Home Softball Opener on Tap Against MVSU

			OLE MISS (1-8) vs. MISSISSIPPI VALLEY STATE (1-3) Oxford, Miss. Ole Miss Softball Complex (1,000)
Ole Miss Notes (PDF) • SEC Notes (PDF)

Wednesday, Feb. 19
6 p.m.

Live Stats

LEADING OFF
• Ole Miss graces its home field for the first time in 2020 after spending the first two weeks of the season on the road at neutral site venues.
• Wednesday's game will not feature a live broadcast. However, live stats will be be available through OleMissSports.com.
• The Rebels enjoyed a good deal of success at the Ole Miss Softball Complex in 2019, registering a 25-5 home record, including a 13-0 mark in non-conference clashes.
• Ole Miss and Mississippi Valley State will be facing off for the first time since 2017. The Rebels have won each of the last four matchups with the Delta Devilettes and are 8-1 all-time against MVSU in Oxford.
• The Rebs are coming off of a 1-3 weekend at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, earning their first win of the season against Colorado State.
• Pitchers Molly Jacobsen and Anna Borgen were named to the All-Tournament Team for the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge. Jacobsen shutout Colorado State across eight innings, threw 4.2 innings with one unearned run allowed against California Baptist and held then-No. 6 Texas to two earned runs over seven frames. Borgen recorded the one out she asked to against Utah and then held the powerful Mexican Olympic Team roster to one run in Ole Miss' exhibition win over the No. 4 team in the world.
• Abbey Latham delivered the game-winning hit against Team Mexico, a two-run home run to dead center in the fourth inning.
• Ole Miss returns 17 players from last season's roster, including Second Team All-SEC pitcher Molly Jacobsen, SEC All-Freshman Team outfielder Tate Whitley and single season RBI record holder Abbey Latham.
• The Rebels also add a group of seven talented newcomers, including a trio of FloSofball Hot 100 recruits in Paige Smith, Nyomi Jones and Mac Barbara.

SCOUTING REPORT
Lee Smith is in his 19th season as the head coach at his alma mater, Mississippi Valley State, leading the Delta Devilettes since 2002. During his time in Itta Bena, Smith has registered an overall record of 407-501, winning eight Southwest Athletic Conference Tournament Championships. Smith has been named the SWAC Coach of the Year eight times, including seven straight from 2003-09.

The Delta Devilettes are 1-3 to start the 2020 season, kicking off the campaign Southern Miss hosted Black and Gold Invitational in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. Mississippi Valley State started the season on a high note, defeated Saint Louis 8-4 in the season opener. However, since then MVSU has struggled, dropping three straight to Southern Miss and Saint Louis by combined scores of 2-30.

The Delta Devilettes lead the SWAC with a .289 batting average, also topping the league in slugging percentage at .392 thanks to seven doubles and one home run in four games. Brianna Alston paces MVSU with a .462 average, registering six hits in 13 at-bats. Alston is also one of two Delta Devilettes to score multiple runs, joining Laeni Terrones with a pair. Kayla Sanchez sits at .400 on the year with two hits in her five at-bats, including a double, Deshonte Smith has clobbered the lone home run for MVSU, also adding a double among her three hits.

Pitching has been a trouble area for MVSU through the early part of the season, ranking second to last in the SWAC with a 7.52 ERA allowing 24 earned runs (34 total) in 22.1 innings of work. Command has also been an issue, allowing 21 walks to 12 strikeouts in four games. Despite not yet making a start, Mercedes Silva leads the team with 9.2 innings, posting a 2.17 ERA and locking down the team's lone win. Ashlyn Matthews has made one start and two appearances, allowing 14 runs (11 earned) in 6.2 innings for an 11.56 ERA and an 0-1 record. Matthews has surrendered seven walks on the year, striking out six.

HOME SWEET HOME
Ole Miss will be playing in its first home game of the season on Wednesday at the Ole Miss Softball Complex, a place that was a haven for the Rebels in 2019. Ole Miss posted a 25-5 record at home a season ago, including a perfect 13-0 mark in conference play. In fact, the Rebels outscored its non-conference opponents 86-16 on home soil. The Rebels have been an extremely tough out in recent years when playing non-SEC foes at the Ole Miss Softball Complex, falling just five times in non-conference home games over the past six seasons.

JACOBSEN'S GEM
Behind a stellar eight-inning shutout effort from senior pitcher Molly Jacobsen, Ole Miss picked up its first victory of the season against Colorado State at the Puerto Vallarta College Challenge, upending the Rams 2-0 south of the border. The lefty twirler was nothing short of electric in the circle, scattering a pair of hits and four walks to hold the Rams at bay, coming up just one short of her career high in strikeouts with 10. The Rebels needed every bit of the effort, too, failing to break through against CSU starter Jessica Jarecki until the eighth inning, taking advantage of the international tie-breaker rule to scratch across a pair of runs.

¡VIVA REBELS!
Despite the contest not officially counting, Ole Miss picked up a big win over some steep competition during its stay in Mexico, beating the Mexican Olympic Team 4-1 in an exhibition at Nancy Almaraz Stadium. The Mexican team, ranked No. 4 in the world, put its best foot forward against the Rebels. Among the players who saw action in the game, Team Mexico boasted nine NFCA All-American and 22 all-conference honors. Particularly impressive are the resumes of the two pitchers Ole Miss faced off against in the circle, Taylor McQuillin and Kelly Barnhill. McQuillin was a three-time All-Pac 12 and 2019 First Team All-American performer for Arizona, while Barnhill racked up three All-America and four All-SEC nods during her time at Florida, including locking down the national player of the year honor in 2017.

BORGEN'S BREAKTHROUGH
Junior left-handed pitcher Anna Borgen has been a bright spot for the Rebels through the early part of the 2020 season. The native Texan has thrown 4.3 scoreless innings so far, including 4.2 frames against Illinois, allowing just three hits with six strikeouts. Borgen also picked up the win in a complete game effort in the exhibition against the Mexican Olympic Team, allowing one run over seven innings.

For all Ole Miss softball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball, on Facebook at Ole MissSoftball and on Instagram at Instagram.com/olemisssoftball.

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Players Mentioned

Mac Barbara

Anna Borgen

Molly Jacobsen

Nyomi Jones

Abbey Latham

Paige Smith

Tate Whitley

The University of Mississippi Athletics