Will Golsan throws the ball during a game earlier this season. DM File Photo
The Diamond Rebels will hit the road Tuesday as they travel to Trustmark Park in Pearl to take on the Southern Mississippi Golden Eagles.
Ole Miss comes into the game with a 16-16 (5-7 Southeastern Conference) record while Southern Miss stands at 17-11-1 (6-5 Conference USA).
The Rebels and Golden Eagles will be meeting for the second time this year. Ole Miss will be looking to avenge the 5-1 loss Southern Miss handed them on March 4 in Hattiesburg.
Ole Miss will try to have more offensive success this time around, as they were only able to score one run and muster five hits in the first meeting. The Rebels will also need to be sharper defensively in this meeting after two errors allowed Southern Miss to plate two unearned runs en route to the win.
Sophomore left-hander and regular midweek starter Evan Anderson will take the hill for the Rebels, facing the Eagles for the second time this year and the third time in his career. Anderson went five innings, allowing three runs on just three hits and striking out three batters in the first meeting. Anderson did not receive much run support in that game and fell victim to a couple of defensive lapses from the Rebels.
The Rebels will likely be facing Southern Miss junior right-hander Cord Cockrell again.
Cockrell is 2-0 on the year with a 3.38 ERA. He was able to stifle the Rebel bats the first time around, going seven innings, allowing just one run on five hits and striking out five Ole Miss batters. Cockrell kept the Ole Miss offense off the board in the first six innings of the game and only allowed one run in his seventh and final inning.
Southern Miss is coming off a three-game series against University of Alabama – Birmingham, where the Golden Eagles took two of the three games. Freshman infielder Taylor Braley is hitting for a .394 average to lead Southern Miss at the plate. Senior catcher Matt Durst is also batting at a high rate, averaging .321 from the plate and adding five doubles, two triples and a pair of home runs. As a team, Southern Miss is hitting .270.
The Southern Miss pitching staff owns a team ERA of 2.48, led by senior right-hander James McMahon, who has a 1.22 ERA on the season with three complete games.
The Rebels will be looking for an offensive lift from freshman infielder and leadoff hitter Will Golsan, as well as junior center fielder J.B. Woodman and senior first baseman Sikes Orvis in the middle of the lineup. Golsan and Woodman are coming off great weekends at the plate in which Golsan hit .412 and Woodman hit .467 respectively.
It will be the 120th meeting all time between the two programs. Ole Miss leads the all-time series against the Golden Eagles 71-48, but Southern Miss has won each of the last five matchups. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
