The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, April 12
Oxford, Miss.
6 PM
Ole Miss
vs
Western Kentucky
Softball Steps Away from SEC Play for Three-Game Series with WKU
4/11/2024 | Softball
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss Softball is back at home with a bye in SEC play. The Rebels will host Western Kentucky in a three game series April 12-14.
LEADING OFF
• The all-time series between the two schools is tied 2-2, with Ole Miss taking the two previous meetings at the Ole Miss Classic in 2022.
• The Rebels boast the 20th-best strength of schedule in the nation.
• Lexie Brady has blasted 11 home runs this season, the fifth most in the SEC. The junior is now four shy of the Ole Miss single-season program record.
• Paige Smith ranks among the top 10 in program history in 10 different categories. She is also knocking on the door of the top 10 in hits, just seven shy.
• One of the most electric players on the diamond, Jalia Lassiter ranks third in the SEC with 16 stolen bases and ninth in the conference with 44 hits. She is eight away from 100 hits in her career.
• Ole Miss earned its highest-ranked series victory in program history last month, taking two games from No. 2 LSU in Baton Rouge.
SCOUTING THE HILLTOPPERS
In her 10th season at her alma mater, Amy Tudor has totaled over 300 wins, along with 5 conference championships. She has led the Hilltoppers to a 24-13-1, with a 10-5 record in C-USA so far in 2024. The Hilltoppers are coming off a 1-2 weekend against a strong Liberty team who they are battling for the top seed in the conference. WKU's lineup is led by fifth-year shortstop TJ Webster, who is batting .408 and is a speed threat with 10 stolen bases. Along her side is a fellow fifth-year infielder, Taylor Sanders, who provides the power in the lineup, leading the team with 13 home runs on the year, with 39 RBIs. The Hilltoppers lineup also has freshman Morgan Sharpein, who leads them in hits with 46 and has started her collegiate career batting .383. In the circle for WKU is the duo of Katie Gardner and Rylan Smith, who have combined for 202.0 innings on the year and 174 strikeouts. The staff has a 2.87 ERA while holding opponents to a .243 batting average. The two programs have met four times, splitting the series 2-2. Ole Miss has won the last two matchups in 2022 at the Ole Miss Classic.
ALL FOR ALEX
On Saturday, Ole Miss will join all 13 Southeastern Conference teams in wearing teal, uniting together to support the "All for Alex" campaign, in memory of Alex Wilcox. A former Mississippi State softball student-athlete, Alex heroically fought ovarian cancer until her passing in 2018. Alex embodied tremendous strength and purest spirit of joy during her lifetime. Although she lost her battle with ovarian cancer, Alex impacted the lives of many inside the SEC and throughout the softball community nationwide. It was Alex's dream to play college softball, and she was determined to give her teammates her all - even in the midst of chemotherapy treatments. Sparking a sense of comradery, all 13 SEC schools as well as many others around the country will wear teal this weekend to promote awareness of ovarian cancer and in support of Alex's fight.
DON'T RUN ON LEXIE
Not only is Lexie Brady an offensive weapon, but she is a general behind the plate. She leads the SEC and ranks fifth in the country with 12 runners caught stealing. She also boasts a perfect fielding percentage with 198 putouts and 20 assists.
SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST
Playing her fourth and final season in an Ole Miss uniform, Aynslie Furbush is having the best year 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 32 hits, the most she's tallied in a single season of her career, while ranking second on the team with a .333 average at the plate.
REWRITING THE RECORD BOOKS
Playing her fifth season in an Ole Miss uniform, senior Paige Smith continues to leave her mark on the record book. The Corona, California, native has started 242 career games in a Rebel uniform, the second-most all-time. Smith also finds herself in the top-10 in program history in RBI (second, 154), doubles (third, 41), home runs (fourth, 36), total bases (fourth, 329), walks (sixth, 75) and slugging percentage (ninth, .463).
CALLING BATON ROUGE
The Rebels shocked the softball world on March 18, 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.
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.
LEADING OFF
• The all-time series between the two schools is tied 2-2, with Ole Miss taking the two previous meetings at the Ole Miss Classic in 2022.
• The Rebels boast the 20th-best strength of schedule in the nation.
• Lexie Brady has blasted 11 home runs this season, the fifth most in the SEC. The junior is now four shy of the Ole Miss single-season program record.
• Paige Smith ranks among the top 10 in program history in 10 different categories. She is also knocking on the door of the top 10 in hits, just seven shy.
• One of the most electric players on the diamond, Jalia Lassiter ranks third in the SEC with 16 stolen bases and ninth in the conference with 44 hits. She is eight away from 100 hits in her career.
• Ole Miss earned its highest-ranked series victory in program history last month, taking two games from No. 2 LSU in Baton Rouge.
SCOUTING THE HILLTOPPERS
In her 10th season at her alma mater, Amy Tudor has totaled over 300 wins, along with 5 conference championships. She has led the Hilltoppers to a 24-13-1, with a 10-5 record in C-USA so far in 2024. The Hilltoppers are coming off a 1-2 weekend against a strong Liberty team who they are battling for the top seed in the conference. WKU's lineup is led by fifth-year shortstop TJ Webster, who is batting .408 and is a speed threat with 10 stolen bases. Along her side is a fellow fifth-year infielder, Taylor Sanders, who provides the power in the lineup, leading the team with 13 home runs on the year, with 39 RBIs. The Hilltoppers lineup also has freshman Morgan Sharpein, who leads them in hits with 46 and has started her collegiate career batting .383. In the circle for WKU is the duo of Katie Gardner and Rylan Smith, who have combined for 202.0 innings on the year and 174 strikeouts. The staff has a 2.87 ERA while holding opponents to a .243 batting average. The two programs have met four times, splitting the series 2-2. Ole Miss has won the last two matchups in 2022 at the Ole Miss Classic.
ALL FOR ALEX
On Saturday, Ole Miss will join all 13 Southeastern Conference teams in wearing teal, uniting together to support the "All for Alex" campaign, in memory of Alex Wilcox. A former Mississippi State softball student-athlete, Alex heroically fought ovarian cancer until her passing in 2018. Alex embodied tremendous strength and purest spirit of joy during her lifetime. Although she lost her battle with ovarian cancer, Alex impacted the lives of many inside the SEC and throughout the softball community nationwide. It was Alex's dream to play college softball, and she was determined to give her teammates her all - even in the midst of chemotherapy treatments. Sparking a sense of comradery, all 13 SEC schools as well as many others around the country will wear teal this weekend to promote awareness of ovarian cancer and in support of Alex's fight.
DON'T RUN ON LEXIE
Not only is Lexie Brady an offensive weapon, but she is a general behind the plate. She leads the SEC and ranks fifth in the country with 12 runners caught stealing. She also boasts a perfect fielding percentage with 198 putouts and 20 assists.
SAVING THE BEST FOR LAST
Playing her fourth and final season in an Ole Miss uniform, Aynslie Furbush is having the best year 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 32 hits, the most she's tallied in a single season of her career, while ranking second on the team with a .333 average at the plate.
REWRITING THE RECORD BOOKS
Playing her fifth season in an Ole Miss uniform, senior Paige Smith continues to leave her mark on the record book. The Corona, California, native has started 242 career games in a Rebel uniform, the second-most all-time. Smith also finds herself in the top-10 in program history in RBI (second, 154), doubles (third, 41), home runs (fourth, 36), total bases (fourth, 329), walks (sixth, 75) and slugging percentage (ninth, .463).
CALLING BATON ROUGE
The Rebels shocked the softball world on March 18, 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.
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
/ Softball
UT
/ Softball
INF
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