Ole Miss Softball: May We Get An Encore?
By John Gillon
Stand up if you had Ole Miss softball being the Diamond Rebels team to become scorching hot and race through the SEC tournament all the way to a super regional. Now, sit back down because you are lying. Ole Miss softball became the darlings of the conference and the country in a matter of days. Ole Miss softball were the Cinderella’s of the softball world. However, luck played a very minimal role in their success.
Ole Miss softball had a magical run this year. Coach Mike Smith has transformed the team into fan favorites and, most importantly, a genuine contender.
I’m not gonna lie, watching this Ole Miss softball team brought back old childhood memories. These memories are of the countless travel softball tournaments my sister would play in over the years. I’ll never forget trying to juggle her softball with my baseball. Now you may wonder why this team brings back memories, and I will tell you why. Ole Miss played with passion and love for the game every time they went out; how can you not enjoy watching that? Also, the style they played, utilizing speed, slappers, and exceptional defense.
This softball team was the best show in town. Star pitcher Kaitlin Lee is a 5 foot 6 bundle of seemingly endless raw, emotional firepower. Lee shut down opposing offenses, while also being her offense’s biggest cheerleader. Lee routinely led the team in their dugout antics. The rebels were at their best when Lee was leaving every bit of energy and emotion she had on the field.
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Kaitlin Lee, however, was not the only thing exciting about this team. The offense attempted to run you into submission with blazing speed. Almost every game came to the wire, even when they lost, which led to numerous walk-offs. Perhaps the most memorable walk-off was Alyssa Gonzalez’s walk-off three run bomb to sweep LSU for the first time in school history. The other stars on this team included Kylan Becker, Elantra Cox, and Miranda Strother. It may seem odd, but they all played outfield and batted from the left side.
Accomplishments:
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Kaitlin Lee won SEC Tournament Most Valuable Player honors on her way to being named Breakout Star of the Year. Kylan Becker was a first-team all sec selection. Elantra Cox led the entire country in hits for the season with 93.
This was a season of firsts for the rebels. Sweeping LSU and taking a series from Alabama, with help from a hilarious blunder, for the first time ever. The biggest of all, however, were winning the SEC tournament and hosting a regional. Before this season, the rebels had one sec tournament win to couple with two NCAA tournament wins.
Kaitlin Lee went full Taryne Mowatt throughout the SEC tournament and regional play. Lee threw every single pitch of the postseason until game two of the super regionals. The postseason run of seven consecutive victories by Lee ended in-game one of the super regionals at UCLA. Game 1 was an 11 inning thriller that unfortunately didn’t fall in Ole Miss’ favor. Ole Miss would go on to drop game 2 by a score of 1-0 despite an exceptional performance from Brittany Finney.
The Ole Miss softball team has racked up numerous awards. The team was awarded a top 15 end of the year ranking on Tuesday. Coach Smith and his coaching staff won NFCA Regional Coaching Staff of the Year honors.