The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Georgia
Softball Hosts No. 5 Georgia to Open Seven-Game Homestand
3/21/2024 | Softball
OXFORD, Miss. – After taking the series at No. 2 LSU, Ole Miss softball looks to stay hot with another series against a top-five foe. The Rebels welcome No. 5 Georgia to town for a three-game series March 22-24.
LEADING OFF
• Ole Miss earned its highest-ranked series victory in program history over the weekend, taking two games from No. 2 LSU in Baton Rouge.
• Georgia leads the all-time series with Ole Miss, but the Rebels have won each of the previous two series and taken five of the last seven meetings dating back to 2021.
• This season marks the sixth time in program history that the Rebels have started the season 20-8 or better.
• Makenna Kliethermes was named SEC Pitcher of the Week after going 3-0 in the circle last week. She leads the team with a 10-2 record and 67 strikeouts through 61.0 innings pitched.
• One of the most electric players on the diamond, Jalia Lassiter ranks third in the SEC with 14 stolen bases and fourth in the conference with 37 hits.
• The Rebels received 14 votes in this week's ESPN.com/USA Softball Collegiate Top 25 Poll.
• The Ole Miss Softball Complex is in the midst of a $32 million stadium project, set to be completed by the 2025 season, as part of Ole Miss' Champions. Now. Campaign.
• Fifth-year senior Paige Smith is making a run at the all-time Ole Miss runs batted in record. With 151, she stands just 16 RBI shy of passing Abbey Latham for the crown.
• In 2024, Ole Miss is playing its 28th season of collegiate softball. Team 28 features 13 returners from last season's roster, four impact transfers and three new additions to the coaching staff.
SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS
After serving on staff for nine years, Tony Baldwin was promoted to head coach in 2021. Now in his third season at Georgia, he has led the Bulldogs to a 109-37 record and a trip to the NCAA Super Regional in Tallahassee last season. In 2024, Georgia boasts a 24-4 record and is ranked inside the top five in three national polls. Fresh off of a series win against Alabama, where they came up just short of the sweep in the Sunday finale, Georgia is off to a 2-1 start in conference play. Friday's series opener will mark the 67th matchup between the programs, with Georgia leading the all-time series 50-16. However, the Rebels have taken each of the last two series and five of the last seven, including a matchup at the 2022 SEC Tournament.
The Bulldogs lineup is led by Sydney Kuma, who has played in every game this season, hitting .405 while scoring the most runs on the team. Georgia's lineup is loaded with power. As a team, the Bulldogs have hit 52 home runs, which ranks fifth in the nation in that category. Jayda Kearney leads the team and the SEC with 12 dingers on the season. In the circle, Madison Kerpics leads the way with a 1.95 ERA while holding batters to a .160 average. North Carolina Transfer Lili Backes owns a team best 9-1 record and has been a nice addition to the circle for the Bulldogs.
MAKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKENNA
After helping Ole Miss softball take its highest-ranked series win in program history at No. 2 LSU, senior right-hand pitcher Makenna Kliethermes was named SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week. Kliethermes was lights out in the circle, registering a 3-0 record for the Rebels on the week, including a pair over the Tigers. Making two starts and one appearance out of the bullpen, she surrendered just one earned run and struck out 17 batters over 17.0 innings pitched for a 0.41 ERA.
CALLING BATON ROUGE
The Rebels shocked the softball world Monday night taking the series with a dominant 9-2 win over the second-ranked Tigers. With the victory, Ole Miss secured up its 20th win of the season in style, dominating the rubber match with No. 2 LSU and grabbing its highest-ranked series win in program history. It also marked the Rebels' first series win over the Tigers in Baton Rouge since 2008 and was the most runs Ole Miss has scored in a three-game set against LSU in the program's history.
UNDEFEATED NO MORE
A career night for Jalia Lassiter and a gem from Makenna Kliethermes helped Ole Miss softball shock No. 2 LSU 5-2, handing the last undefeated team in the nation its first loss of the season last Sunday night at Tiger Park. The Rebels picked up their highest ranked win of the Jamie Trachsel Era and first win over a top-three opponent since beating No. 3 Oregon 1-0 in nine innings on February 17, 2018. They rallied back from a two-run deficit, scoring five unanswered runs to upset the Tigers. Lassiter led the offense at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a career-high two doubles, a run scored and two RBI in the seventh inning, which proved to be the dagger. Kliethermes went toe-to-toe with one of the best pitchers in the nation, allowing only two runs, one of which came unearned, over 6.1 innings pitched.
PATIENCE AT THE PLATE
The Ole Miss offense has made large strides at the halfway point of the season under Daniel Nicolaisen. With over 200 hits so far, the Rebels are batting .302 as a team, the ninth-best mark in the SEC. Not only are they seeing the ball fly off the bat, but they are showing patience at the plate, drawing 102 walks (27th nationally) to boast the 27th best on-base percentage in all of Division I softball at .405.
SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST
Playing her fourth year in an Ole Miss uniform, Aynslie Furbush is having the best season of her career. A two-way player, she stars for the Rebels in the circle and the batter's box, always finding a way to impact the game. In 2024, Furbush already has 25 hits, just three shy of her career-high and total from last season, while boasting a .385 average at the plate. Despite a 1-3 record, the Longwood, Florida, native has a 2.80 ERA in 30.0 innings of work to go along with three saves. In her career, Furbush now ranks as one of the top pitchers in the record books in ERA (2.26, fifth) and opponent batting average (.208, first).
BUILDING SOMETHING SPECIAL
One of the most exciting things fans and student-athletes have to look forward to in 2024 is a brand new softball stadium as part of Ole Miss' Champions. Now. Campaign. This past May, the Ole Miss Softball Complex, which served as the Rebels' home field since 1998 and has seen one SEC Tournament, two NCAA Regionals and countless other memories, saw its final game ever as the Rebels walked off No. 14 Alabama with a four-spot in the bottom of the seventh inning. Just 23 days later, construction crews began demolition on the ballpark as part of a brand new $32 million facility upgrade. The Ole Miss Softball Stadium renovations will include numerous fan amenities, upgraded grandstands, restrooms and concessions. The team will also benefit from enlarged bullpens, as well as improved team offices, locker rooms and storage.
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 .390 batting average and .479 on-base percentage. A key addition to the Rebel offense, she also ranks second in hits with 32 and has reached base safely in 21 of her last 24 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 .408 career batting average, the 15th 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 at the top of the order, she ranks second on the team with a .385 mark at the plate and leads the Rebels with 37 hits so far this season (fourth in the SEC and 46th nationally). Lassiter has tallied multiple hits in 12 contests and has reached base in all but three.
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.
