Softball Opens SEC Tournament Against No. 18 Georgia

			#24 OLE MISS (38-16, 12-12 SEC) vs. #18 GEORGIA (40-15, 12-12 SEC) Gainesville, Fla. Katie Seashole Pressly Stadium
Ole Miss Notes (PDF) • Georgia Notes (PDF) • SEC Notes (PDF)

Wednesday, May 11
6:30 p.m. CT

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LEADING OFF

• After closing out the regular season with a series victory over No. 16 Georgia in Athens, the Rebels and Bulldogs will meet again in the opening round of the 2022 SEC Softball Tournament.
• UGA leads the all-time series 50-15, however, the Rebels have won four of the last six meetings. The two teams are even at one game apiece in the SEC Tournament.
• Ole Miss won seven of its final nine SEC contests to close out the regular season, sweeping South Carolina on the road and taking series from No. 12 Tennessee and No. 16 Georgia.

• Ole Miss earned the No. 8 seed for the second straight season and the sixth time in the program's 10 appearances in the SEC Tournament.
• Outfielder Tate Whitley leads the SEC and ranks tied for fifth in the nation with 73 hits on the season.
• Ole Miss' 38 wins are tied for most in a regular season in program history with the 2016 season (38-19).
• The Rebels cracked the Top 25 in multiple polls for the first time this season, checking in at No. 24 (Softball America) and No. 25 (D1Softball).
• Pitcher Catelyn Riley leads the team with 11 victories on the season so far, the second-most by a freshman in program history.
• The Rebels have a pair of top-10 wins on the season. They shut out No. 9 Arkansas in Oxford and took down No. 8 Kentucky in Lexington. They are 9-10 against ranked teams.
• Tate Whitley and Bre Roper each recorded four-hit games this past weekend against the Bulldogs. Whitley went 4-for-5 on Saturday and Roper was a perfect 4-for-4 on Sunday.

SCOUTING REPORT
Tony Baldwin led Georgia to a 40-15 record overall with a 12-12 mark in conference play in his first season as head coach. His Bulldogs rank 18th in the NFCA Coaches Poll and 19th in the USA Softball/ESPN Top 25. Ole Miss and Georgia faced off in the final weekend series of the regular season in Athens. The Bulldogs took game one, however, the Rebels responded to win the series. Georgia's Jayda Kearney earned SEC Player of the Week honors after batting .778 with seven hits, four runs scored and 11 RBI in the series against the Rebels. Kearney recorded a career-best four hits in game one, followed by two home runs and a career-high seven RBI in game two. As a team, UGA is batting .325 and has scored 382 runs for an average of 6.95 per game. The Bulldogs have also smashed 100 home runs on the season, the most by an SEC team since 2015. In the circle, Madison Kerpics leads the Bulldogs with a team-high 18 wins in 36 appearances. Through 157.2 innings of work, the sophomore has registered a 3.02 earned run average. She pitched twice in the series against the Rebels last weekend, going 1-1.

EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS
Winning seven of its final nine games in SEC play, the Rebels recorded a 12-12 record in the conference for the second consecutive season. Finishing eighth overall in the conference, Ole Miss once again exceeded its preseason projection from the SEC Coaches Poll, where it was picked ninth. In six of the past seven completed seasons, Ole Miss has outperformed its projection in the conference preseason rankings.

DOGGONIT, WE TOOK THE SERIES
Closing out its regular season in Athens, Ole Miss battled back to take the series from No. 16 Georgia after dropping Friday's opener. The Rebels responded in game two, tallying 12 hits, their most in a conference game this year, and putting up 10 runs. In the decisive rubber match, Anna Borgen took over in the circle, tossing a complete game and holding the potent Bulldog offense to two runs. With the series victory, Ole Miss tied its program record for most regular season wins at 38.

LATHAM'S LEGACY
One of the Rebels' top offensive weapons in Abbey Latham is leaving her mark on the Ole Miss Softball record book. Taking advantage of her fifth season of eligibility, she has entered the top-10 in 10 different statistical categories. Latham ranks inside the top-five in program history in games played (fourth, 232), at-bats (fifth, 644), doubles (third, 40), home runs (third, 38), total bases (third, 347) and slugging percentage (third, .539). In addition to leading Ole Miss with 165 career RBIs, she ranks seventh in school history with 189 hits.

HOTTY TODDY TATE
Senior Tate Whitley has been a sparkplug for the Ole Miss offense this season. Hitting in the leadoff spot, Whitley has reached base in all but seven games for the Rebels this season and has collected multiple hits in 25 contests, including nine three-hit games and one four-hit outing. The Angleton, Texas, native has tallied 73 hits, 29 more than her total from last season (44). Whitley leads the SEC and is tied for fifth in the NCAA in hits this season and ranks 51st nationally with a .406 batting average. Further, she has crossed the plate 50 times for the Rebels in 2022, the third-most in a single season in program history.

IT JUST MEANS A LITTLE BIT MORE
Emotions were high in Oxford as seven seniors played their final series in front of their home crowd. Senior Anna Borgen had the Lady Vol hitters on their toes all weekend, tossing 13.1 innings and only allowing two earned runs. Catelyn Riley delivered the walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh, helping Ole Miss knock off No 12 Tennessee 5-4 in front of a packed crowd on Saturday, and a three-run third on Monday, backed by stellar defensive play, helped Ole Miss send its senior class out with a series victory over a ranked SEC opponent.

END OF AN ERA
Playing their final game at the Ole Miss Softball Complex before it is torn down for renovations, Anna Borgen and the Rebels stunned No. 12 Tennessee 3-1 to take the series Monday night. It capped off another successful season in Oxford for Ole Miss, who posted a 19-6 record on its home field this season. Built in 1998, the Ole Miss Softball Complex served as the Rebels' home field for 25 seasons, serving as host to one SEC Tournament, two NCAA Regionals and countless other memories. In its recent success, Ole Miss boasted a 76-14 record since the start of the 2019 season in Oxford and a 55-game non-conference winning streak dating back to 2018.

THE BULL
Nicknamed "The Bull" for her relentless energy and competitive mentality, Catelyn Riley has helped the Rebels charge through the second half of their season. The freshman has become a mainstay in the Ole Miss lineup ever since blasting a grand slam against Tennessee State. Starting the final 18 games of the regular season, she boasts a .375 average. Nine of her 21 hits have gone for extra bases, including two home runs. But Riley's impact goes well beyond the plate. She has also been a difference-maker for the Rebels in the circle, ranking second on the team in innings pitched with 75.1 and a 3.35 earned run average. Her success has been remarkable, as her team-high 11 wins are tied for the second-most by an Ole Miss freshman pitcher with Mary Jane Callahan (2004).

BLUEGRASS UPSET
Taking on top-10 opponents in back-to-back weeks, the Rebels were able to shock the softball world, knocking off No. 8 Kentucky 7-6 in Lexington to open the series. The victory came just one week after Ole Miss shut out No. 9 Arkansas at home. Against the Wildcats, Sydney Gutierrez had a huge day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and three runs batted in. In the circle, Catelyn Riley entered the game in the fourth inning and took over, retiring 11 of the final 14 batters she faced to clinch the victory. It marked Ole Miss' first top-10 win on the road since defeating No. 5 Auburn 10-4 in 2017.

SPINNY REBELS
The Spinny Rebels were the stars of Ole Miss' midweek doubleheader as Savannah Diederich, Brooke Vestal and Landyn Bruce were unhittable in the circle. The trio combined to throw Ole Miss' first no-hitter since March 19, 2014, as the Rebels topped Tennessee State 10-0 in five innings. Diederich faced seven batters in the first two frames, including striking out the side in the first inning, and Vestal took over in the second, retiring all six batters she faced. Needing just three outs to cap off the victory and the no-hitter in the fifth inning, Bruce retired the side with a flyout and two groundouts.

TOP-10 SHUTOUT
The Rebels were nothing short of dominant in the circle in the series opener against Arkansas this past weekend, keeping one of the nation's most potent offenses off the scoreboard. Anna Borgen, got the start, going 5.0 innings without allowing a run, and freshman Catelyn Riley slammed the door shut on the No. 9 ranked team in the country, marking only the second time the Razorbacks have been held scoreless all season.

RBI QUEEN
Abbey Latham recorded her 144th career RBI in the second inning, passing Lauren Grill for the top spot on the all-time leaderboard as the Rebels took down UT Martin 8-3 in a midweek clash. The fifth-year senior entered the evening needing three RBIs to break the program record. She tallied on in the first inning, singling in Whitley for the first run of the game. Then in the second inning, with the bases loaded, Latham took the ball the other way for a clutch two-RBI single to become Ole Miss' all-time leader with 144 runs batted in. Latham's 165 RBIs rank 29th nationally among active career leaders.

BORGEN NAMED SEC PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Following a dominant week in the circle, senior left-hand pitcher Anna Borgen was named SEC Pitcher of the Week to close out the month of March. Borgen posted a 0.78 ERA and earned a pair of wins over No. 19 Missouri. She only surrendered one run on the weekend and stifled opposing batters, who hit a mere .161 when she was in the circle. The Heath, Texas, native got the start on Friday to open the series, pitching 4.0 innings and followed up that performance with five scoreless frames in the series finale on Sunday. She held one of the league's top offenses in Missouri to just two hits while striking out a pair of Tigers.

STATEMENT SWEEP
In its first SEC series in Oxford this season, Ole Miss made a statement, sweeping No. 19 Missouri. The Rebels came out swinging on Friday night to take game one 5-1. Paige Smith blasted a three-run home run as part of a five-run third inning. They took the series on Saturday, with another five-run inning fueling the victory. Bre Roper and Abbey Latham went yard in the win, and freshman Catelyn Riley earned her first career SEC victory. Ole Miss closed it out, completing the sweep on Sunday with another 5-1 win over the Tigers. It marked the Rebels' first sweep over a ranked SEC foe since 2017 (No. 11 LSU).

IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Following the conclusion of the 2021 season, Ole Miss announced the addition of two transfers who look to contribute right out of the gate. Utility player Bre Roper joins the Rebels from Georgia Tech as a fifth-year senior and has already established herself as a mainstay in the Ole Miss lineup. Roper has tallied multiple hits in 18 games, including a 4-for-4 outing against No. 16 Georgia, and is hitting .350 on the season with 34 runs scored and 33 more batted in. Last month, Roper also recorded the 200th career hit of her career, going 3-for-3 in a 10-0 victory over Louisiana Tech.

Also making her way to Oxford is junior right-hand pitcher Brooke Vestal. The former No. 1 recruit in the nation by FloSoftball and high-school All-American joins the Rebels after spending the last three seasons at Oklahoma. Vestal has 18 appearances on the season, including a pair of complete-game shutouts against DePaul and Western Kentucky. She also combined on the Rebels' first no-hitter since 2014 against Tennessee State and threw 6.1 innings in the victory at No. 16 Georgia. The junior owns a 2.50 ERA on the season.

ONE LAST RIDE
In 2022, four Rebels will be exercising their fifth season of eligibility as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Three returners in Abbey Latham, Anna Borgen and Sydney Gutierrez, along with Georgia Tech transfer Bre Roper are set to cap off their collegiate careers in Ole Miss uniforms.

ROOKIES IN THE RANKINGS
Head coach Jamie Trachsel's first recruiting class at Ole Miss welcomed nine freshmen to Oxford. The talented group ranked No. 10 in the nation by Extra Innings Softball bolsters a healthy mix of talent across the field. The class includes nine total signees, including four members of Extra Innings' Elite 100 Player Rankings.

Infielder Brooke Barnard was tabbed as the No. 11 ranked recruit in Extra Innings Softball's 2021 Recruiting Rankings. A three-time letterwinner at Palm Beach Gardens High School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Barnard helped lead PBGHS to district championships in 2018 and 2019, while receiving all-district, all-county and all-state honors in both seasons.

A three-time South Dakota First Team All-State and four-time Class A All-Tournament Fastpitch honoree, Lexie Brady checks in tied for 52nd in Extra Innings Softball's Recruiting Rankings. As a senior at O'Gorman High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Brady hit .544 with nine doubles, a triple and eight home runs, scoring 35 runs and driving in 28 more.

Makenna Segal comes to Oxford ranked tied for 65th in Extra Innings Softball's Recruiting Rankings. A four-time letterwinner at South Forsyth High School in Cumming, Georgia, she set school records in career batting average (.489), career on-base percentage (.620), home runs (34) and career walks (118).

KK Esparza rounds out the Rebel freshman class in the Extra Innings Softball's Recruiting Rankings at No. 69. Esparza was a three-time letterwinner at Friendswood High School in Friendswood, Texas, where she played under Olympic gold medalist Christa Williams-Yates.

CHAMPIONS. NOW.
The $350 Million CHAMPIONS. NOW. capital campaign has been established to vastly improve the Ole Miss Athletics facilities and raise the standard for the Rebels' level of competitiveness and success within the Southeastern Conference and nationally. The Ole Miss Softball Complex is one of the first phases of the plans with a $20 million stadium renovation, featuring a larger press box, upgraded grandstands, enlarged bullpens, as well as improved team offices and storage, helping raise the standard.

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. Also, follow head coach Jamie Trachsel on Twitter at @Jamie_Trachsel.

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Players Mentioned

Brooke Barnard

Anna Borgen

Lexie Brady

Landyn Bruce

Savannah Diederich

KK Esparza

Sydney Gutierrez

Abbey Latham

Catelyn Riley

Bre Roper

Makenna Segal

Paige Smith

Brooke Vestal

Tate Whitley

The University of Mississippi Athletics