Late Monday morning the SEC named JB Woodman the Player of the Week. A decision made easy by the junior center fielder after he finished the weekend with six hits in 12 at-bats in a series victory over rival LSU.
Five of those hits were for extra bases, including three home runs and two doubles, good enough to drive in eight RBI in the three games. Not only did he hit .500 on the weekend, he was 8-16 in four games last week, as he tallied two hits in four at-bats against Mississippi State in Pearl last Tuesday.
In the field, he erased runners and potential runs to the tune of three outfield assists. While it was impressive to watch, it’s something the slick-fielding Woodman has done all season, as he’s now up to a team-leading nine outfield assists.
At the plate, his season totals are impressive, as well. His 54 hits, 89 total bases, 38 RBI, 36 runs and eight home are each tops on the team, while his 11 doubles rank second and his .329 batting average is third best.
Additionally, his team-best .420 on-base percentage has led to a team-high nine steals.
Without question Woodman represents the Rebels most balanced player. His speed is an asset on the base paths and in the field, while his bat has consistently found the baseball with a slightly surprising amount of power and his arm has been an unquestioned benefit for the Ole Miss pitching staff.
He will need some help around him in the lineup and it appears he will get it, but Woodman is the driving force and more weeks like he had last week could go a long way with the Rebels back in national seed contention.
Georgia, Kentucky and Texas A&M make up the nine remaining conference games on the schedule, with only the Wildcats making the trip to Oxford.