Print Version: Ole Miss Rebels Baseball

The Ole Miss Rebels baseball team dropped a series last weekend to the Auburn Tigers on the road. The Rebels lost the opener Thursday, won the game Friday night and lost the rubber match Saturday.

Auburn won the opening game 6-3. This game was televised nationally on Thursday Night Baseball on ESPNU. This was a tight affair until the Tigers were able to crack open the game in the seventh and eighth innings.

Ole Miss won the second game 10-7. Auburn never led in this matchup and freshman pitcher, Bobby Wahl, was able to strikeout four while getting his third save of the season.
Auburn won the final game 9-7. In a game of missed opportunities, Ole Miss held the lead until the seventh inning when Auburn scored three runs to seal the series victory.

The defense, which had been a problem for the Rebels heading into the series, only committed two errors in the three games. There were a couple base running mistakes that hurt the Rebels, but the pitching gave up too many runs for Ole Miss to win.

While it might have been a tough series loss for the Rebels, they are still in position to win the Western division of the Southeastern Conference. The Ole Miss Rebels are currently one of three teams tied at the top of the division heading into the final month of the regular season.

“They feel good cause they are in the top. Also, with that said, I don’t think they played as good as they could. We’ve been hitting the ball well lately. We’ve just got to keep pitching better. We have South Carolina and Florida coming up. They’re two of the better teams in the SEC. We really need to get a win out of both of them. If we get two out of three that would probably cinch the West up,” said Rebels’ redshirt freshman pitcher Austin Hartzog.

The Rebels might not have had any problems with their bats last weekend, but a concern this season has been the team’s adjustment to the new bats being used in college baseball.

Prior to the 2011 college baseball season, the NCAA outlawed aluminum bats. The NCAA allowed a composite bat that is supposed to perform more like a wooden bat than an aluminum bat.

The decision to use these new bats has impacted the college game, leading to less home runs, but more singles and doubles. The composite bats have also led to better pitching statistics for teams, but lower hitting statistics.

Coaches have adjusted their offensive strategy because of the NCAA rules. Many coaches have stated that the new bats have made them use the small ball offensive method more than they had in the past. Teams now have to rely more on putting runners on base and scoring them as runs come at a premium. Prior to the composite bats, some teams relied on power alone to win games.

While these bats do decrease the scoring and excitement of the college game, it makes the players use equipment that is closer to what Major League Baseball uses. This helps scouts see how players are able to hit using the less powerful bats and also helps players prepare for games after college. The bats also keep the ball from travelling as fast, making the college game safer for players and fans alike.

“I feel that they have changed the game a little bit because there are still home runs hit, but obviously the ball does not go as far. So there are a lot more singles and doubles this year,” said Rebels’ redshirt freshman pitcher and infielder Casey Greene.

For a team that relied on power hitting in the past, adjustments have been made this season to the Rebels’ offense, and the bats have started to come alive for them the past couple weekends. The Rebels will need to hit well and continue to adjust to the composite bats over the next few weeks in order for them to stay in the race for the Western Division championship.

Ole Miss currently shares the Western division lead in the Southeastern Conference with Arkansas and Auburn by having a conference record of 9-9. The Rebels travel to the fourth ranked Florida Gators this weekend. The following weekends, the Rebels will host the third ranked South Carolina Gamecocks and then archrival Mississippi State Bulldogs. Ole Miss will finish their SEC slate against Arkansas in what could be a series for the SEC Western division championship and the number two seed in the SEC Tournament.