM, the ninth meeting all-time.
- The Rebels' last win at home vs. the Warhawks came on April 17, 2013 (8-0, five innings).
- Head coach Mike Smith earned his 800th career win as a head coach in Tuesday's win over Central Arkansas.
- The Rebels cruised to a 7-0 win Tuesday vs. the Bears, their 10th shutout of the season, thanks to a four-hit effort from senior pitcher Madi Osias, and a seven-hit performance from the offense.
- Wednesday's game vs. ULM on SEC Network is the first of seven nationally-televised contests this season.
- The Rebels have won a school record 13-straight non-conference contests dating back to Feb. 24.
- Ole Miss is just four stolen bases (87) from breaking the single-season school record (90) set a year ago.
- The 87 stolen bases lead the NCAA, ahead of second-place and Wednesday opponent ULM, who has swiped 74 bases in 85 attempts this season.
- Junior Miranda Strother has led the squad in stolen bases thus far with 20 on the year, already tied for fourth-most in a single season, just 13 off tying the school record.
- Sophomore pitcher Elisha Jahnke has been nearly untouchable as of late, allowing just four earned runs over her last four appearances (15.1 innings).
- The Rebel pitching staff ranks 18th in the NCAA in ERA (2.01), third in the SEC in opposing batting average (.188), and fifth in runs allowed (58).
- The Rebel defense has committed just 19 errors on the year, fourth-best in the SEC (.975) and 11th nationally.
- Osias won her 11th-straight game in the circle Tuesday, further extending her school record for consecutive wins, and has matched her single-season career high in wins with 12, only five off tying the school record set in 1997. The 12 wins also ranks top-five in the country.
- Freshman Hailey Lunderman put together her 16th multi-hit game of the season Tuesday night, and continues to lead the offense with a .478 average. She struck out for the first time all season this past weekend, going 82 at-bats without a K.
- Through 27 games, the Rebels have only had the same lineup twice (vs. UNI, Feb. 26, vs. UTSA, Feb. 27).
SCOUTING REPORT
ULM heads into the midweek matchup 14-10 overall on the season, winners of just two of its last six contests. The Warhawks entered 2016 picked to finish sixth in the Sun Belt Conference, and boast Preseason All-Conference outfielder Rochelle Roberts on their squad.
The Warhawks are just one week removed from beginning conference play in Boone, N.C. last weekend against Appalachian State, taking 2-of-3 from the Mountaineers. In the four weeks prior, ULM took part in four weekend tournaments, one at home, and the other three in Tennessee (Lipscomb), Arkansas (UCA) and Alabama. The 2016 slate for the Warhawks began with a six-game homestand, four of which ULM won. After going 4-1 in the Tiger Classic in Nashville, the Warhawks took 3-of-4 games in Coway, Ark., and have since dropped six of their last nine.
Roberts has paved the way for the ULM offense thus far, with a .545 average and 12 RBI. She's also stolen 23 bases and been caught just once. Faith Bohack and Amye Barre each have 22 RBI to their credit to help lead a club that hits .321 overall. The Warhawks enter the matchup second in the NCAA behind Ole Miss in stolen bases with 74 overall.
Melanie Coyne is the go-to pitcher for ULM through 24 games thus far, with a 9-7 record and 3.63 ERA in 90.2 innings pitched. She maintains a 2-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio, and has held opposing hitters to a .249 average. Katlyn Kaminski has worked 29 innings in the circle for the Warhawks, and is 1-1 on the year with a 4.06 ERA in four starts. Casey Waterman and Paige Porter have worked a combined five starts in 2016, and are both 2-1 in the circle.
LOOKING AHEAD
Ole Miss hits the road Thursday to begin a weekend series at No. 13 Kentucky, set for Friday-Sunday in Lexington.
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.
