Tag Archives: Ole Miss

14 Apr

state of the state

Both Mississippi State and Ole Miss popped up in various national preseason polls. Then the games started. Since winning its first 13 (all at Starkville) and rising in some polls, State has gone 9-16, a tailspin that seemed to start with a home loss to Arkansas-Pine Bluff on March 3. The Bulldogs are 6-9 in the SEC West, a game back of Ole Miss (7-8). State has won just one SEC series (South Carolina), UM two (Florida and Vanderbilt). The Rebels, playing one of the toughest schedules in the nation, are just 18-18 overall, apparently missing the eight MLB draftees taken from last year’s College World Series club more than some people thought they would. There is, of course, lots of baseball still to be played in the SEC. But State and Ole Miss have lots of work to do to get back in the polls and, more importantly, back in the NCAA regionals. … Southern Miss is 20-12-1 (2-0 in the Trustmark Park College Series) and 8-6 (fifth) in Conference USA. The Golden Eagles, who have the league’s top hitter in Taylor Braley (.398), have won two straight C-USA series. … In the SWAC, Jackson State is 10-5 and third in the East, with Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State tied in the cellar at 3-14. JSU, the defending league tournament champ, is 21-14 overall. … Delta State is 17-13 and 12-8 (t-fifth) in the Gulf South Conference. The Statesmen celebrated Mike Kinnison’s 800th career win last week and then took two of three from Mississippi College in the renewal of their old rivalry. … MC, ineligible for the GSC title as it transitions to NCAA Division II, is 12-27, 4-22 in what will be coach Brian Owens’ final season in Clinton. … Millsaps, 25-7 and ranked 10th in NCAA D-III, is first in the Southern Athletic Association standings at 15-3. … In the NAIA Southern States Athletic Conference, William Carey (15-9) is third, Belhaven (10-16) seventh and Blue Mountain (7-18) 10th. Carey (24-19 overall) swept league foe Martin Methodist over the weekend. BU celebrated another Maloney Trophy Series championship by beating Millsaps last week, then got swept by No. 1-ranked Faulkner in the SSAC. … NAIA Tougaloo, under first-year coach Earl Sanders, is 5-30. … In the jucos, No. 1-ranked Hinds Community College (29-2) is tops in the MACJC at 16-2, having won its showdown with East Mississippi CC last Saturday. Northwest has moved to No. 2 in the league at 14-4, and EMCC is third at 13-5.

14 Apr

heat check

Roughly one week into the season, the hottest-hitting Mississippian in the majors is Seth Smith, the Ole Miss product who is at .385 in 13 at-bats for his newest team, Seattle. Another UM alum, Chris Coghlan, is batting .375 with a pair of home runs for the Chicago Cubs, who are off to a 4-2 start. Former Meridian Community College star Corey Dickerson is sailing along at .357 with two homers and nine RBIs for 5-2 Colorado. Ex-Taylorsville High standout Billy Hamilton, batting just .250, has seven steals and seven runs for Cincinnati, off to a 4-3 start. … As for pitchers, Aaron Barrett (Ole Miss, Washington), Jonathan Papelbon (Mississippi State, Philadelphia) and Drew Pomeranz (UM, Oakland) are unscored upon to this point, with Pomeranz yielding just two hits over seven innings in a win against Seattle. … Former Bulldogs star Kendall Graveman gets a start tonight for Oakland at Houston looking to shave his 18.90 ERA. Also eagerly awaiting his next turn is Picayune High product T.J. House, who has a 40.50 ERA for Cleveland. … Jarrod Dyson, the Southwest Mississippi CC alum, finally got in a game for Kansas City on Monday and delivered a single. … Ex-MSU star Ed Easley spent a couple of days in a St. Louis uniform but did not make his MLB debut before being returned to Triple-A Memphis.

07 Apr

with a bang

Seth Smith did something Monday that no Seattle player had ever done on opening day. And he did it in his Mariners debut. Before a packed house at Safeco Field, the former Hillcrest Christian and Ole Miss star delivered three extra-base hits (two doubles and a triple) to help the Mariners whip the Los Angeles Angels 4-1. “Opening day is special,” Smith, acquired by Seattle from San Diego in the off-season, told the Seattle Post Intelligencer. He has been in a different uniform for each of the last three. … Not to be overlooked, Meridian Community College product Corey Dickerson homered in his first at-bat, added a double and finished with four RBIs as Colorado routed Milwaukee 10-0. “He just swings hard in case he hits it – that’s pretty much his approach,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss told mlb.com about Dickerson, who blasted 24 homers last year. … Also of note from an action-packed opening day in MLB: Mississippi Gulf Coast CC alum Tony Sipp threw a clean eighth inning in Houston’s 2-0 shutout of Cleveland, and ex-Taylorsville High star Billy Hamilton had a hit, scored twice and stole a base in a win by Cincinnati.

06 Apr

battle stations

Eli Whiteside, who retired in the off-season at 35, is now San Francisco’s bullpen catcher. Whiteside, a former Delta State star from New Albany, played 216 MLB games spread over 10 years, batting .210 with 10 home runs and 45 RBIs. He was in the majors briefly with the Chicago Cubs last season and signed a minor league deal with Atlanta in the off-season before opting to retire. … There are still four managers with Mississippi connections in MLB: Former Mississippi State star Buck Showalter in Baltimore, ex-Jackson Mets skipper Clint Hurdle with Pittsburgh and former JaxMets players Ned Yost and John Gibbons in Kansas City and Toronto. Coaches with connections are scattered about, as well: Bobby Dickerson (Laurel resident, Baltimore), Jim Hickey (Jackson Generals coach, Tampa Bay), Bobby Thigpen (State, Chicago White Sox), Mickey Callaway (Ole Miss, Cleveland), Dave Clark (Jackson State, Detroit), Neil Allen (JaxMets, Minnesota), Dave Hudgens (Gens coach, Houston), Alan Zinter (JaxMets, Houston), Dave Magadan (JaxMets, Texas), Roger McDowell (JaxMets, Atlanta), Jeff Branson (Waynesboro, Pittsburgh) and Chris Maloney (State, St. Louis). … Former Southern Miss and MLB star Kevin Young is now a special assistant for the Pirates and spent much of spring training working with Pedro Alvarez, who is shifting from third to first base, as Young did in his playing days. … Former Mississippi Braves managers Brian Snitker and Rocket Wheeler are still running teams in Atlanta’s system, at Gwinnett and Danville, respectively, and ex-M-Braves standout Scott Thorman will manage in Kansas City’s system in 2015. Other minor league skippers with Mississippi ties: Rick Sweet, Gary Allenson, Wally Backman, Al Pedrique, Joe Mikulik, Pedro Lopez and Jimmy Gonzalez.

04 Apr

ups and downs

Louis Coleman, the former Pillow Academy star, cleared waivers on Friday and was outrighted to Triple-A Omaha by Kansas City. The Royals reportedly wanted to keep the right-handed reliever in their system; he posted a 3.55 ERA this spring and has a 3.25 career MLB mark, though he struggled in 2014. … Expectations certainly have changed for Lance Lynn. Entering the 2014 season, the Ole Miss product was considered St. Louis’ No. 4 or 5 starter. He went to the post 33 times, worked over 200 innings, won 15 of his 25 decisions and put up a 2.74 ERA. For 2015, he gets the nod in Game 2 against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on Tuesday. Lynn capped his spring with six shutout innings against the New York Mets on Thursday. “He was great – everything we needed to see,” Cardinals manager Mike Matheny told FoxSports.com. … Former UM standout Alex Presley, designated for assignment by the Houston Astros earlier this week, is likely to be traded, according to reports. Presley, an outfielder with five years of big league experience, hit .244 with the Astros in 2014 and has a career .259 average. … Meridian Community College alumnus Corey Dickerson, who had been out of the Colorado lineup with a back problem, returned on Friday. … Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton got a pair of hits Friday for Cincinnati to boost his spring average to .240. The speedster is 2-for-4 on stolen base tries.

03 Mar

sad news

Sad to hear about the death of Jeff McKnight, who played for the Double-A Jackson Mets in 1986 and ’87. McKnight, who spent parts of six seasons in the big leagues, lost a 10-year battle with leukemia on Sunday, according to reports. He was 52. The Arkansas native hit .252 with four home runs, 55 RBIs and 71 runs in 132 games for the ’86 JaxMets, who reached the Texas League Championship Series under manager Mike Cubbage. McKnight played five positions, mostly second base, and even pitched a little. He spent part of the ’87 season in Jackson before going to Triple-A Tidewater. He made his big league debut in 1989 with the New York Mets. P.S. On a brighter subject, Anthony Alford, the former Mr. Baseball from Petal, got in as a pinch runner today in Toronto’s spring training game and scored a run. Also showing up in the box scores from the first true Grapefruit and Cactus League games of 2015: Mississippi State product Jacob Lindgren (2/3 inning, two hits, two runs, both unearned, one strikeout) with the New York Yankees; Starkville native Julio Borbon (1-for-1 with an RBI and a run) with Baltimore; and Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton (1-for-3 with a run) and ex-Ole Miss standout Zack Cozart (1-for-2 with an RBI) with Cincinnati.

02 Mar

jury’s still out

College baseball’s new ball hasn’t made a big difference — at least not yet — in the power numbers at the state’s Big 4 NCAA Division I schools. Mississippi State, off to a 13-0 start, has been scoring runs aplenty but has belted only six home runs. Brent Rooker is the team leader with two. The Bulldogs hit 16 bombs in 63 games in 2014, with Wes Rea hitting five of those, so they are ahead of that pace. Ole Miss (6-4) has just five homers. Sikes Orvis has hit three, but he hit 14 last year with the old ball. UM hit 42 as a team in 69 games. Southern Miss (5-4-1) has rapped seven homers, on pace to hit more than last year (25 in 60). Connor Barron and Matt Durst have three bombs each for the Golden Eagles. Barron hit four last year, Durst six. Jackson State (5-5) has four homers in its 10 games. Warmer, drier weather, whenever it sets in, would figure to help the hitters, from a comfort standpoint if nothing else.

28 Feb

swing thoughts

“Good field, no hit” was not a label that applied to Zack Cozart prior to 2014. And it’s one he is eager to shed. The Ole Miss product, a top-drawer defensive shortstop for Cincinnati, saw his offensive numbers slide last year to .221 with four homers and 38 RBIs. He was a .250 hitter with 27 homers combined in 2012-13. Cozart reportedly noticed a “glitch” in his swing while reviewing video in the off-season and believes it’s an easy fix. And there’s this: He may be pushed this spring by newly acquired Eugenio Suarez, who batted .242 with four homers and 23 RBIs in 85 games with Detroit last year and has a .271 career minor league average. P.S. Odds and ends: Corey Wimberly, the former Alcorn State star and 10-year minor leaguer, will play in Mexico this season, according to an milb.com story. Wimberly, 31, has played for seven different organizations without reaching The Show. “I’ve only enjoyed it,” he said of the ride. “I haven’t gotten to that bitter point.” … Former Hinds Community College star Beau Wallace signed a minor league deal with Milwaukee for this season after not playing in 2014. Drafted as a third baseman by Pittsburgh in 2013, Wallace is now listed as a catcher. … Starkville native Julio Borbon re-signed a minor league deal with Baltimore; he put up good numbers for the Orioles in Triple-A last year but never got a call-up.

22 Feb

heat check

No college team in the state is hotter at the moment than Mississippi State. While the weather of late has been anything but consistent, the Bulldogs (6-0 as of this morning) have been steadily pounding the ball, scoring 72 runs all told, including 18 in a rout of overmatched Alabama State on Saturday. State is batting .343 as a team, led by Jacob Robson, whose .667 mark leads the regulars.
Also hot: Ole Miss’ J.B. Woodman (.429) and Christian Trent (2-0, 1.64 ERA in two starts) have carried the Rebels to a 3-1 start. … William Carey had a 10-game win streak stopped on Saturday in a loss to Loyola of New Orleans. The Crusaders are 10-1 and 5-1 in the Southern States Athletic Conference, led at the plate by Tyler Richardson (.435, 20 runs). … Keith Shumaker, Millsaps’ NCAA Division III All-American, is 2-0 with a 1.38 ERA in his two starts for the 3-1 Majors. Shumaker beat D-III No. 8 Webster on Saturday. … Southern Miss has three players hitting over .350 — Dylan Burdeaux, Connor Barron and Tim Lynch — and a staff ERA of 2.29, but the error-prone Golden Eagles are 0-3-1 after a 3-0 start.
Also not-so-hot: Mississippi College coach Brian Owens notched career win No. 200 on Thursday in a 16-inning battle against Union, but the Choctaws dropped the last two games of that Gulf South Conference series. MC is 7-4 and 2-4 in the conference. … Belhaven was swept by Mobile in a three-game SSAC series at home this weekend, scoring only eight runs. Ranked No. 14 in the NAIA preseason poll, the Blazers (10-7) have a staff ERA of 5.08. … Pitching has also been an issue for Delta State, which is off to a 2-5 start. The Statesmen’s ERA is 6.38. DSU, 1-2 in the Gulf South, will try to play a home-opening doubleheader today against GSC foe North Alabama at Ferriss Field in Cleveland. … Jackson State has lost three of four after a 3-1 start. The Tigers also have had pitching issues: 6.24 ERA. … Blue Mountain pitchers yielded eight home runs in a doubleheader against NAIA No. 5 Faulkner on Saturday and were swept in the SSAC series by a 32-7 margin. The Toppers are 7-7, 1-5.

17 Feb

happy campers

Major league camps formally open this week. As usual, a host of Mississippi-connected players will be in Florida and Arizona, some aiming to build on big years, some attempting comebacks from down years or injuries, some just trying to make an impression and land a job. A few are in new places this year, some may be anticipating a move before opening day. Rest assured, all are happy to be in an MLB camp. Who wouldn’t be? Here’s the list:

40-man roster members
Position players
Chris Coghlan (Ole Miss), Chicago Cubs; Zack Cozart (Ole Miss), Cincinnati; Brian Dozier (Southern Miss), Minnesota; Corey Dickerson (Meridian CC), Colorado; Jarrod Dyson (Southwest CC), Kansas City; Ed Easley (Mississippi State), St. Louis; Billy Hamilton (Taylorsville), Cincinnati; Desmond Jennings (Itawamba CC), Tampa Bay; Tyler Moore (MSU), Washington; Mitch Moreland (MSU), Texas; Alex Presley (Ole Miss), Houston; Seth Smith (Ole Miss), Seattle

Pitchers
Aaron Barrett (Ole Miss), Washington; Louis Coleman (Schlater/Pillow Academy), Kansas City; David Goforth (Ole Miss), Milwaukee; Kendall Graveman (MSU), Oakland; T.J. House (Picayune High) Cleveland; Cliff Lee (Meridian CC), Philadelphia; Lance Lynn (Ole Miss), St. Louis; Jonathan Papelbon (MSU), Philadelphia; Drew Pomeranz (Ole Miss), Oakland; Tony Sipp (Gulf Coast CC), Houston

Non-roster invitees
Position players
Anthony Alford (Petal), Toronto; Tim Anderson (East Central CC), Chicago White Sox; Joey Butler (Gulf Coast CC), Tampa Bay; Hunter Renfroe (MSU), San Diego; Stuart Turner (Ole Miss), Minnesota; Alex Yarbrough (Ole Miss), Los Angeles Angels

Pitchers
Brent Leach (Delta State), Milwaukee; Jacob Lindgren (MSU), New York Yankees; Paul Maholm (MSU), Cincinnati; Cody Satterwhite (Ole Miss), New York Mets; Chris Stratton (MSU), San Francisco; Donnie Veal (Jackson), Atlanta