The University of Mississippi Athletics
No. 23 Rebel Softball Hosts Louisiana Tech in Home Opener
2/28/2017 | Softball
Game 15
Date: March 1, 2017
First Pitch: 6 p.m.
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Venue: Ole Miss Softball Complex (1,000)
TV: SEC Network +
Will Kollmeyer (play-by-play)
Madi Osias (analyst)
Online: WatchESPN.com
Mobile: ESPN App
Live stats: Series: Ole Miss leads 7-4
Last Meeting: May 4, 2016
Ole Miss won 3-1
Ruston, La.
Twitter Updates: @OleMissSoftball
PROMOTIONS
- $1 Hot Dogs
LEADING OFF
- No. 23 Ole Miss officially opens its 2017 home slate Wednesday with Louisiana Tech, the first of 14 straight at home.
- The Rebels are 15-5 all-time in home openers, and have won three straight dating back to 2014.
- Ole Miss leads the all-time series with LA Tech, 7-4, and hasn't lost to the Lady Techsters since the 2011 season.
- With a 14-game homestand beginning Wednesday, Ole Miss will play half of its entire home schedule within the next 21 days.
- Following Wednesday's midweek tilt, the Rebels will host two-straight home tournaments, two midweek games, and open SEC play.
- The team spent 14 of the last 19 days on the road across three different states, but came away successful with a 12-2 record.
- Most recently, the Rebels went 5-0 last weekend at the Hatter Invitational in DeLand, Florida, picking up a pair of wins over then No. 23 USF, two over Colgate, and a shutout over the host Hatters.
- For the first time in school history, Ole Miss is ranked in both the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll, and ESPN.com/USA Softball poll.
- After receiving votes in both all season long, the Rebels broke through at No. 23 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball poll, and No. 25 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll.
- Through 14 contests, Ole Miss has run ruled eight opponents, already topping last year's seasont total of six.
- Offensively, the Rebels have put up staggering numbers thus far, ranking third nationally in scoring (9.0 runs/game), ninth in average (.368), fifth in on-base percentage (.468) and 14th in slugging (.557).
- Big innings (5+ runs) have been the key thus far, as the Rebels have totaled 10 already through 14 games.
- Two Rebels have already racked up SEC weekly honors, as freshman 3B Dylinn Stancil was named SEC Freshman of the Week Feb. 20 after her performance at the Houston Classic, while OF Elantra Cox earned SEC Player of the Week honors Feb. 27.
- The Rebels' 12-2 start through 14 games is the best in program history, and the nine-game win streak is just three shy of tying the school record set in 2016.
- Ole Miss hasn't trailed in a game since Feb. 17 in the 11-8 loss to No. 4 OU, spanning 50 innings over the last nine games.
- The Rebels are nearing a milestone as a program, just seven wins shy of win No. 500 in school history.
- In the record books, senior OF Miranda Strother continues to inch her way up in 11 different offensive categories. She is just four RBI shy of cracking the career top five (94), and is five runs short of third in all-time runs (119).
- Junior OF Elantra Cox is the all-time leader in average (.378), and is 15 stolen bases shy of tying the school record (60).
- Through three weeks of action, three of the Rebels' top five hitters are freshmen in 3B Dylinn Stancil (.441), 1B/DP Alyssa Gonzalez (.406) and 2B Kaylee Horton (.367). Stancil is third with 14 RBI, while Gonzalez ranks second with 15.
- In the circle, freshman Morgan Bruce has been dominant with a 3-0 record and 0.98 ERA, while junior Kaitlin Lee is 4-2 with a 1.73 ERA. Junior Alyssa Clayton has a perfect 3-0 record in three starts, while sophomore Brittany Finney is also 2-0.
SCOUTING REPORT
Louisiana Tech heads into Wednesday's midweek tilt at 11-5 overall, winners of five of its last six contests. The Lady Techsters have competed in two home tournaments thus far, and also traveled west to Texas for a weekend. In opening weekend at the LA Tech Invitational, the team went 5-0, picking up wins over North Dakota (10-2), Incarnate Word (1-0), UAPB (10-0), Missouri State (5-4) and Samford (9-3). Their first loss came at the hands of No. 7 LSU in a midweek affair, before they went on to drop 3-of-5 at the Texas Longhorn Tournament in Austin. After opening with a win over Indiana (8-0), the Lady Techsters fell to Texas twice (6-5, 9-2), and split two games with South Carolina, winning 5-1, while dropping one 4-3. Since, LA Tech has topped Southeastern Louisiana (5-1), Sam Houston State (7-1), Northern Iowa (8-0) and Grambling State (6-0), while dropping the most recent outing, 13-7, to McNeese State.
Led by fifth-year head coach Mark Montgomery, LA Tech finished 32-22 in 2016. In 2017, Morgan Turkoly leads the team in average (.421), while Taria Page has driven in 13 runs, a team high. Offensively, the Lady Techsters have tallied 34 extra-base hits already, led by eight from Jazlyn Crowder and six from Marilyn Rizzato. The team has been successful thus far on the base paths, going 29-of-33 in stolen bases, led by eight from Tori Charters. The offensive unit has drawn 70 walks compared to 57 strikeouts thus far, with an OBP of .403. Defensively, seven different players have committed an error, as the team has 15 in total for a .967 fielding percentage.
In the circle, four different pitchers have contributed to the team's 2.90 ERA. Through 16 contests, the Lady Techsters have given up 43 earned runs, while striking out 63 with just 29 walks allowed. Preslee Gallaway has carried the load thus far, earning nine starts in 10 appearances, with a 6-2 record and 2.43 ERA. She's pitched two solo shutouts thus far and tallied three complete games, while giving up 17 earned runs in 49 innings of work. Behind her, Krystal De La Cruz is second on the team with a 3-0 record and 3.25 ERA in 23.2 innings. Opponents have hit just .212 off her, as she's allowed only 18 hits and 11 earned runs. Bailey Allen (2-1, 3.50) and Jenny Chapman (0-2, 3.23) are the other two pitchers who have contributed thus far, combining for 31 innings of work on the year.
LAST TIME VS. LOUISIANA TECH
May 4, 2016 รขโฌยข Ruston, Louisiana รขโฌยข Ole Miss 3, LA Tech 1: Now junior RHP Elisha Jahnke was dominant in the circle for the Rebels last year in Ruston, as she allowed just five baserunners all game. Now sophomore Ashton Lampton was the difference at the plate finishing with all three RBI off a double and a triple. Jahnke allowed just two hits, and won her 10th game in that outing striking out four Lady Techsters.
NO MERCY
Through 14 games thus far, Ole Miss has made quick work of a number of its opponents, totaling eight run-rule victories thus far, already topping last season's total of six. The Rebels have run their run-rule streak as high as six games, a program best, and are averaging nearly two mercy rule decisions per weekend. In those eight games, Ole Miss has outscored its opponents, 97-11, as seven have gone just five innings, and one took six innings.
RUNS, RUNS, AND MORE RUNS
There has been no shortage of runs through three weeks of play, as the Rebel offense ranks third in the country in scoring, averaging 9.00 runs per game. Ole Miss scored eight runs in nine-straight games from Feb. 12-25, the longest streak in school history. Overall, the Rebels have scored at least eight runs in all but three contests, and totaled double-digit run totals in six games.
STRONG PITCHING LEADS REBELS TO UNDEFEATED WEEKEND IN FLORIDA
Ole Miss' pitchers were a large factor in the Rebels' success in Florida, as all five played a role in the team's 1.17 ERA on the weekend. The pitching unit gave up just five earned runs across the five games, and held opponents to a .193 batting average. Freshman Morgan Bruce and junior Alyssa Clayton both got one start, and both pitched complete-game shutouts. Bruce pitched a 3-hit shutout vs. Stetson, and Clayton shut down No. 23 USF allowing only four hits. Junior Kaitlin Lee started twice and allowed only four hits and a run in 10 innings, holding opposing batters to a .125 average. Sophomore Brittany Finney earned the win vs. Colgate going five innings with two runs allowed, while junior Elisha Jahnke worked two innings in relief and allowed two runs.
Elantra Cox EARNS SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK HONORS
Following a productive weekend at the plate, junior outfielder Elantra Cox was named the SEC Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 20-26. In five games, she went 10-for-15 with nine runs scored, one double, one RBI and three walks, while going 7-for-7 on the base paths. The junior recorded at least one hit in all five games, and tied her career high against Colgate in the 8-2 win on Saturday, going 4-for-4 with two runs and two steals. Her lone RBI came in the opener against the Raiders when she had an RBI double in the 14-2 victory. In the first of two matchups with No. 23 USF on Friday, she finished 2-for-2 with three runs, two walks and a steal. She also scored once, stole once, and recorded a hit in the 3-0 win against Stetson on Saturday, before posting two hits, two runs and two steals again in the 12-1 win over the Bulls to close out play in Florida.
NATIONALLY-RANKED REBELS
For the first time in school history, Ole Miss has broken into the top 25 of both national polls, checking in at No. 23 in the ESPN.com/USA Softball, and at No. 25 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll. The Rebels received votes off and on during the 2016 season, and finished ranked No. 24 in the final ESPN.com/USA Softball poll. After receiving votes in both polls all of this season, Ole Miss officially made its way into the regular season rankings for the first time.
ON DECK
Ole Miss continues its 14-game homestand by hosting the Red & Blue Classic, March 3-5, with Nicholls State, UT Martin, Mississippi Valley State, and Austin Peay in town.
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.
