Ole Miss Softball: These Lady Rebels Deserve Attention

Aug 6, 2016; Irvine, CA, USA; Beverly Bandits players celebrate after defeating the South Dakota Renegades to with the 16U Premier Championship at the Girls Premier Fastpitch Nationals at Bill Barber Community Park. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
Aug 6, 2016; Irvine, CA, USA; Beverly Bandits players celebrate after defeating the South Dakota Renegades to with the 16U Premier Championship at the Girls Premier Fastpitch Nationals at Bill Barber Community Park. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

Ole Miss softball is on a roll and it hasn’t gone unnoticed at all. At least not from my perspective. They are awesome! However, after a morning in the official chair of my dentist, I realized these Lady Rebels deserved some well-earned attention. Even more so, they deserve some respect.

An 8am dental appointment is hardly a welcomed site, although in Philadelphia, there is one I never mind making. Dr Craig Martin always is a welcomed visit, with discussions over various topics from football to deer hunting to Ole Miss softball. Craig is also a Bulldog.

After normal pleasantries, the subject of Ole Hotty Toddy came up. Craig departed and when he returned he said, “I checked out the site.” “Looks good, but you don’t have anything at all about the best sport in Oxford!” I knew he was talking about softball. Craig Martin appreciates good softball.

He’s Right You Know

More from Ole Hotty Toddy

You know what? He is absolutely correct. (Enter Morgan Freeman meme.) In all fairness, they don’t just deserve this, but they have earned it. Ole Miss softball (25-11) is on a firestorm lately and they have mostly gone unnoticed on Ole Miss sports pages.

Well, no more. These Lady Rebels deserve not only attention but also respect and they are getting it with a #21 national ranking. #21 is pretty good when you consider the schedule which they’ve played and the wins they have under their belt.

Ole Miss softball took the series against #19 Kentucky this past weekend and then took Tuesdays  win over Central Arkansas with a 1-0 walk-off. These ladies can play ball. Although they are 2-7 in SEC play, this Ole Miss softball team has a chance to be a contender in the SEC and also on the national stage.

On The Hill

Junior Juco transfer Kaitlin Lee has been exciting, to say the least. Lee (9-4, 2.39) has been solid on the mound and was the star in the Kentucky series. Lee, in game-3 of the series, pitched a complete scoreless game, allowing only 5 hits. Also, Morgan Bruce (7-4, 2.40) and Alyssa Clayton (6-2, 2.80) are forces to be reckoned with on the hill.

Offensively Driven

Offensively, the Lady Rebels are one of the best hitting teams in the conference. Ole Miss softball hits .324 as a team, with six batters hitting over .300. Elantra Cox is hitting an incredible .484! Miranda Strother is hitting .368 and her 21 RBIs equals that of Brittany Finney, who is hitting .273.

What’s Next?

Ole Miss softball is headed down on the plains to face #5 Auburn in a 3 game SEC series. The series begins Friday with first pitch set for 6pm CT. Friday’s game will be televised on SECN+. First pitch for Saturday will be 3pm CT. Sunday’s start time will be 1pm CT. Saturday and Sunday’s games will be televised on ESPNU.

Are You Ready?