Rebs Softball to Make Home Debut Against SIUE

Feb. 24, 2018

Games 11-12
Date: Feb. 25, 2018
First Pitch: Sun.: 4 p.m./Mon.: 3 p.m.
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Venue: Ole MIss Softball Complex
Last Meeting: Feb. 28, 2010
                        Ole MIss 4, SIUE 2 (8 Inn.)
                        Oxford, Miss.
Series: Tied 1-1
TV: SEC Network +
            Seth Austin (play-by-play)
            Lindsey Goubeaux (analyst)
Live stats: OleMissSports.com
Twitter Updates: @OleMissSoftball

LEADING OFF
 Ole Miss makes its home debut a few days later than planned, hosting a pair games Monday and Sunday against SIUE at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.

 The comforts of home have been kind to the Rebels in recent years, with Ole Miss recording a 42-14 record at the Ole Miss Softball Complex over the last two seasons.

 The Rebels were originally scheduled to debut at home on Friday for the opening day of the Red & Blue Classic. However, due to inclement weather in the Oxford area, the event was cancelled.

 11 Rebs will be playing their first regular season games in front of a home crowd on Friday. That group consists of Ole Miss' eight freshmen as well as transfers Autumn Gillespie and Celeste Wood, as well as former Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College Standout Izzy Werdann.

 Ole Miss is 1-1 all-time against SIUE as the two sides split the only matchups between them in 2010 as part of the Red & Blue Classic.

 The Rebels remain in the top-20 in both national polls, being slotted No. 16 in the USA Today/NFCA Coaches Poll and No. 18 in the USA Softball Poll.

 In its most recent action, Ole Miss made a quick trip to Troy, Alabama to take part in the Trojan Classic, earning victories over Murray State and Tennessee Tech.

 Elantra Cox became Ole Miss' all-time career hits leader in the win over the Racers, utilizing her speed to reach on a bunt single for hit No. 224. Cox finished the day 5-for-8, putting her base-knock total at 228.

 Last weekend, the Rebs registered a 3-1 weekend south of the border at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge. Ole Miss picked up big wins over Texas, Rutgers and No. 3 Oregon.

 Kaitlin Lee was named the MVP for the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge and carried the momentum to her first-career SEC Pitcher of the Week nod.

 Lee was joined on the all-tournament team of the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge by outfielder Kylan Becker designated player Abbey Latham.

 SIUE has played just four games so far after having games earlier in the season cancelled. The Cougars are undefeated on the young season at 4-0 after earning victories Saturday over UAB and host Troy at the Trojan Classic.

SCOUTING REPORT
 SIUE is led by one of its own in Sandy Montgomery, a former Cougar player who is the longest tenured coach across all sports in Edwardsville. Last season, Montgomery became the first person ever to play for a school and win 1,000 games as a head coach. A legend in the Ohio Valley Conference, Montgomery touts a 1,030-519-2 record, making her one of just 11 active Division I coaches to have won over 1,000 games at one institution. Montgomery has guided the Cougars to 21 seasons with at least 30 wins, including a streak of 14 from 1996-2009.

 A perennial power in the OVC, SIUE is coming off of a season in 2017 that saw the Cougars go 41-13, having their NCAA Tournament hopes dashed in the conference tournament championship game after surrendering a one-run lead in the game's final inning to Jacksonville State. Having had numerous games cancelled earlier in the season, SIUE has played just four games in 2018. Nonetheless the Cougars are perfect in those affairs, earning wins over Valparaiso and Alabama State to kick off the year and upending UAB and Troy Saturday at the Trojan Classic. In its nine games, SIUE is outscoring its opponents 29-9.

 The Cougars are led offensively by senior infielder Haley Adrian, who boasts a .556 average in her nine at bats with a double and two RBIs. Adrian has also been issued a pair of walks and has been hit by a pitch twice for a robust .692 on-base percentage. Junior outfielder Alyssa Heren has registered a hit in half of her at bats, driving in four runs on a double and a homer, while also going 3-for-4 on steal attempts. Redshirt-sophomore infielder Zoe Schafer has a team-high six RBIs, also leading the Cougars with two doubles to go along with her .385 batting average. Freshman utility player Alana Cobb-Adams has proven to be a threat on the base paths, having successfully stolen in each of her four attempts.

 Sophomore Emily Ingles has made three appearances, including two starts, in the circle for the Cougars. The Arizona native has posted a 1.31 ERA in her 16 innings, allowing three earned runs on 13 hits and tallying a 2-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio. Freshman Corrina Rivas leads the team with a 0.95 ERA in her two appearances. The youngster has seven strikeouts to just three walks in her 7.1 frames, allowing a single earned run on five hits. Senior righty Ashley Koziol has also seen action for SIUE, having allowed five runs (four earned) on six hits in her 3.2 innings of work. Despite a .375 opponent batting average and a 7.64 ERA, Koziol is 1-0 on the young season. In all, the Cougar staff has registered a more-than-respectable 2.07 team ERA, surrendering nine runs (eight earned) in 27 innings.

NEW HITS QUEEN
With a bunt single to the pitcher in the fourth inning of Ole Miss' 4-2 come-from-behind victory over Murray State, Elantra Cox became the Rebels' all-time leader in career hits with 224 base knocks. The infield single ended up providing a spark that Ole Miss was in need of, with the Rebels down 2-0 with the first nine batters of the game being retired in order. Ole Miss eventually tied the game 2-2 in the fourth and went on to complete the comeback with two more runs in the sixth. Cox finished the day in Troy, Alabama with five hits in her eight at-bats, now sitting at 228 career hits. The speedy outfielder is one of the most dangerous offensive threats not only in the SEC but across the country, having led the NCAA in hits with 93 a year ago.

RED & BLUE CLASSIC CANCELLED
Ole Miss was originally scheduled to make its home debut two days prior to Sunday's home-opener against SIUE as part of the Red & Blue Classic at the Ole Miss Softball Complex. However, due to inclement weather sweeping through the Oxford area, the event featuring the Rebels, North Dakota State, SIUE, Stephen F. Austin and UMKC, was cancelled.

REBS ADAPT QUICKLY TO CHANGING SCHEDULE
Following the cancellation of this weekend's Red & Blue Classic, Ole Miss adapted quickly, heading to Troy, Alabama on less than 12-hours notice for a pair of morning games against Murray State and Tennessee Tech as part of the Trojan Classic Friday. The Rebels adjusted well, scoring 16 runs in the two contests for a pair of victories over the Racers and Golden Eagles. Ole Miss didn't remain in the Yellowhammer State for long, turning around immediately following the battle with Tennessee Tech and heading back home to Oxford.

HOME, SWEET HOME
Ole Miss makes its home debut with back-to-back games Sunday and Monday against the Cougars of SIUE. Sunday's matchup will be the first time the Rebels have played in front of their home crowd since upending North Carolina to claim the Oxford Regional of the NCAA Tournament and advance to the first Super Regional in program history last season. In all, the Rebels will play in front of their home crowd 23 times during the regular season. The home atmosphere has been a great benefit to Ole Miss in recent years and created a tough environment for opposing teams to come in and attempt to win. Over the past two seasons, the Rebels are 42-14 in front of Rebel Nation.

ON DECK
Following the two-game battle with SIUE, Ole Miss will serve as host of the Ole Miss Classic at the Ole Miss Softball Complex. Four programs will come to town for the event in Chattanooga, Saint Louis, Southern Miss and UT Martin. The Rebels are scheduled to play four games during the classic, taking on UT Martin on Friday, Saint Louis and Chattanooga on Saturday and Southern Miss on Sunday.

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 softball and all of Ole Miss athletics on Snapchat under the handle, @WeAreOleMiss.

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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