Ole Miss Baseball and Softball are both coming off home series losses, with baseball losing a rubber match to No. 5 Tennessee and softball falling to No. 8 Florida in two out of three games.
Both teams are on the road this weekend for a three-game conference series. Baseball will travel to Columbia, S.C., to face the South Carolina Gamecocks, and softball will head to Athens, Ga., to face the No. 23 Georgia Bulldogs.
Baseball
No. 11 Ole Miss faces a South Carolina team struggling in SEC play.
The Gamecocks started strong with nine straight wins, and the team has notched victories over No. 18 Oklahoma and Mississippi State, but they currently hold a 20-17 season record and a 2-13 SEC mark. South Carolina has been swept in three of five conference series, most recently on the road against Texas A&M.
Last weekend’s series saw South Carolina drop all three games. Game one went to extra innings, with Texas A&M securing an 8-7 win with a walk-off homer. Game two was a blowout, as the Aggies rolled to a 17-0 run-rule victory in just seven innings. In game three, the Gamecocks fell behind 12-3 after six innings, ultimately suffering another tough loss.
The Rebels most recently hosted Little Rock for a midweek matchup at Swayze Field but fell 7-3 to the Braves.
Ole Miss faced No. 4 Tennessee at home the previous weekend.
In game one, Tennessee took an early lead, and despite a two-run homer from sophomore Austin Fawley, Ole Miss trailed 3-2 and could not close the gap.
The Rebels bounced back in game two, jumping out to a two-run lead in the first inning and never looking back. Solid bullpen work and clutch hitting with runners in scoring position helped Ole Miss secure an 8-5 win to even the series.
Game three was a back-and-forth battle. Tennessee exploded for five runs in the sixth to take a 7-3 lead, but Ole Miss answered with three of their own. The Rebels briefly pulled ahead in the eighth, but a three-run ninth inning from Tennessee sealed a 10-8 loss and the series defeat for Ole Miss.
First pitch between the Gamecocks and the Rebels is set for 5:30 p.m. today and can be streamed on SEC Network+.
Softball
Georgia, the opponent for the No. 20-ranked Lady Rebels this weekend, boasts a season record of 27-15, including wins over No. 9 LSU, No. 2 Tennessee and No. 12 South Carolina. Georgia is a dominant home team with a record of 19-8 when playing in Athens.
The Lady Bulldogs took on Auburn last weekend, dropping two games against the conference foe. Georgia scored 10 runs in back-to-back outings against Auburn including a 10-5 win in game two of the series.
Someone the Lady Rebels should watch for is junior outfielder Jadyn Godwin. So far this season, Godwin boasts a .362 batting average, .652 slugging average, 37 RBIs and eight home runs. Last season, Godwin appeared in 58 games and started in 36 games.
Last weekend, the Lady Rebels hosted No. 7 Florida. Game one of the series came down to the wire due to late game heroics from Ole Miss senior Lair Beautae, however the Gators held on to win 8-7. Florida also took game two 14-3.
Ole Miss narrowly avoided the series sweep by securing a 8-6 win in game three, improving their record to 31-11 on the year.
Aliyah Binford delivered a grand slam with four RBIs and two runs to help propel the Rebels in game three. Brianna Lopez also notched a solid performance on the mound, striking out three Gators and earning her eighth win on the season.
First pitch between Georgia and Ole Miss is set for 5 p.m. today and can be streamed on SEC Network.
