Ole Miss will look to bounce back after narrowly avoiding being swept at home against 19th-ranked Mississippi State, losing two of a three-game homestand earlier in the week. The Rebels will host the University of Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks today at 6 p.m.
After a hot start, Rebel softball struggled mightily in the middle of the season, dropping eight of 10 at one point, relegating the once-top 10 team to last in the SEC. With only the top 12 teams getting an invitation to the SEC Tournament, the defending-champion Rebels look to build momentum and displace the 12th-place Kentucky Wildcats in order to make the mid-May trip to Columbia, Missouri.
Kylan Becker (15) is safe at first base during the softball game against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Monday. Ole Miss won 6-1. Photo by Tucker Robbins
With a 6-4 record so far in the month of April, the Rebels seem to have stopped the bleeding, after having gone 6-12 in March. They must improve upon this mark, however, if they have any hope of making the SEC Tournament.
Getting on the scoreboard early will be essential for the Rebels today, as they are 0-3 on the season when trailing after one inning and 0-5 when trailing after two.
Offensively, the Rebels will have to rely on junior Kylan Becker and senior Elantra Cox to pull them out of their recent slump. This season, they have 40 and 39 hits, respectively, and production from them will be crucial.
Becker will look to continue her five-game hit streak, having just gone one hit for two at-bats on Monday, scoring two runs. Becker improved her on-base percentage to .400 on the season and continues to enjoy a great period of success. She was selected to the USA Softball team earlier this year for the Japan All-Star Series roster and continues to be one of the best players in her position in the nation.
ULM has struggled against SEC opponents this season, losing to LSU 10-0 in February. While the Rebels dropped two of three in the series at LSU just a couple weeks ago, Ole Miss was competitive in every game. Both losses came by a single run, including a 2-1 loss in the 19-inning marathon April 6.
Despite seemingly being a mismatch for an opponent from a powerhouse conference like the SEC, ULM has excelled this season in numerous areas but especially in team batting average. This season it is hitting .323, good for 10th best in Division I.
However, ULM has lost three of its last four games, and is looking to turn things around. It is currently seventh in the Sun Belt and only one game behind sixth-place Georgia Southern. The top four teams get a bye from the single-elimination round of the Sun Belt Conference Tournament, so every game is crucial.
The game may be streamed on WatchESPN or SEC Network+ starting at 6 p.m.
