Diamond Rebels Preview: Ole Miss Set for Midweek Rematch with Memphis
OXFORD, Miss. – (Release) Ole Miss Baseball (18-11) travels north to Memphis (13-17) for a midweek rematch with the Tigers on Tuesday.
Leading Off
- Ole Miss went 1-4 last week with a midweek win over Austin Peay but were swept over the weekend by No. 15 Kentucky.
- The Rebels are ranked 15th in the nation in strikeouts per nine, averaging 10.9 punchouts per game.
- Ole Miss has hit 45 home runs this season, the 29th-highest mark in the NCAA.
- Ole Miss is fourth in the NCAA in walks drawn (190), averaging 6.55 per game. They are one of three SEC teams in the top five.
- Jackson Ross leads the SEC in walks and walks per game with 30 free passes.
- Ethan Lege is the hardest hitter to strikeout in the SEC, striking out just five times in 93 at bats this season.
- Connor Spencer has five saves this season, tied at the top of the SEC with Arkansas’ Gabe Gaeckle.
Scouting ReportÂ
Matt Riser is in his first year as head coach for the Memphis Tigers. Riser was previously the head coach at Southeastern Louisiana and led the Lions to four NCAA Tournament runs and three Southland Conference titles during his ten seasons with the Lions.
This will be the second meeting of the season between the Rebels and Tigers. The two foes last squared off in early March for the first game of the two game season series. Ole Miss walked away with a 5-3 win against Memphis, adding to their all-time record of 102-56 against the Tigers.
Memphis is coming off a series against Florida Atlantic. The Tigers dropped the series finale rubber match to American Athletic Conference newcomer FAU, 14-3.
Stealing Your HeartÂ
The Rebels have stolen 37 bases so far this season, just five short of their entire season total from 2023 and already three more than 2022. Since setting a new single-season program record in 2019 (93), Ole Miss has not stolen more than 44 bases in a season. They are currently averaging 1.28 stolen bases per game.
Ethan Groff has stolen 10 bases in 2024, having not been caught yet. Luke Hill is 9-for-10 in stolen base attempts.
The Road to 1,000
Head coach Mike Bianco needs just three more wins to reach 1,000 victories in his career. He currently sits at 997 career wins, with 897 coming at Ole Miss. His first 100 wins came from his three seasons at McNeese State.
Once Bianco reaches the milestone, he would be the 21st active coach with 1,000 wins under his belt. He would also become the 98th head coach in NCAA history to reach the mark.
In 24 seasons leading the program, Bianco has delivered 18 postseason appearances, including eight Super Regional berths and a pair of trips to the College World Series. He is the winningest-coach in Ole Miss history and ranks second all-time in wins by an SEC head coach.
Captain ClutchÂ
Ethan Lege has been the Rebels’ most clutch hitter, hitting .424 (14-for-33) with two outs in an inning. He has 14 two-out RBI, is hitting .308 with runners in scoring position, and is 8-for-11 when hitting with a runner on third base and less than two outs.
Getting Their Steps In
Ole Miss has drawn the fourth-highest number of walks in the nation with 190 free passes in 29 games. The Rebels are averaging 6.55 walks per game and are one of three teams from the SEC in the top five (South Carolina, Texas A&M, Ole Miss). Their 190 walks come out to 17,100 total feet or 3.24 miles of free bases.
Jackson Ross is seventh in the NCAA and leads the SEC with 30 total walks himself. He is averaging 1.07 walks per game, also the most in the SEC.
During their series against High Point, the Rebels set a new single-game program record for walks with 19 in game three.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.
