File Photo (Austin McAfee) | The Daily Mississippian
Stuart Turner rounds the bases during a game earlier this season.
BY MATT SIGLER
mcsigler@go.olemiss.edu
The No. 21 Ole Miss Rebels will put their six-game Southeastern Conference win streak on the line tonight when they welcome the Kentucky Wildcats to Oxford for a three-game series.
The Rebels (30-12, 10-8 SEC) enter the series off an 11-1 win Tuesday at Arkansas State and a sweep of Tennessee in Knoxville this past weekend. The Wildcats (26-14, 7-11 SEC) enter the series on a seven-game losing streak including being swept by South Carolina and losing twice to Tennessee, once to Louisville and most recently in an 18-inning marathon at Western Kentucky. Despite their recent struggles, though, Ole Miss is not taking the Wildcats lightly.
“I think they are a club that reminds me of us a lot,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said. “They are a very talented group. We all know if you don’t play well you lose in this league, regardless of who you’re playing. They are a team that was ranked in the top 10 just a couple of weeks ago.”
Ole Miss will send junior right-hander Bobby Wahl to the mound in tonight’s series opener. So far this season, Wahl is 8-0 in 10 starts with a 1.22 ERA. He is coming off a complete game shutout of Tennessee this past weekend, which earned him SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week honors.
Wahl’s competitor will be sophomore left-hander A.J. Reed, who is 2-5 this season. Reed boasts a 3.20 ERA in 10 starts this season.
Junior right-hander Mike Mayers will get the nod Friday for the Rebels. He brings in a 2-4 record with a 2.98 ERA in 10 starts. Mayers has run into some tough luck as of late, taking a no-decision in his past two starts, despite Ole Miss leaving the game with a win.
Senior left-hander Jerad Grundy will toe the rubber for the Wildcats Friday. Grundy is 5-4 with a 4.43 ERA this year in 10 starts. However, he holds a 6.82 ERA in SEC games.
Sophomore right-hander Sam Smith will close out the series on Saturday for the Rebels. After taking over the third starting role, Smith has compiled a 2-0 record in nine starts with a 3.49 ERA. He will battle against junior left-hander Corey Littrell. The 6-foot-3, 195-pounder is 4-3 with a 3.20 ERA in 10 starts. He has a team-high 54 strikeouts on the year.
At the plate for the Wildcats, Kentucky hits .264 as a team and averages 5.8 runs per game. Freshman outfielder Kyle Barrett leads the way with a .352 batting average. Reed, Kentucky’s ace pitcher, also plays first base when he’s not pitching, and he is second on the team with a .318 average. Reed has started every game and enters the series with a team-leading 50 hits, 10 home runs and 45 RBIs.
“They are a very talented club,” pitching coach Carl Lafferty said. “A lot of left-handed hitters. Guys that can really swing the bat. They have a very good offense.”
The Rebels hope to keep the bats hot this weekend after scoring 26 combined runs in their past four games. Ole Miss has a team batting average of .273 and averages 5.3 runs per contest. Junior catcher Stuart Turner continues to set the pace with a .381 batting average and 56 hits, both a team high. He is also the main run producer with 40 RBIs.
Junior shortstop Austin Anderson will also play a big role for the Rebels at the plate and in the field. After suffering a hamstring injury last weekend, he has been limited as to what he can do, and Bianco said “he is about 75 percent” heading into the series. Anderson is second on the team with a .296 batting average and is tied for third on the team with 40 hits.
Junior second baseman Preston Overbey has been slowed down with shin splints, which kept him out of Tuesday’s game. Overbey, who was placed in a boot Monday, hit in batting practice Tuesday and in the batting cages Wednesday, but he will not take ground balls until before today’s game, according to Bianco. However, Bianco also said Overbey should be ready come game time.
The series will begin tonight with a 6:30 p.m. first pitch that will be televised on ESPNU, will continue tomorrow at 6:30 p.m. and will finish up Saturday at 2:15 p.m.
For continuing coverage of Ole Miss baseball, follow @SigNewton_2 and @thedm_sports on Twitter.
Bobby Wahl releases a pitch during a game earlier this season. / Tyler Jackson
