pick three

It’s time for the cream to rise in conference play. With Ole Miss hosting Alabama, Mississippi State visiting Arkansas and Southern Miss making the trip to Texas-San Antonio this weekend, here are three picks to click for the state’s Big 3, each of which needs to make a move. For UM: Colby Bortles, who has reached base in 19 of his last 20 games for the Rebels (21-21, 8-10 SEC). He is batting .288 with six home runs and 34 RBIs. For State: Cody Brown, who has 17 hits in his last 11 games, boosting his average 27 points to .323 for the Bulldogs (21-19, 6-12). Biloxi native Brown has 15 RBIs and 26 runs. For USM, Ryan Milton, who is 1-0 with eight saves for the Golden Eagles (22-14-1, 9-8 C-USA). The Jones County Junior College product has a 2.45 ERA and 18 strikeouts in 14 2/3 innings.