Ole Miss Baseball: Grove Grinder, The Governors Cup Is Here Once Again
Once again it is time for No.5 Ole Miss baseball to take on instate rival Miss State but now it is in the annual Governors Cup at Trustmark Park in Pearl.
With the third and final segment of the Ole Miss baseball (32-9, 10-8) schedule we can always look forward to the annual Governors Cup. Of course, the game is always highly anticipated regardless of rankings and records. This season No.5 Ole Miss is seemingly the favorite in tonight’s game with the better ranking and record. However those numbers are thrown out the window when it comes to this head to head midweek match-up.
Currently Miss State (22-19, 8-10) leads in the Governors Cup series 20-18 and won last years meeting 4-2. Of course, Ole Miss is currently 11-0 in midweek games and is coming off a series win over Georgia. However, the Bulldogs can use the momentum from a huge series sweep over Arkansas. How will the Rebels stack up against the Bulldogs? We can start with the numbers and get a good idea of how well we may do.
Looking At The Numbers
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If you want to gauge just how good any baseball team is you simply have to look at the numbers. It’s the same with this Ole Miss baseball team. When you look past the record and look at the team in terms of statistics then the numbers speak for themselves. Right now if you look at this teams regular batting order it is hard to deny the fact they are very productive at the plate.
So far the Rebels have four regular starters in the order hitting .300 or better. When you look at the rest of the starters they are all flirting just under the .300 threshold. One Rebel is hitting over .400 and several are flirting with the .400 mark. The improvement this team made from the 2017 season to now is hard to fathom but we knew they would be better.
On The Mound
It’s hard to imagine a better pitching staff than what Ole Miss baseball puts on the mound every game. Sure there are great pitchers on each and every team however the Rebels are very solid. When you consider the Rebels have 15 pitchers on staff and only one has allowed over a .300 average against opponent batters it’s impressive. Right now the Rebels still have three pitchers who have yet to produce an ERA.
Junior Dallas Woolfolk has been just what we expected with a 2.77 ERA. Senior Will Stokes has had somewhat of a rough road yet he remains a shut down closer. Then there is Parker Caracci who has emerged as this seasons premier closer and fan favorite. The Ole Miss pitching staff is solid and with Caracci closing with a 1.91 ERA we can expect more shut-down pitching tonight.
Cautious Optimism
Naturally it’s easy to get caught up in fandom and look at Ole Miss baseball thru red and blue glasses. However, Miss State is a very talented team who already took a series against the Rebels earlier this season and have significant momentum heading in tonight’s game. Of course, for me fandom is the driving force in any rivalry and this is a huge game even tho it doesn’t count towards the SEC records of either team.
It’s for more than just the Governors Cup itself and means bragging rights for the next year. We all hope for a good clean game and hope our Rebels come up victorious. First pitch from Trustmark Park in Pearl is set for 6pm CT and will be televised via the SEC Network. Good luck to coach Mike Bianco and the Rebels. BEAT THE MUTTS! Hotty Toddy!