The Rebels are returning from the Lone Star state after clinching a two-game series sweep against UTEP this past weekend by scores of 8-4 and 7-1. Ole Miss is looking to carry this momentum through its trio of non-conference games today and tomorrow. The team hopes to extend its four-game winning streak this week by securing three more victories at home.
Ole Miss will start off with a doubleheader against in-state rival Alcorn State on Tuesday. The Rebels, who have an overall record of 25-18, just added this team to their schedule within the past week. The two teams will battle it out in back-to-back games scheduled for 4 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Leading the all-time series record against Alcorn State 15-2, the Rebels are looking to continue their seven-game win streak against the Braves. Alcorn State, which has an overall record of 11-27 going into its doubleheader against Ole Miss, has faced only one other SEC team this season, Mississippi State, which handled the Braves with ease by scoring 11 runs in a shutout game.
Alcorn State is currently No. 1 in the Southwestern Athletic Conference East Division standings and has an 8-3 conference record. Though this will be the first time Ole Miss plays a SWAC opponent this season, the Rebels stand a good chance to sweep this series, especially considering the Braves’ less-than-stellar 3-24 non-conference record.
If Alcorn State begins racking up runs, however, its ability to make the most of positive momentum should not be underestimated. ASU is 9-0 this season when allowed to score at least eight runs. Ole Miss also has its strengths and will definitely test the Braves’ batting lineup with its superior pitching. The Rebels have been tough to score against this year and have a team ERA of 2.71. Senior Kaitlin Lee leads the Rebels’ pitching and has a 14-8 record with an ERA of 2.31 in 136.1 innings of work.
After their doubleheader against Alcorn State, the Rebels will have a quick turnaround before their next home game, which begins at 6 p.m. tomorrow and will pit Ole Miss against UT Martin.
Ole Miss leads its all-time series against UT Martin as well, having won 11 of the 15 times the two teams have met. The teams have already met one time this season, when the Rebels defeated UT Martin 10-2 in five innings during the Ole Miss Classic Tournament.
The last time the two teams met, freshman Amanda Roth went 3-for-3 at the plate, scoring a pair of home runs to secure a win for the Rebels. Ole Miss went on to win three of its four games throughout the tournament.
The 23-27 UT Martin Skyhawks faced Mississippi State, their only other SEC matchup of the season, in a mid-February game that saw the Bulldogs top the Skyhawks 3-0.
After these midweek games, the Rebels, who are 5-13 in the SEC, will hit the road for their final SEC road series of the season at Arkansas, which has a 9-9 conference record.
