bring it on

The appetizers have been consumed. The main course for Mississippi State and Ole Miss begins this weekend, when the first SEC games come out of the oven. Unranked Auburn will be served up to the Rebels in Oxford; State’s foe is a little less palatable — 10th-ranked (in one poll) LSU. And that three-game series, which starts Friday, is at the Tigers’ place. The Bulldogs are 14-5 but are 0-2 on the road and have some injury issues. Demarcus Henderson is hitting .405 (with just three RBIs), and Adam Frazier (.354) and Wes Rea (.329, 16 RBIs) have been steady contributors. But the Dogs’ hitting overall is still suspect, especially against an LSU staff that has posted six shutouts. State has an excellent staff ERA of 2.60, and yet there may be concerns about how the weekend starters will fare away from Dudy Noble Field for the first time. And the defense needs to tighten up: 27 errors are too many. It’s hard to find nits to pick with Ole Miss (14-3). Zach Kirksey has eight home runs and 30 RBIs. Alex Yarbrough is batting an eye-popping .471 with 45 runs accounted for. Matt Snyder is hitting .410. Starting pitchers Bobby Wahl (3-0, 1.96) and R.J. Hively (3-0, 2.08) have been stellar, and closer Brett Huber has four saves in four chances. The Rebels have outscored their opposition 146-54. Ole Miss may really fatten up on Auburn, which brings a 10-7 record to Oxford-University Stadium.
P.S. Mississippi’s four nationally ranked junior colleges began division play on Wednesday. No. 4 Hinds Community College and No. 19 Pearl River split an MACJC South doubleheader in Poplarville. The Eagles (16-3) had a 12-game win streak stopped in Game 2 when ex-Sumrall High star Brandon Pennington (4-0) tossed a shutout for PRCC (15-5). No. 13 Itawamba (14-3) swept Mississippi Delta in a North matchup, and No. 20 Copiah-Lincoln (13-4) split a South twinbill against Southwest. Jones County JC, which was ranked No. 2 in the NJCAA preseason poll, skidded to an 11-7 start and is playing Gulf Coast today in South Division action.