Tag Archives: Ole Miss

26 Sep

falling in

Fall ball has cranked up at Ole Miss, where the Rebels welcomed back 20 players from last spring’s College World Series finalist and blended in 18 recruits from a class rated No. 15 in the nation by Collegiate Baseball. Sophomore Colby Bortles, a .250 hitter in a part-time role in 2014, went 5-for-7 with a home run, three RBIs and three runs in two intrasquad scrimmages last weekend. Mike Bianco’s Rebels are slated for games today and Saturday at Oxford-University Stadium. … For the record, Mississippi State’s recruiting class was rated No. 6 by Collegiate Baseball. Baseball America’s ratings have not been released. … Belhaven University’s Steak and Burgers Series is under way at Jackson’s Smith-Wills Stadium. The Green leads the Gold 2-0; Thursday’s game was halted after eight innings with the scored tied 5-5. The Blazers were an NAIA regional participant last spring. … Mississippi College held a ribbon-cutting ceremony for its new Rice Field House on Thursday. The hope in Clinton is that the baseball-specific facility will aid in recruiting as the Choctaws move into NCAA Division II. They’ll play a Gulf South Conference schedule in 2015. … Two new coaches are on the job in the junior college ranks: former Delta State assistant Rodney Batts at Mississippi Gulf Coast Community College and Ken Jackson at Southwest Mississippi CC. Batts was replaced on Mike Kinnison’s staff by former DSU star Eric Patten.

21 Sep

spoiler alert

Your spoiler this day was ex-Ole Miss star Chris Coghlan, who stuck it to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Coghlan hit two home runs, a leadoff blast and a two-run go-ahead shot in the eighth inning, to lift the Chicago Cubs to an 8-7 victory at Wrigley Field. The Dodgers already have clinched a playoff berth but are trying to nail down the National League West title, a more valuable prize. Coghlan, having a bounce-back campaign for the Cubs after losing his way with Miami, went 4-for-4 with three runs and three RBIs. The lefty-hitting outfielder is batting .283 with eight home runs, 38 RBIs and 45 runs. “I just feel blessed at the opportunity I have,” Coghlan told The Associated Press. He may well get another opportunity with the young but talented Cubs in 2015. P.S. Mississippians in the majors put on quite a power display on Saturday. Also going deep were Meridian Community College alum Corey Dickerson (No. 24), Southern Miss product Brian Dozier (No. 21), former Ole Miss star Alex Presley (No. 6) and ex-Rebel Zack Cozart (No. 4).

17 Sep

as the dust clears

Buck Showalter and his Baltimore Orioles celebrated an American League East championship after beating visiting Toronto 8-2 on Tuesday night. It’s the first division crown for the O’s since 1997. Former Mississippi State standout Showalter will make his fourth foray into the postseason as an MLB skipper looking for another elusive achievement. For all his success (.521 winning percentage) in various places, Showalter has yet to win a postseason series. … In Atlanta, former MSU star Tyler Moore and Ole Miss product Aaron Barrett got to celebrate as Washington clinched the National League East with a 3-0 win over the Braves. … In the role of spoiler, Meridian Community College alumnus Corey Dickerson went 2-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs to lead Colorado to a 10-4 win over the Los Angeles Dodgers, whose NL West lead over San Francisco slipped to 3 games. Dickerson is batting .307 (he’d be in the top five in the batting race if he had enough plate appearances) with 23 bombs, 73 RBIs, 70 runs, 27 doubles, five triples and eight stolen bases. … Former Mississippi Braves star Charlie Morton, making his first start in a month because of injury issues, threw five shutout innings for Pittsburgh, which beat Boston 4-0 and boosted its postseason hopes. Morton is 6-12 with a 3.72 ERA for former Jackson Mets manager Clint Hurdle’s Bucs, who are just 2 1/2 games back of St. Louis in the NL Central. … Wasting a great start (one run in seven innings) by ex-Ole Miss standout Lance Lynn, the Cardinals lost to Milwaukee 3-2 in extra innings. … M-Braves alumnus Craig Kimbrel is Atlanta’s nominee for the Roberto Clemente Award, ex-M-Brave Todd Redmond is Toronto’s and Morton is Pittsburgh’s.

15 Sep

a few observations

Former Mississippi State star Jonathan Papelbon blew a save (just his fourth of the year in 41 chances) on Sunday, got booed by the Philadelphia crowd, made an apparent vulgar gesture as he walked to the dugout, got ejected and then engaged umpire Joe West in a heated confrontation. Can this marriage be saved? Papelbon clearly doesn’t want to be in Philly, and maybe this was the final straw for Phillies management. … Four former Mississippi Braves belted home runs on Sunday, but none did so for Atlanta. Martin Prado and Brian McCann went deep for the New York Yankees, Yunel Escobar for Tampa Bay and Jordan Schafer for Minnesota. … Meanwhile, M-Braves alum Mike Minor allowed eight hits, three walks and five runs in 4 2/3 innings as skidding Atlanta lost its third straight game to a woeful Texas team that is playing a veritable Triple-A lineup. Minor is 6-11 with a 4.74 ERA. The Braves are just one game over .500 and likely have had a fork stuck in their season. … Former Ole Miss star Seth Smith got a hit for San Diego, but it was just his fifth in 35 at-bats. His latest slump has dropped his average to .268, and he has been stuck on 12 home runs for a while also. … Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton stole a base, his 56th on the year for Cincinnati but first since Sept. 2. He is also slumping (.139 over his last 10 games) at the plate and has seen his average fall to .259. … Former Jackson Generals standout Bobby Abreu is 2-for-3 since the New York Mets recalled him from the minors. Abreu now has 2,468 career knocks and a .291 average.

12 Sep

life’s a pitch

You want good pitching … you need good pitching … especially in the heat of the playoff race. But good isn’t always rewarded; such is the fickle nature of baseball. Both Ole Miss alum Lance Lynn and ex-Picayune High standout T.J. House were good on Thursday. Only one could smile at day’s end. Firing furious fastballs at Cincinnati’s hitters, veteran right-hander Lynn went eight innings for St. Louis. He allowed just three hits (one by Billy Hamilton) and one run, struck out six and walked one. But the Cardinals, clinging to first place in the National League Central, were shut out by Johnny Cueto and Aroldis Chapman. Lynn took the loss in the 1-0 game and is now 15-9 with a 2.73 ERA. Plying pinpoint placement against Minnesota, rookie left-hander House went seven innings for Cleveland. He allowed just four hits (one by Brian Dozier) and no runs with eight strikeouts and no walks. The Indians, trying to chase down an American League playoff berth, scored two runs and House got the victory, in Game 2 of a twinbill sweep, to improve to 3-3, 3.42. (For what it’s worth, House became the first Cleveland pitcher ever to go at least seven innings and allow one run or less with no walks in three consecutive starts.) “It’s really exciting to watch his development,” Indians manager Terry Francona told mlb.com. P.S. Former Harrison Central star Bobby Bradley was named the rookie level player of the year for 2014 by Baseball America. Bradley, an Indians farmhand, batted .361 with eight homers and 50 RBIs in the Arizona League. Also making BA’s classification all-star teams were Ole Miss product Auston Bousfield (Padres) in short-season Class A; former Mississippi State star Kendall Graveman (Blue Jays) in high Class A; and ex-Mississippi Braves closer Chasen Shreve in Double-A.

09 Sep

comes a time

October gets the hype, but heroes can be made in September, as well. There are a handful of Mississippians on teams that are still contending for MLB playoff berths. Some hold prominent positions, some just occupy supporting roles. But you never know who the moment will find or when it’ll happen. That’s what makes the playoff push so compelling. In the heated American League Central race, outfielder Jarrod Dyson (Southwest Mississippi Community College) and right-hander Louis Coleman (Pillow Academy) are trying to help Kansas City make the postseason for the first time since 1985. Among the teams trying to catch the first-place Royals is Cleveland, which has found a reliable starting pitcher in lefty T.J. House (Picayune High). Oakland, still in the hunt in the AL West as well as the wild card race, has a stable full of quality arms, including left-hander Drew Pomeranz (Ole Miss), who can start or relieve in a pinch. Toronto, still standing in the AL wild card scrap, brought up minor league sensation Kendall Graveman (Mississippi State) to help in its bullpen. Graveman (see previous post) gave up a hit and a run in his MLB debut on Sept. 5. (Incidentally, he became the 25th Mississippi-connected player to appear in the big leagues in 2014.) In the National League, Washington may just be the best team out there, and Mississippians Tyler Moore (Mississippi State) and Aaron Barrett (UM) are contributing, Moore as a right-handed slugger off the bench and Barrett as a righty out of the pen. And for St. Louis, still in a dogfight in the NL Central, Lance Lynn (Ole Miss) already has won 15 games and will get the call in several more big ones. P.S. Desmond Jennings, the Itawamba CC product, may be shut down by Tampa Bay because of a nagging knee problem. Jennings hasn’t played since Aug. 28, and the Rays are fading fast from postseason contention. … A pair of Mississippi natives are on opposing sides in the Double-A Eastern League Championship Series. Jackson native and ex-Ole Miss star Cody Satterwhite has a 2.33 ERA and 15 saves for the Binghamton Mets, while Tupelo native and former MSU standout Chris Stratton (1-1, 3.52 in five starts) got the win for Richmond (Giants) in its division series clincher. … Houston native and Ole Miss alum Justin Henry (.251 in 73 games) is playing for Triple-A Pawtucket (Red Sox), which is in the International League finals.

02 Sep

back to work

Desmond Jennings got the Labor Day weekend off, thanks to a left knee problem. The former Itawamba Community College standout, who last played for Tampa Bay last Thursday, is expected back in the lineup soon, possibly today. Though the Rays are essentially out of the running for a postseason berth, it’s a safe bet they would like to see a strong finish from Jennings, who hasn’t had a stellar year. He is batting just .244 with 10 home runs, 36 RBIs, 15 steals and 64 runs in 123 games. Jennings, who plays center field and usually leads off, was riding a six-game hitting streak before he left the lineup. He was 9-for-28 (.321) in that span. … Washington, threatening to run away with the National League East, added Ole Miss alum Aaron Barrett and Mississippi State product Tyler Moore as September call-ups. Barrett, a right-handed reliever, was 3-0 with a 3.21 ERA in his prior stint with the Nationals, while Moore hit .214 with three homers in two brief tours. Moore, a former Northwest Rankin High and Meridian CC star, was hitting .265 with 10 homers and 44 RBIs at Triple-A Syracuse. P.S. Worth noting: Jonathan Papelbon, the ex-MSU standout, got the last three outs of Philadelphia’s no-hitter against Atlanta on Monday. The final out in the 7-0 game was a line drive to the first baseman off the bat of former Mississippi Braves standout Phil Gosselin.

01 Sep

all about arms

The lights were bright, the stage was big and T.J. House, the pride of Picayune High, rose to the occasion. On ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, before a sell-out crowd at Kansas City’s Kauffman Stadium, in a key American League Central contest, rookie left-hander House worked seven innings for Cleveland, allowing one run on five hits with no walks. He stood to get the win, which would have been his third of the year, but the Indians’ bullpen blew the save in the ninth. Cleveland scored twice in the 10th to take a 4-2 lead before the game was suspended because of weather. It’ll be resumed in Cleveland on Sept. 22. … Among the marquee games today is Pittsburgh at St. Louis, with former Ole Miss star Lance Lynn taking the mound for the Cardinals, who have caught Milwaukee in the National League Central race. Pittsburgh is hanging on in third place. Lynn is 14-8 with a 2.79 and is trying to become only the second pitcher in MLB to win at least 15 games in each of the last three seasons. … In Atlanta on Sunday, former Mississippi Braves standout Alex Wood delivered perhaps his best career outing in the Braves’ 1-0 win over Miami. Wood went eight innings, allowed five hits and no walks and fanned 12. Then ex-M-Braves closer Craig Kimbrel blew through the Marlins in the ninth for his 41st save. Former M-Braves Phil Gosselin, Freddie Freeman and Andrelton Simmons combined to go 7-for-11, but the only hit that produced a run for Atlanta was a home run (No. 21) by another ex-M-Braves star, Evan Gattis. Oh yeah, and former M-Braves right fielder Jason Heyward made yet another great catch. Doesn’t it seem like he does that everyday? … At Huntsville today, in the Double-A Southern League, the current M-Braves will pin their postseason hopes on right-hander Mitch Atkins (6-1, 3.56). The M-Braves need to beat Huntsville and get help from Mobile, which will try to halt Jacksonville’s nine-game win streak. If the Suns (a Miami affiliate) win again, they’ll also win the SL South. If the M-Braves do make the postseason, they’ll play at home on Saturday (Sept. 6) in the division series.

30 Aug

into the fire

Former Pillow Academy standout Louis Coleman is back in The Show, and he’s back at the best of times. Coleman rejoins the vaunted Kansas City bullpen in the heat of a title race; the first-place Royals lead Detroit by a half-game in the American League Central. And Cleveland, which beat KC 6-1 on Friday, isn’t out of it. Coleman worked a scoreless inning against the Indians in his first MLB appearance since July 12. Maybe that’s a good sign. The lanky right-hander, a Greenwood native who starred at LSU, pitched well for the Royals in 2011 and ’12 and was great last year, with an 0.61 ERA in 29 2/3 innings. But he has had problems in 2014, which he has spent bouncing between KC and Triple-A Omaha. His big league ERA is 7.15. In 22 2/3 innings, Coleman has yielded 31 hits (five homers) and 14 walks. His Omaha numbers have been much better: 3.86 ERA, seven saves in nine chances. Ned Yost and the Royals would surely love to see Coleman recapture that 2013 magic down the stretch. P.S. Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton swiped two bags on Friday and now has 53, one short of tying Cincinnati’s rookie record (see previous post). … Ole Miss product Phil Irwin, who was in the minors, has been released by Texas. He made one MLB appearance this season after making one last year with Pittsburgh.

26 Aug

cut to the chase

As the finish line draws near, the front-running Mississippi Braves just can’t seem to put any distance between themselves and Jacksonville. The M-Braves, who conclude their home schedule tonight, have won seven straight games and eight of 10. But the Suns have won four in a row (and eight of 10) and remain only a game back in the Southern League South with six to play. The M-Braves (40-24 in the second half) finish the regular season with five games at Huntsville. Jacksonville (39-25), which plays at Tennessee tonight, ends with a five-game set at home against third-place Mobile (37-27), the first-half champ. The M-Braves are seeking a second straight playoff appearance and fourth in 10 years in Pearl. Steady right-hander Mitch Atkins (5-1, 3.73 ERA) gets the call tonight at 7 against Birmingham. The M-Braves banged out 13 hits in Monday’s 8-3 win. Rich Poythress, recently off the disabled list, had two hits and two RBIs, and Cedric Hunter also drove in two. Kyle Wren and Daniel Castro scored two runs apiece, and hot-hitting Gustavo Nunez picked up two more hits to boost his average to .305. … Tim Anderson, the former East Central Community College standout now with Birmingham, is 8-for-17 in his first four Double-A games with five RBIs and four runs. He was a first-round pick by the Chicago White Sox in 2013. P.S. The Oakland A’s will recall ex-Ole Miss star Drew Pomeranz for a spot start on Wednesday against Houston. Pomeranz was 4-3, 3.21 for the A’s before suffering a broken hand in mid-June. He has been in the minors ever since, putting up a 3-1 mark with a 3.69 at Triple-A Sacramento.