The Ole Miss Softball team opened the season with high expectations, and though the Rebels have not altogether disappointed, this season will require both endurance and resilience.
Only a season after their historic run to the Women’s College World Series, the Rebels began this season 11-5. They opened at the Easton Classic in Fullerton, Calif., on Feb. 5-7.
Ole Miss split a pair of games with Cal State Fullerton. The Rebels dropped the first contest by one run after the Titans took a fourth-inning lead and held it through the final out. This narrow loss was only the first of many in the opening stretch of the season.
In their next game, they responded with an 11–9 rebound win over Cal State Fullerton. They then beat CSUN in dominant fashion, 13–1, but suffered their second loss to Boise State, 3-2, in another one-run defeat. The Rebels scored two runs in the fifth inning, but the Broncos answered with three in the same inning to secure the win.
They managed to close out the tournament with a 10-1 victory over CSUN and came away from the tournament with a record of 3-2.
The next weekend, the Rebels traveled to Lafayette, La., for the Ragin’ Cajuns Invitational on Feb. 12-14. They opened the tournament with yet another one-run loss to McNeese after coming up short in the late innings.
From there, they won three straight. They bounced back with a 8-3 win over McNeese, followed by an 8–0 victory against Texas A&M–Corpus Christi and a 5-2 win over Louisiana.
However, their streak ended in the last game of the tournament with an 8-5 loss against Louisiana, putting their overall record at 6-4.
Only two days later, though, on Feb. 16, the Rebels won a close game against Miami University (Ohio), 4-3. This was a solid victory, as Miami won the Mid-American Conference last season.
This past weekend, they traveled to Birmingham, Ala., for the Green & Gold Classic on Feb. 20-22. They went 4-1 in this tournament, including two double-digit wins over Mercer and a 1-0 win in nine innings against Southern Illinois. Their sole loss came against Missouri State, 3-2, in the fourth game of the tournament.
The Rebels’ record through 16 games is 11-5. Though five losses before SEC play is concerning for a team with aspirations for another deep postseason run, only one of the Rebels’ losses came by more than one run. The Rebels consistently find themselves in late-inning battles in which one defensive stop, one timely hit or one changed pitch could alter the outcome.
As February lineups and rotations find their rhythm, the team’s ability to close out tight games should improve. These early tests could help build the discipline needed to keep cool during an intense slate of SEC play, when tight wins will be a necessity.
This new team has had the opportunity to learn how to handle pressure-filled moments; head coach Jamie Trachsel will be able to make roster adjustments accordingly.
Through 16 games, the Rebels have shown that they are rarely out of games. The challenge now is to win close games.
