The University of Mississippi Athletics
Wednesday, March 13
Thibodaux, La.
5 PM
Ole Miss
at
Nicholls State
Softball Begins Five-Game Road Swing with Midweek Doubleheader at Nicholls State
3/12/2024 | Softball
THIBODAUX, La. – Ole Miss softball hits the road for spring break, traveling to Louisiana for a five-game swing. The Rebels start things off with a midweek doubleheader on Wednesday, Match 13, starting at 5 p.m. CT.
QUICK HITS
• Ole Miss' 10 runs scored against No. 17 Mississippi State on Sunday were the most against a ranked opponent since scoring 12 vs. No. 14 Arkansas on March 14, 2019.
• The Rebels went 2-2 last week, picking up a midweek victory over Memphis and taking one game in the series against No. 17 MSU on opening weekend of SEC play.
• With seven home runs on the season so far, Lexie Brady ranks fourth in the SEC and 29th nationally.
• Fifth-year senior Paige Smith currently ranks second all-time in the Ole Miss record books with 149 career RBI. She now only trails former teammate Abbey Latham (167, 2018-22).
• Five Rebels are hitting over .300 on the season, including Jaden Pone and Aynslie Furbush, who lead the offense with .400 marks at the plate.
• Sophomore Jalia Lassiter ranks second in the SEC in stolen bases with 13 and sixth with 30 hits.
• In the circle, Ole Miss has thrown five shutouts on the season. The Rebel pitching staff boasts a 2.64 ERA while holding opposing batters to a .238 batting average.
• Ole Miss' coaching staff features three new faces. Daniel Nicolaisen, Karl Gollan and DJ Sanders all join the Rebels for their first season in Oxford.
SCOUTING THE COLONELS
Justin Lewis leads the Nicholls State Colonels in his third season as head coach. In two short years with the program, Lewis has turned around the program, boasting a 39-60 record and receiving 2023 Southland Conference Coach of the Year honors. In 2024, Nicholls State is off to a 15-10 start to the season, including a sweep of Northwestern State to open conference play that featured two shutouts. Offensively, five Colonels are batting over .300, led by Molly VandenBout, who also leads the team with 25 hits and 19 RBI. In the circle, Audrey McNeill and Molly Yoo have been the go-to arms. McNeill leads the team with seven victories and a 2.10 ERA in 60.0 innings of work. Yoo, who has made 14 appearances, boasts a 4-3 record with a 3.00 ERA. The Rebels lead the all-time series with Nicholls State 13-5 and have won each of the last four meetings.
THE LAST TIME OUT
Opening SEC play at home, Ole Miss welcomed in-state rival No. 17 Mississippi State to town. The Rebels dropped a pair of tough contests on Friday and Saturday to the Bulldogs but responded on Sunday with a 10-9 walk-off win in the eighth inning. Ole Miss answered every punch Mississippi State threw in the series finale. The Rebels overcame a four-run deficit in the third inning as Annie Orman tied the game at six with a pinch-hit two-run bomb and later knotted things back at nine with a late rally in the sixth to stay alive. With the game on the line, Lexie Brady delivered the knockout blow, taking the second pitch of the inning to straightaway center field to upset in-state rival, No. 17 MSU.
TRIPLE THREAT
One of the most consistent parts of the Ole Miss lineup is left fielder Jaden Pone. Reaching base any way she can, the junior is a triple threat at the plate with the ability to bunt, slap and swing away. Pone leads the team with a .400 batting average and .494 on-base percentage. A key addition to the Rebel offense, she also ranks second in hits with 26 and has reached base safely in 18 of her last 19 games. Although this is her first season in Oxford, Pone is no stranger to success at the plate. She ranks among the nation's best, boasting a .411 career batting average, the 10th best mark among active players in Division I.
LEADOFF LASSITER
After capping off her rookie campaign with NFCA All-South Region Third Team Honors, Jalia Lassiter is proving to be one of the most electric players in the SEC. Just a sophomore, the Atmore, Alabama, native brings a different level of energy to the diamond with her game-changing speed, swagger and confidence. Hitting in the leadoff spot, she ranks third on the team with a .370 mark at the plate and leads the Rebels with 30 hits (65th nationally) so far this season. Lassiter has tallied multiple hits in 10 contests and has reached base in all but three.
BRADY BUNCH
After patiently waiting for her opportunity, Lexie Brady took over as the Rebels' starting catcher for 19 of the final 20 games last year, powering Ole Miss down the stretch. Back for her junior season, the Sioux Falls, South Dakota, native has taken the next step, assuming the cleanup role in the Rebel lineup. Brady leads the team with seven home runs (fourth in the SEC), including Sunday's walk-off winner, and 21 RBI (10th in the SEC) on the season.
Not only is Brady an offensive weapon, but she is a general behind the plate. She ranks second in the SEC and 34th in the country with six runners caught stealing. She also boasts a perfect fielding percentage with 96 putouts and 12 assists.
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 @olemisssoftball. Also, follow head coach Jamie Trachsel on Twitter at @Jamie_Trachsel.
QUICK HITS
• Ole Miss' 10 runs scored against No. 17 Mississippi State on Sunday were the most against a ranked opponent since scoring 12 vs. No. 14 Arkansas on March 14, 2019.
• The Rebels went 2-2 last week, picking up a midweek victory over Memphis and taking one game in the series against No. 17 MSU on opening weekend of SEC play.
• With seven home runs on the season so far, Lexie Brady ranks fourth in the SEC and 29th nationally.
• Fifth-year senior Paige Smith currently ranks second all-time in the Ole Miss record books with 149 career RBI. She now only trails former teammate Abbey Latham (167, 2018-22).
• Five Rebels are hitting over .300 on the season, including Jaden Pone and Aynslie Furbush, who lead the offense with .400 marks at the plate.
• Sophomore Jalia Lassiter ranks second in the SEC in stolen bases with 13 and sixth with 30 hits.
• In the circle, Ole Miss has thrown five shutouts on the season. The Rebel pitching staff boasts a 2.64 ERA while holding opposing batters to a .238 batting average.
• Ole Miss' coaching staff features three new faces. Daniel Nicolaisen, Karl Gollan and DJ Sanders all join the Rebels for their first season in Oxford.
SCOUTING THE COLONELS
Justin Lewis leads the Nicholls State Colonels in his third season as head coach. In two short years with the program, Lewis has turned around the program, boasting a 39-60 record and receiving 2023 Southland Conference Coach of the Year honors. In 2024, Nicholls State is off to a 15-10 start to the season, including a sweep of Northwestern State to open conference play that featured two shutouts. Offensively, five Colonels are batting over .300, led by Molly VandenBout, who also leads the team with 25 hits and 19 RBI. In the circle, Audrey McNeill and Molly Yoo have been the go-to arms. McNeill leads the team with seven victories and a 2.10 ERA in 60.0 innings of work. Yoo, who has made 14 appearances, boasts a 4-3 record with a 3.00 ERA. The Rebels lead the all-time series with Nicholls State 13-5 and have won each of the last four meetings.
THE LAST TIME OUT
Opening SEC play at home, Ole Miss welcomed in-state rival No. 17 Mississippi State to town. The Rebels dropped a pair of tough contests on Friday and Saturday to the Bulldogs but responded on Sunday with a 10-9 walk-off win in the eighth inning. Ole Miss answered every punch Mississippi State threw in the series finale. The Rebels overcame a four-run deficit in the third inning as Annie Orman tied the game at six with a pinch-hit two-run bomb and later knotted things back at nine with a late rally in the sixth to stay alive. With the game on the line, Lexie Brady delivered the knockout blow, taking the second pitch of the inning to straightaway center field to upset in-state rival, No. 17 MSU.
TRIPLE THREAT
One of the most consistent parts of the Ole Miss lineup is left fielder Jaden Pone. Reaching base any way she can, the junior is a triple threat at the plate with the ability to bunt, slap and swing away. Pone leads the team with a .400 batting average and .494 on-base percentage. A key addition to the Rebel offense, she also ranks second in hits with 26 and has reached base safely in 18 of her last 19 games. Although this is her first season in Oxford, Pone is no stranger to success at the plate. She ranks among the nation's best, boasting a .411 career batting average, the 10th best mark among active players in Division I.
LEADOFF LASSITER
After capping off her rookie campaign with NFCA All-South Region Third Team Honors, Jalia Lassiter is proving to be one of the most electric players in the SEC. Just a sophomore, the Atmore, Alabama, native brings a different level of energy to the diamond with her game-changing speed, swagger and confidence. Hitting in the leadoff spot, she ranks third on the team with a .370 mark at the plate and leads the Rebels with 30 hits (65th nationally) so far this season. Lassiter has tallied multiple hits in 10 contests and has reached base in all but three.
BRADY BUNCH
After patiently waiting for her opportunity, Lexie Brady took over as the Rebels' starting catcher for 19 of the final 20 games last year, powering Ole Miss down the stretch. Back for her junior season, the Sioux Falls, South Dakota, native has taken the next step, assuming the cleanup role in the Rebel lineup. Brady leads the team with seven home runs (fourth in the SEC), including Sunday's walk-off winner, and 21 RBI (10th in the SEC) on the season.
Not only is Brady an offensive weapon, but she is a general behind the plate. She ranks second in the SEC and 34th in the country with six runners caught stealing. She also boasts a perfect fielding percentage with 96 putouts and 12 assists.
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 @olemisssoftball. Also, follow head coach Jamie Trachsel on Twitter at @Jamie_Trachsel.
Players Mentioned
C/UT
/ Softball
RHP/UT
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UT
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UT
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OF
/ Softball
UT
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INF
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