After dropping its last two SEC series, No. 16 Ole Miss will host No. 2 Vanderbilt in a marquee SEC matchup beginning tonight at 6:30 p.m.
Sam Smith releases a pitch during a game against Texas A&M. (File Photo: Thomas Graning/The DM)
The No. 16 Ole Miss Rebels will look to avenge a rough couple of weekends in Southeastern Conference play tonight when they take on No. 2 Vanderbilt. The Rebels (23-6, 4-5 SEC) and Commodores (24-6, 8-1 SEC) are set for a 6:30 p.m. start in tonight’s series opener. Ole Miss enters the game on a two-game losing streak, while Vanderbilt comes to Oxford riding a seven-game winning streak.
“This is a 30-game war,” assistant coach Cliff Godwin said. “Obviously, we aren’t where we want to be right now, but it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish.”
Vanderbilt is powered with a strong pitching rotation that starts with junior left-hander Kevin Ziomek on Fridays. Ziomek is 5-1 on the year with a 1.89 ERA. Opponents are hitting just .157 off Ziomek, and he has tallied 62 strikeouts to just 15 walks in 52.1 innings of work.
On Saturday, the Commodores will throw sophomore right-hander Tyler Beede, who is a perfect 7-0 with a 0.99 ERA. Beede has thrown 45.2 innings this season and has only given up five earned runs, as opponents hit .151 off him.
Vanderbilt has not announced its Sunday starter, but Philip Pfeifer has seven starts and is 2-0 on the year with a 3.86 ERA.
“They’re good,” Godwin said of Vanderbilt’s pitchers. “The lefty Ziomek is a power lefty, 90-94, good slider and good changeup. He’s had a lot of success and commands the strike zone well. Beede is another power righty too. They’ve got good arms. They’re well-coached.”
Ole Miss will counter with junior right-hander Bobby Wahl on Friday, junior right-hander Mike Mayers on Saturday and sophomore right-hander Sam Smith on Sunday.
Wahl has carried the team on Fridays so far this season with a 6-0 record in seven games with a 1.80 ERA. He also leads the team with 45 innings pitched and 37 strikeouts. Mayers hasn’t gotten off to the best start but holds a 2-3 record in seven starts and has pitched 40.1 innings.
Smith has been the surprise of the staff after taking over the starting spot on Sundays when sophomore right-hander Chris Ellis went down with an abdominal muscle issue. Smith has started six games and is 2-0 on the year.
“I’m just glad to be pitching whenever I can,” Smith said. “Chris did a great job, and he is going to be really good for us, but I’m thankful for the opportunity (head) coach (Mike Bianco) is giving me.”
At the plate, the Rebels will be looking to break out of a small slump. They were held scoreless in their last two games, which was the last time that has happened in back-to-back contests since 2003.
“We’ve just got to keep doing what we’ve been doing,” senior left fielder Tanner Mathis said. “One thing you don’t want to do is press. We hit a lot of balls hard (the Florida weekend) but just right at them, it seemed.”
Junior catcher Stuart Turner still leads the way for the Rebels offensively with a .418 batting average, three home runs and 34 RBIs. Junior shortstop Austin Anderson has also been a big contributor to the offense with a .321 batting average, which is second on the team, and 24 RBIs.
Junior infielder Tony Kemp leads the Commodores at the plate with a .375 batting average and 42 hits. Senior outfielder Conner Harrell and sophomore infielder Vince Conde will provide the power for Vanderbilt. They have five home runs and 37 RBIs and four home runs and 18 RBIs, respectively.
Saturday’s contest is set for a 4 p.m. start time, and Sunday’s series finale will begin at 1:30 p.m.
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