BY ALLISON SLUSHER
ajslushe@go.olemiss.edu
The Ole Miss softball team looks to pull an upset this weekend when Southeastern Conference newcomer Texas A&M, ranked 15th in the country, comes in to Oxford for a three-game series beginning today. It will be the Lady Rebels’ last conference series at home this season.
Both Ole Miss (22-29, 2-19 SEC) and Texas A&M (35-12, 6-11 SEC) were swept in league play last weekend, but both programs look to bounce back this weekend.
The Lady Rebels were swept at home by No. 2 Tennessee. Due to inclement weather conditions Wednesday, Ole Miss’ midweek doubleheader against Louisiana Tech was canceled. Texas A&M is coming into the weekend after being swept by Georgia on the road.
The Aggies are hitting .309 as a team and average 6.3 runs per game. They have six players hitting over .300 with freshman catcher/outfielder Cali Lanphear leading the team at the plate with a .368 average. Lanphear has also racked up 16 home runs and 47 RBIs this season.
Junior catcher/first baseman Nicole Morgan is second on the team with a .351 batting average. She is also a run-producer with 14 home runs and 49 RBIs on the year.
Freshman first baseman Madi Osias will set the pace for the Ole Miss offense, which is averaging 4.1 runs per contest. Osias is hitting a team-high .388 on the year to go along with six home runs and 22 RBIs. Sophomore third baseman/shortstop Allison Brown boasts a .331 average and has four home runs and 37 RBIs this season.
In the circle, senior Mel Dumezich and sophomore Lauren Ainsley are the two top pitchers for Texas A&M. Dumezich is an impressive 23-6 this season with a 2.13 ERA. She has tallied 188 strikeouts, and opponents are hitting just .197 against her. Ainsley is 11-5 with a 2.72 ERA.
The Lady Rebels will rely heavily on junior pitcher Carly Hummel in the circle. Hummel is 11-16 with a 4.80 ERA this season. She has racked up 108 strikeouts in 137 innings but also has issued 73 walks.
Ole Miss and Texas A&M are set to face off at 6 p.m. Friday at the Ole Miss Softball Complex. Saturday’s game is slated for 2 p.m., and the series finale will begin at 1 p.m. Sunday.
For continuing coverage of Ole Miss softball, follow @allison_slusher and @thedm_sports on Twitter.
