The Eagles Have Landed: Diamond Rebs Welcome Morehead State For Final Non-Conference Weekend

OXFORD, Miss. – The early part of the 2024 college baseball season has flown by. Ole Miss is 14 games in and is about to play its final non-conference weekend series of the year, as the Rebels welcome the Morehead State Eagles to Swayze Field for a three-game series.

Ole Miss has won three straight and seven of its last eight, with the most recent victory a 5-3 win over regional foe Memphis. Morehead State enters the weekend having won two of three over Butler, before losing in the midweek to Louisville. Ole Miss leads the all-time series against Morehead State, 15-4, with the last meeting coming in 1999.

The Blue and Yellow Birds

Morehead State hails from the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) and enters the weekend at 7-5. The Eagles have the ability to score runs, and lots of them, having scored 53 over their last four games, including a 27-15 victory over Butler during their most recent weekend series.

Ryley Preece is the offensive catalyst for the Eagles, having whacked eight homers on the season, adding 17 RBI. Preece comes into the weekend as the reigning OVC Player of the Week and has homered in four consecutive games. He is just one home run short of tying the current Morehead State record of 49. Preece has also reached base in 51 consecutive games, which is just one game shy of the school record as well.

𝗢𝗩𝗖 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗹𝗹 ⚾ 𝗖𝗼-𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸@MSUEaglesBsball OF Ryley Preece (@krpreece9)

• Smashed 5 HR’s, scored 9 runs and had 10 RBI while slugging 1.375#OVCit | #SoarHigher pic.twitter.com/wqbNNGlipt

— Ohio Valley Conference (@OVCSports) March 4, 2024

While Preece gets it done with the bat, he has the speed to match, stealing seven bases in eight attempts so far on the year. And as a team, the Eagles lead the OVC in swipes, with 29 stolen bases over 31 attempts, led by Colton Becker, who is nine-for-nine.

Becker also bats .426, added three homers and 15 RBI, while Roman Kuntz is second in both of those categories, with five bombs and 16 RBI’s. Morehead State hits .305 as a team.

On the mound, the Eagles have a collective ERA of 8.39, but two of the three projected starters for the weekend boast ERA’s under five. The Eagles intend to start Luke Helton Friday, Grant Herron Saturday, and Callum McGill on Sunday.

Helton leads not only the team, but the entire conference, in wins (3) and innings pitched (18.1). In those 18.1 innings, he has an ERA of just 2.95, allowing 15 hits, seven runs, and three walks, while striking out 19.

Grant Herron enters the series with a 4.91 ERA in 14.2 innings. He has surrendered 14 hits, 13 runs, and has walked 10, striking out 18.

Callum McGill has the highest ERA of the three starters, at 6.59, but also has the least innings pitched. In just 13.2 innings, McGill has given up 16 hits, 11 runs, and six walks, compared to 16 strikeouts.

Weekend Rebs

Ole Miss enters the series at 9-5. The Rebels’ runs have been coming in large loads. In five of the last nine, the Diamond Rebs have scored at least 12 runs, including a 25-point outburst two weeks ago in a win over High Point, and everyone has been getting in on the action.

Jackson Ross and Andrew Fischer were the stories of last week, but not to be outdone, the two Ethan’s, (Groff and Lege) made their mark on the latest midweek win over Memphis.

Groff ties it up!@ethangroff12 | SECN+ pic.twitter.com/9thdottM06

— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 7, 2024

Lege drops another bomb 💣@_ethanlege | SECN+ pic.twitter.com/dVmKpeQd7M

— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 7, 2024

And while the offense has been humming, Ole Miss pitching has continued to be a positive. The Rebels have lowered their collective bullpen ERA to just 4.35, better than Florida, Vanderbilt, and Missouri.

Ole Miss has seen new arms become dominant, with Austin Simmons, Brayden Jones, and Wes Mendes all adding some unexpected depth to the bullpen.

Simmons, in particular, has been a bright spot. The dual-sport lefty has not only already earned two wins, but he earned even more points with the fans on Wednesday. After starting spring football practice Wednesday morning, he took the mound against the Memphis Tigers Wednesday night, pitching an inning and striking out two batters.

Riley Maddox also returned to expected form on Wednesday night in the win over Memphis, going five innings, giving up just six hits and two runs, while striking out six and walking only one.

Five Ks through four, three straight scoreless innings for @riley_maddox1. pic.twitter.com/JCXApji8F8

— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 7, 2024

Earlier this week, head coach Mike Bianco announced he is making a change to the starting rotation this weekend. Gunnar Dennis will once again start on Friday, and Grayson Saunier will keep his regular Sunday role. But Liam Doyle, the transfer lefty from Coastal Carolina, will earn the Saturday start, his first start of the year.

Looking Ahead

Friday’s matchup is scheduled for a 6:30 PM first pitch, while Saturday’s game is set to go at 4 PM, and Sunday is slated for 1:30. All three games will once again be streamed on the SEC Network+.

Following the weekend series with the Eagles, the Rebels will have one final midweek matchup with Louisiana-Monroe before conference play begins with South Carolina in Oxford next weekend. Stay tuned to The Rebel Walk for all the action.