After the comeback and walk-off win on Wednesday against Arkansas Pine-Bluff, the Rebels now shift their focus to No. 1 ranked Florida in the Rebels’ SEC home opening series.
The walk-off win Wednesday was highlighted by the freshman trio of infielders Tate Blackman, Kyle Watson and Will Golsan. The three freshman combined for seven of the Rebels’ 10 hits. Blackman was the hero of the evening as he came through with the game-winning hit to give the Rebels the midweek victory. Blackman totaled three hits and drove in three runs, which are both career highs. Watson and Golsan both went 2-for-5 from the plate.
The victory was the second time in the past three games that Ole Miss has rallied from behind in the ninth inning, with one of those games coming against LSU on Saturday.
The Rebels are no strangers to playing top-ranked teams. Their series last weekend at LSU showed they can hang around with any team they are put up against.
The top two spots in the starting weekend rotation will stay the same with junior left-hander Christian Trent getting the start on Friday and sophomore right-hander Brady Bramlett pitching on Saturday.
For the first time in his career, Trent picked up a loss last Friday against LSU. Trent went seven inning against the Tigers giving up six runs (four earned runs) on nine hits. The seven innings for Trent tied his longest outing on the season. Known as the ace of the staff, Trent holds a 3-1 record on the season so far with a 3.45 ERA.
Bramlett will be the starter Saturday for the Rebels and has been a pleasant surprise in the rotation so far. Bramlett pitched a career-high seven innings in his start against LSU without allowing an earned run. Bramlett surrendered six hits giving up three unearned runs. On the season, Bramlett owns a 2-1 record with an outstanding 1.55 ERA. The right-hander has been a key part of the pitching staff for the Rebels as he missed the whole 2014 season due to injury.
The Sunday starter spot is still to be announced. The usual Sunday starter was senior right-hander Sam Smith, but Smith struggled mightily against LSU on Sunday, as he didn’t make it past the first inning by giving up five runs on three hits and two walks. On the season, Smith holds a 1-3 overall record with a 7.66 ERA. Smith has struggled with his command which has resulted in giving up runs early on in the game and putting runners on base early. If Smith is the starter Sunday, he’ll need to get his command down against a potent Florida offense.
Florida is the nation’s top-ranked team, according to D1baseball.com and deservingly so. Florida enters the weekend series at Swayze Field with a 19-3 overall record with a 2-1 record against SEC opponents, with those two wins coming against Tennessee. The Gators come into the series against Ole Miss fresh off a 14-8 victory against in-state rival Florida State, Tuesday. The Gators have picked up some quality wins over the course of the season, taking two out of three games against Miami, and taking one game against UCF.
When Florida comes to Swayze tonight, it will be the first weekend road trip of the season for the Gators. The Gators have only played three midweek games on the road this season and 19 of their 22 games have been at home.
The Gators may have the best starting rotation in the country, led by sophomore right-hander Logan Shore. Shore is widely considered one of the best pitchers in the country, holding a 3-1 record with a 1.78 ERA on the season. Shore’s one loss on the season came in his last start against Tennessee. Sophomore left-hander A.J. Puk will get the start on Saturday and has been a staple in a solid weekend rotation for the Gators. Puk owns a 4-1 record on the season with a 3.70 ERA. The Sunday starter for the Gators has yet to be announced.
The Florida offense is led by junior outfielder Harrison Bader. Bader was a 2014 Second Team All-SEC selection, who is hitting a blistering .419 average so far this season with 27 RBI’s and seven home runs. His seven homes rank second in the country.
As a team, the Gators lead the Southeastern Conference in doubles with 53 and are rock solid on defense with a .985 fielding percentage, which ranks third in the nation.
The Rebels will have their hands full with the Gators this weekend, but it will be another great test for the team against some of the best competition in the country.
