After having the first series of the season shortened by rain, the Rebels won two of three against games Tulane to improve their record to 4-2 on the year. The pitching staff’s performance left a lot to be desired, but the usual suspects came up clutch to win on Friday and Sunday.
First Base: Heart of the lineup
It took two weeks of the season, but other names have begun to perform at Thomas Dillard’s level at the plate.
Ryan Olenek hits the ball in a game against Tulane earlier this season. The Rebels take on Southern Miss on Tuesday. Photo by Marlee Crawford
Dillard continued his hot start of the season with a two-home run, eight-RBI onslaught in Saturday’s 13-12 loss. The second of his home runs was a three-run, go-ahead shot in the top of the ninth inning, giving Ole Miss a one-run lead. The performance was just two RBI’s short of the single-game record in program history.
Tyler Keenan woke his bat up on the weekend after failing to get a hit on Friday. The sophomore illustrated his power with a homerun on Saturday. His go-ahead single in the seventh inning was one of his four RBI’s in the series.
After leading the team in batting average a year ago, senior Ryan Olenek is beginning to chase down Dillard in the average department. When you add Keenan’s power, Olenek’s ability to hit for contact and Dillard’s all-around prowess, the top of the Ole Miss lineup ensures that no game is over until the 27th out is recorded.
Second Base: Starting pitching
Ole Miss lost a game in which it scored 12 runs. Tulane is good, but Ole Miss has its sights set on deep postseason runs. There would not be an issue if this were a one-off incident. However, Wright State scored nine in a game last weekend, and clean innings seem to be few and far between.
Headline starting pitcher Will Ethridge missed the weekend to allow a blister to heal. Zack Phillips was moved to Friday to take his place, and Houston Roth made his first start of the season on Saturday.
Gunnar Hoglund was once again the starter on Sunday. None of the starters was able to stay in the game longer than 4.1 innings. The three combined to allow nine earned runs and 22 hits over 11 innings.
Phillips and Hoglund are still getting accustomed to Division I baseball, but the learning curve is coming to an end. With a midweek doubleheader against Louisville and a weekend series with Long Beach State coming up, the starting pitchers have to limit the use of the bullpen in the early portion of the season.
Third Base: Remain calm
The process has not been pleasing to Ole Miss fans or the coaching staff. Too many games have been decided late, but the team is 4-2. Just breathe. The offense is scoring runs. The power in the bats is ever present. The pitching will settle in. If it does not, there are plenty options to try out as starters to fix the issue. Hope is not lost.
