Coach Mike Bianco and No.11 Ole Miss baseball will be back in action this weekend as they host No.5 Miss State at Swayze Field.
No.11 Ole Miss baseball (32-17, 15-9) will be facing another tough test this weekend as they begin a three-game SEC series with No.5 Miss State (38-10, 15-9). The Rebels will not be playing in a midweek game in order to prepare for the Bulldogs but have serious momentum heading into the weekend. The Rebels are entering the weekend SEC series coming off a series win in Red Stick.
The Rebels have won five of their last six SEC games which include a series sweep of No.6 Texas A&M. In contrast Miss State has also won five of their last six SEC games. Ole Miss and Miss State are currently both tied in the SEC with (15-9) records. The Bulldogs will host Memphis in a midweek Wednesday night. OHT takes a closer look at the Bulldogs.
A Closer Look
Ole Miss Rebels
There is no doubt Miss State has a very good team and will be a formidable opponent for Mike Bianco and the Rebels. Skippered by coach Chris Lemonis, the Bulldogs have stirred up the national rankings with a strong batting order and excellent pitching staff.
If you know anything about college baseball you are certainly familiar with Jake Mangum. Mangum leads the Bullies hitting at a .399 clip this season with a slugging percentage of .521 and an on-base percentage of .451.
Others to watch in the Miss State batting order are Justin Foscue who hits .342 with 13 HRs and Jordan Westburg who hits .326 with 6 HRs. Ole Miss baseball fans should also have eyes on Dustin Skelton who hits .310 with 9 HRs and Elijah MacNamee who hits .306 with 6 HRs.
Dogs On The Hill
What we know is the Bulldogs have a very good pitching staff and can put pressure on even the best of batting orders. Game-one starter Ethan Small (6-1) carries a 1.85 ERA while game-two starter JT Ginn (8-3) holds a 3.08 ERA. Game-three starter Peyton Plumlee (4-3) carries a 3.54 ERA. The Bulldogs also have a bullpen full of solid middle relievers and closers.
Observations
This weekend will be another tough series for coach Mike Bianco and Ole Miss baseball. You can always throw the two records out the window when the Bulldogs and Rebels meet in any sport but especially in baseball. This series will be huge for either team to take two of three games and distance themselves somewhat from each other. For the Rebels to get the series win in Oxford they will have to be strong on the mound and at the plate.
First pitch for game-one is set for 6:30pm CT Friday night with games following Saturday (6pm CT) and Sunday (12pm CT). Game-one and game-two will be televised via SECN+ with game-three being televised via ESPN2. Good luck to coach Mike Bianco and Ole Miss baseball this weekend. BEAT STATE! Hotty Toddy!