The University of Mississippi Athletics
Tuesday, April 16
Jonesboro, Ark.
6 PM
Ole Miss
at
Arkansas State
Baseball Set for Rematch with Arkansas State On the Road
4/15/2024 | Baseball
| Tuesday, April 16 6 p.m. CT  |
| PROJECTED STARTERS Ole Miss: RHP Grayson Saunier 3-3, 7.16 ERA, 20 K, 10 BB Arkansas State: TBA 0-0, - ERA, - K, - BB |
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss (20-16, 5-10 SEC) will travel to Arkansas State (17-20, 4-11 SBC) Tuesday night for a midweek rematch with the Red Wolves.
LEADING OFF
- Ole Miss is coming off its first series victory over Mississippi State since 2015, winning two out of three games last weekend and snapping an eight-game losing streak.
- The Rebels' series-clinching 14-2 win on Sunday was the largest win over the Bulldogs since 1960.
- Their 14 runs scored were the most put up against the Bulldogs wince May of 2010.
- Ole Miss walk-off wins in back-to-back games for the first time since April of 2010, winning in 12 innings on Saturday and seven innings on Sunday.
- Ole Miss is currently No. 3 in Strength of Schedule, having played one of the hardest schedules in the country.
- The Rebels are ranked 20th in the nation in strikeouts per nine, averaging 10.5 punchouts per game.
- Ole Miss is ninth in the NCAA in walks drawn (224), averaging 6.22 per game. They are one of four SEC teams in the top 10.
- The Rebels are tied for third in the country in sacrifice flies with 26
- Jackson Ross leads the SEC and is 11th in the country in walks with 36 free passes.
- Ethan Lege is the second-hardest hitter to strike out in the SEC, striking out just 10 times in 127 at bats.
- Connor Spencer has five saves this season, second-most in the SEC.
SCOUTING REPORT
Tommy Raffo is in his 16th season as head coach for Arkansas State. Raffo has accumulated a 361-415-1 overall record during his time with the Red Wolves.
In the 2023 season, the Red Wolves finished the season with a 20-31 (9-19) overall record and finished 12th in the conference. In the offseason, the Red Wolves added 19 new players to the roster featuring five freshmen, 11 junior college players and four Division I additions.
This will be the 117th meeting between the Rebels and the Red Wolves. Ole Miss has a 91-25 record over Arkansas State. The Rebels last squared off against the Red Wolves in February at Swayze Field and Arkansas State secured the win, 4-2.
BIG GAME TWO GUY
Andrew Fischer is hitting .400 (14-for-35) with 10 home runs, 17 RBI, and 17 runs scored in game two of series this season. He has hit at least one home run in five of this season's nine game twos and all four of his multi-home run games have come in game twos. Over the first five weeks of SEC play, Fischer has hit seven home runs and driven in 10 runs in game twos.
STEALING YOUR HEART
The Rebels have stolen 41 bases so far this season, just one short of their entire season total from 2023 and already seven more than 2022. Since setting a new single-season program record in 2019 (93), Ole Miss has not stolen more than 44 bases in a season. They are currently averaging 1.18 stolen bases per game.
Ethan Groff has stolen 12 bases in 2024, having not been caught yet. Luke Hill is 10-for-11 in stolen base attempts.
THE ROAD TO 1,000
Head coach Mike Bianco needs just one more win to reach 1,000 victories in his career. He currently sits at 999 career wins, with 899 coming at Ole Miss. His first 100 wins came from his three seasons at McNeese State.
Once Bianco reaches the milestone, he would be the 21st active coach with 1,000 wins under his belt. He would also become the 98th head coach in NCAA history to reach the mark.
In 24 seasons leading the program, Bianco has delivered 18 postseason appearances, including eight Super Regional berths and a pair of trips to the College World Series. He is the winningest-coach in Ole Miss history and ranks third all-time in wins by an SEC head coach.
CAPTAIN CLUTCH
Ethan Lege has been the Rebels' most clutch hitter, hitting .439 (18-for-41) with two outs in an inning. He has 18 two-out RBI, is hitting .314 with runners in scoring position, and is 8-for-13 when hitting with a runner on third base and less than two outs.
DOYLE RULES
Liam Doyle struck out 10 batters in each of his first two SEC starts, becoming the first Rebel since Dylan DeLucia in 2022 to post multiple double-digit strikeout games in a season. He is also the first Rebel since Doug Nikhazy in 2021 to have double-digit strikeouts in consecutive outings.
GETTING THEIR STEPS IN
Ole Miss has drawn the ninth-highest number of walks in the nation with 224 free passes in 36 games. The Rebels are averaging 6.22 walks per game and are one of four teams from the SEC in the top-10 (South Carolina, Texas A&M, Georgia, Ole Miss).
Jackson Ross is 11th in the NCAA and leads the SEC with 36 total walks himself. He is averaging one walk per game.
During their series against High Point, the Rebels set a new single-game program record for walks with 19 in game three.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss baseball on X at @OleMissBSB, on Facebook at Facebook.com/OleMissBaseball, on Instagram at Instagram.com/officialolemissbsb and on TikTok at @olemissbsb. Also, follow head coach Mike Bianco on X at @CoachMikeBianco.
Players Mentioned
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