The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, March 6
Oxford, Miss.
6:30 PM
Ole Miss
vs
Princeton
Baseball Welcomes Princeton to Oxford for Three-Game Series
3/5/2020 | Baseball
Rebels Put 11-Game Win Streak on the Line in First Ever Game vs. Ivy League Opponent
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#8 OLE MISS (11-1, 0-0 SEC) vs. PRINCETON (0-4, 0-0 IVY LEAGUE) March 6-8 Oxford, Miss. Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field (11,477) |
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| Ole Miss Notes • SEC Notes | ||||||||
| Friday, Mar. 6 6:30 p.m.  |
Saturday, Mar. 7 1:30 p.m. |
Sunday, Mar. 8 Noon |
| PROJECTED STARTERS Ole Miss: LHP Doug Nikhazy 2-1, 3.18 ERA, 19 K, 6 BB Princeton: RHP Andrew Gnazzo 0-1, 15.00 ERA, 2 K, 5 BB |
PROJECTED STARTERS Ole Miss: RHP Gunnar Hoglund 0-0, 5.06 ERA, 7 K, 1 BB Princeton: RHP James Proctor 0-0, 0.00 ERA, 7 K, 4 BB |
PROJECTED STARTERS Ole Miss: RHP Derek Diamond 0-0, 4.76 ERA, 1 K, 1 BB Princeton: LHP Conor Nolan 0-1, 7.36 ERA, 3 K, 5 BB |
| Watch • Listen • Live Stats | Watch • Listen • Live Stats | Watch • Listen • Live Stats |
Games 13-15
Dates: March 6-8
First Pitch: 6:30 p.m. | 1:30 p.m. | Noon
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Venue: Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field
Dimensions: LF-330, CF-390, RF-330 (11,477)
TV: SEC Network+
Play by Play: Gary Darby (Fri.) | Will Kollmeyer (Sat., Sun.)
Analyst: Matt McLaughlin
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play by Play: David Kellum (Fri., Sun.) | Eli Savoie (Sat.)
Analyst: Brad Henderson
Series History: First Meeting
Leading Off
• Ole Miss enters the weekend at 11-1 after sweeping the Keith LeClair Classic, beating High Point, No. 17 ECU and Indiana.
• The Rebels are on 11-game win streak, their longest since reeling off 12 in 2016.
• The Rebels rose to No. 8 in the USA Today Coaches Poll this week, their highest ranking since being slotted No. 7 by Perfect Game in Week 4 of last season.
• Sophomore closer Braden Forsyth continued the streak of weekly honors for the Rebels, being named SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week after earning three saves a week ago.
• Ole Miss has had an SEC Weekly Awards winner each week so far this season.
• Forsyth is the first Rebel to earn three saves in a week since Parker Caracci saved three straight games during the 2019 SEC Tournament. Caracci also accomplished the feat in 2018, earning a midweek save against Southern Miss and a pair of saves against Arkansas to earn SEC Pitcher of the Week honors as well.
• The Ole Miss offense is off to a hot start, sitting at No. 4 in the nation with 21 home runs through three weeks of action. The Rebels are second in the SEC only to Tennessee (24).
• Ole Miss is second the SEC and is fifth nationally in home runs per game at 1.75. That puts them on pace for 98 during the 2020 regular season, which would match the program record of 98 home runs set in 1998.
• Anthony Servideo leads the Rebel offense in batting average, on-base perentage, slugging, runs scored, total bases, home runs, stolen bases, walks and hits.
• Tyler Keenan is now tied for the team lead in RBI with 14 after a tremendous Week 3 in which the Clayton, North Carolina, native hit .529 with two home runs and five RBI.
• Ole Miss will meet Princeton on the baseball diamond for the first time Friday. The Rebels have never played against an Ivy League team.
Rebs vs. Tigers
Ole Miss and Princeton will meet for the first time on the baseball diamond Friday. This will also be the Rebels' first game against an Ivy League team.LeClair Classic Sweep
Ole Miss earned three hard-fought victories in Greenville, North Carolina, over the weekend, beating High Point (6-2), host No. 17 ECU (2-1) and defending Big Ten Conference champion Indiana (9-5) to sweep the Keith LeClair Classic. Clayton, North Carolina, native Tyler Keenan had a spectacular homecoming, going 7-for-13 with two home runs, three runs scored and five RBI over the weekend. All three Rebel starters went 5.0 innings or more for the third straight weekend, a feat the Ole Miss staff accomplished just twice all of last season. Meanwhile, Braden Forsyth locked down saves in the wins over ECU and Indiana.Eleven Straight
The weekend sweep, followed by Tuesday's win over Memphis, extended the Rebels' win streak to 11 games. Ole Miss hasn't lost since a Feb. 14 defeat to Reid Detmers and No. 1 Louisville in the season opener. This marks the longest win streak for Ole Miss since 2016, when the Rebels won 12 straight. See page two for a full list of the Rebels' longest win streaks.Rising in the Rankings
Off to a 11-1 start, Ole Miss is now a consensus Top 10 team, earning a ranking of 10th or better in the USA Today Coaches (8th), Collegiate Baseball (8th), Baseball America (9th), D1Baseball (9th) and NCBWA (10th) polls. This is the Rebels' highest ranking since earning a No. 7 designation from Perfect Game in Week 4 of last season. Ole Miss is also No. 4 in the RPI.Weekly Winners
Ole Miss has already totaled five individual weekly awards just three weeks into the season. Cael Baker was named the SEC Co-Player of the Week and was voted the Golden Spikes Award Performance of the Week in Week 1. In Week 2, Anthony Servideo was dubbed a National Player of the Week by Collegiate Baseball, while Doug Nikhazy was chosen as the SEC Pitcher of the Week. Braden Forsyth kept it rolling in Week 3, accepting the torch from Nikhazy as the SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week after earning saves in three of the Rebels' four games.Beating the Best
Ole Miss opened the 2020 season with a series win over No. 1 Lousiville, overcoming a 7-2 Friday night defeat with an 8-6 win on Saturday and 7-6 triumph on Sunday. The Rebels improved to 5-0 in series against top-ranked teams at Swayze Field in the Mike Bianco era, also having beaten Florida in 2012 and 2015, South Carolina in 2011 and Georgia in 2009.Incoming!
Most of the nation's No. 1 class from 2016 has made its way through the Ole Miss baseball program and on to the professional ranks, but Bianco's Rebels have reloaded with 2019's No. 2 class according to Baseball America. The class includes four incoming freshmen—Derek Diamond, Hayden Dunhurst, Jerrion Ealy and Trey LaFleur—who were selected in the 2019 MLB Draft. Ealy comes to Oxford as the highest-rated prospect (12th) in the 2019 Perfect Game high school rankings to choose college over the MLB Draft. Ole Miss is the only program in the country to enroll four top-50 prospects for the 2019 class in both the Perfect Game and Baseball America rankings: Ealy, Connor Walsh, Derek Diamond and Hayden Dunhurst. There are a total of 20 newcomers on the Rebel roster, including six junior college transfers. That list includes the NJCAA Player of the Year Cael Baker, NJCAA Second Team All-American Ben Van Cleve and NJCAA All-Region outfielder Hayden Leatherwood.Tough Slate
The tough schedule for Ole Miss won't end after taking on the nation's top team on opening weekend. This season, the Rebels will play 29 games against teams ranked in the preseason top 25, 15 of which will be played at Swayze Field. Nine SEC teams are ranked going into the season, and all eight of the other ranked teams appear on Ole Miss' schedule.Bianco's 20th Season
As Ole Miss begins the 2020 season, Mike Bianco begins his 20th as the Rebel skipper. Bianco is the longest-tenured head coach in the SEC among the big three men's sports: baseball, football and men's basketball. Over 19 seasons in Oxford, Bianco's record stands at 754-440-1, making him the third all-time winningest coach in SEC history and the winningest in the history of Rebel baseball. His 19-year tenure has included 310 wins in SEC play, 16 NCAA Tournament berths, seven SEC titles, six NCAA Regional titles and has produced 17 All-Americans, 62 All-SEC selections and 114 MLB Draft selections.
Inning Eaters
Three Saves in Week 3
Braden Forsyth earned SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week honors on Monday after earning three saves last week. Forsyth is the first Rebel to earn three saves in a week since Parker Caracci saved three straight games during the 2019 SEC Tournament. Caracci also accomplished the feat in 2018, earning a midweek save against Southern Miss and a pair of saves against Arkansas to earn SEC Pitcher of the Week honors as well.Doug Day No Hitter
On Friday against Xavier, Doug Nikhazy set the tone for the series with six no-hit innings. The Rebel ace struck out nine and walked just two to earn SEC Pitcher of the Week honors, his third career SEC weekly honor. Freshmen Drew McDaniel and Jackson Kimbrell relieved Nikhazy and turned in a combined three scoreless innings to become the first players in school history to contribute to a no-hitter in their collegiate debuts.Ole Miss notched its second combined no-hitter in as many season, the first time in program history the Rebels have posted no-nos in back-to-back seasons. The Rebels no-hit Arkansas-Pine Bluff in 2019 in a contest that was called after seven innings. Friday's no-no was the first nine-inning no-hitter for Ole Miss since 1966 and the seventh no-hitter of any kind in program history.
Two Hits on Day 2
After Friday's no-hitter, Gunnar Hoglund, Austin Miller and Cole Baker combined to two-hit Xavier on Saturday. Hoglund struck out a career-high 12 over 6.0 innings, while Miller and Baker finished out the final three with six more Ks. Between Friday and Saturday, Ole Miss allowed the fewest hits (2) in a two-game span in school history.Year 2 for Starting Duo
Last season, Ole Miss didn't return any weekend starters. This season, the Rebels return two as Doug Nikhazy and Gunnar Hoglund are back after combining for 37 appearances, 30 starts and 157.2 innings pitched a season ago. Hoglund opened the 2019 season as the Sunday starter, and he held that role all the way through the Fayetteville Super Regional. Nikhazy began the season in the bullpen but pitched his way to a starting role, beginning with midweek starts against ECU and Louisville before claiming the Saturday starter role during the second week of SEC play. He went on to earn First Team Freshman All-America honors. Nikhazy will run out on Friday nights with Hoglund getting the ball on Saturdays.Diamonds are for Sunday
For the second straight season, Ole Miss started a true freshman on Sunday of opening weekend. Last season it was Gunnar Hoglund, this season it's Derek Diamond. Both Hoglund and Diamond were taken in the MLB Draft but decided instead to come to Oxford. Diamond was strong in his collegiate debut, going toe-to-toe with Louisville senior Luke Smith, earning a no-decision in Sunday's win after allowing tossing 5.2 innings with just three earned runs allowed. He turned around and earned his first career win, going 5.0 innings with one run allowed on Sunday vs. Xavier.Pitchers to the Pros
Ole Miss must replace four MLB Draft picks on its pitching staff. Will Ethridge was taken in the fifth round by the Colorado Rockies after filling the Friday night starter role for the Rebels last year, finishing with a 7-7 record and 3.39 ERA over a team-high 93.0 innings pitched. Parker Caracci, a 2018 All-American, was taken in the 21st Round by the Toronto Blue Jays after climbing to fifth on the Rebels' career saves chart in less than two full seasons as the team's closer. Zack Phillips opened the 2019 season as the Saturday starter before being usurped by Doug Nikhazy. He totaled 13 starts and 19 appearances, finishing with a 4.99 ERA before being drafted in the 27th Round by the Kansas City Royals. Houston Roth overcame an early-season injury in 2019 to finish strong, posting a 3.67 ERA over 21 appearances. The Baltimore Orioles took the Oxford native in the 29th Round. In total, Ole Miss must replace 290.2 innings pitched.Swayze Shower Szn
The Ole Miss offense is off to a hot start, sitting at No. 4 in the nation with 21 home runs through three weeks of action. The Rebels are second only to Tennessee (24), NC State (22) and Texas Tech (22). Ole Miss is second in the SEC and fifth nationally in home runs per game at 1.75. That puts them on pace for 98 during the 2020 regular season, which would match the program record of 98 home runs set in 1998.Yes Sir!
Junior shortstop Anthony Servideo has been the lead catalyst for the Ole Miss offense this season, evidenced by a Collegiate Baseball National Player of the Week honor in Week 2. The Jupiter, Florida, native was 7-for-14 and slashed .500/.667/1.143 with three home runs, including a walk-off homer in the bottom of the 10th inning on Wednesday against Alcorn State. Servideo totaled six runs scored, seven RBI, five walks, two HBPs, was 3-for-3 in stolen bases and struck out just once in 21 plate appearances.Cael Yeah Damn Right
Cael Baker wasted little time making his name known among college baseball fans. The 2019 NJCAA Player of the Year and triple crown winner added to his list of accolades, earning SEC Co-Player of the Week and Golden Spikes Award Performance of the Week honors after going 5-for-12 (.417) in Week 1 with a double, two home runs, five RBI and an even 1.000 slugging percentage to lead Ole Miss to a series win over No. 1 Louisville. He became the first Rebel since Cody Overbeck in 2008 to have a multi-homer outing within the first two games of the season. He's also the only player since at least 1997 to have a multi-homer game within his first two games of wearing a Rebel uniform.Catcher U
Just seven games into his collegiate career, Hayden Dunhurst is already proving to be every bit the star the Rebels hoped he would be behind the dish. Dunhurst hasn't allowed a stolen base yet this year, erasing both of the runners who tested his 1.81-second pop time. And after a quiet Week 1 at the plate, his bat came around in a big way in Week 2. The freshman out of Carriere, Mississippi, hit .364 with a team-high eight RBI thanks to four hits and two home runs.Dunhurst looks poised to be the next in a great line of catchers under Mike Bianco and Co. The rookie out of Carriere, Mississippi, is one of just three freshmen to start at catcher on opening day in the Mike Bianco era alongside Taylor Hightower and Dunhurst's predecessor, Cooper Johnson. Over the past five seasons, has allowed the third-fewest stolen bases in the SEC while catching the sixth-most would-be base stealers in the league. Dunhurst will be tasked with replacing one of the best defensive catchers in the nation from a year ago. Johnson finished second in the SEC defending against the steal. Ole Miss allowed just a 61.1 percent stolen base success rate. Dunhurst spurned MLB Draft overtures to come to Oxford. Perfect Game rated him the No. 1 catcher and No. 44 overall prosepct in the nation. He was a Perfect Game All-American and Prep Baseball Report's Mississippi Player of the Year.
The Pack
Mike Bianco has used 12 unique lineups through 12 games, and 15 players have started at least one game, and only Anthony Servideo and Tyler Keenan have started all 12 games.Two Outs, No Problem
Ole Miss has tallied 28 two-out RBI this season, comprising 34.1 percent of their total RBI on the year. The Rebels notched 18 of those 22 in Week 3, making up 44 percent of their run production for the week.SEC Speed
Ole Miss boasts a wealth of team speed this season. So far in 2020, the Rebels are 19-of-20 in stolen bases, good for seventh in the SEC and 54th nationally in total SBs. Anthony Servideo is 6-for-6 so far this year after swiping 24 bags in 26 attempts a year ago. This fall, three Rebels freshmen a 60-yard dash in the 6.5-range or better. Cade Sammons clocked in at 6.56 seconds, Trey LaFleur at 6.53 seconds and Connor Walsh at a program-record 6.28 seconds. They were joined in the spring by two of the fastest players in college football in John Rhys Plumlee and Jerrion Ealy. The duo combined for 1,745 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns as freshmen and finished one-two on Ole Miss' single-season freshman rushing charts. Ealy is 3-for-4 on the year, while Plumlee is 1-for-1 in stolen base attempts.Big Spikes to Fill
With Grae Kessinger, Ryan Olenek, Cole Zabowski, Thomas Dillard, Cooper Johnson and others all gone from the Ole Miss offense, the newcomers on the 2020 squad will have some big shoes to fill. The Rebels must replace 67.6% of their at-bats, 68.2% of their runs scored, 69.6% of their hits, 74.5% of their doubles, 59.5% of their home runs, 64.7% of their RBI and 71.0% of their stolen bases. The departed Rebels combined to hit .290, including four players who hit over .300.
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Judd Utermark Sixth HR Of The Regional
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