It was freshman day for Ole Miss on the mound as the Rebels trotted out four freshman pitchers in their 8-2 victory over Tennessee-Martin.
Ole Miss started freshman James McArthur on the bump. McArthur surrendered a first inning two-run home run, but battled back and gave the Rebels a solid five-inning performance without allowing another run.
“He’s growing each week and getting better and better,” head baseball coach Mike Bianco said of McArthur. “He’s going to be so good.”
The freshman trend would continue as Connor Green, Dallas Woolfolk and Andrew Lowe pitched four scoreless frames to seal the Rebels 8-2 victory.
The freshmen in the bullpen this season have gone 50.1 innings allowing only 14 runs, good for a 2.50 ERA.
Freshman James McArthur throws a pitch. (Photo by: Evan Turner)
“We’re going to need them,” Bianco said. “We’re going to need them not only in midweek games, but on the weekends as well.”
While Tuesday’s performance wasn’t one of Ole Miss’ strongest at the plate, they were able to put up eight runs with three home runs.
After falling behind 2-0 in the first inning, Ole Miss answered in the bottom of the second when Tate Blackman launched a ball over the left center-field wall to tie the game at two.
Blackman leads the everyday starters in average, hitting .347 after struggling during his first year in Oxford.
“Not trying to do too much,” Blackman said of what’s changed from his freshman campaign. “I’m staying within myself, hitting the ball the opposite way, talking my walks when I get them. I’m not trying to put too much pressure on myself. Just control what I can control and hit the ball hard.”
The Rebels would take the lead for good in the second when senior outfielder Cameron Dishon singled up the middle, scoring freshman Ryan Olenek from second.
Dishon would strike again later in the game, delivering a two-run home run in the bottom of the eighth to extend the lead to 6-2.
“They were playing a weird shift in the six-hole, so I knew they were going to come in a lot,” Dishon said. “So, they came in again.”
Dishon is now tied with J.B. Woodman for the team lead in home runs at four apiece, and has 14 RBIs on the season.
The Ole Miss bullpen this season has thrown 88 innings and only surrendered 17 runs, good for a 1.74 ERA. The bullpen has been a key to the Rebels’ early season success because their dominance has allowed Bianco to not rely on his starters going too deep in contests.
“It’s been a huge strength for us,” Bianco said. “We’ve been able to go to it early in games and not really extend the starters.”
– Collin Brister
