Tag Archives: Ole Miss

02 Apr

poll positions

The Magnolia State has seven college teams ranked in various polls this week — not bad for a football state. Mississippi State (20-10), with a big SEC series at LSU looming, is up to No. 9 in Baseball America’s latest NCAA Division I poll, while Ole Miss (21-8) is down to No. 23 on the heels of being swept at Alabama last weekend. Belhaven University (28-11), which whipped Millsaps 10-7 in a Maloney Trophy Series game on Tuesday, dropped to 13th in this week’s NAIA poll. Jones County Junior College (28-4), which blanked Copiah-Lincoln in a doubleheader sweep on Tuesday, is No. 1 in NJCAA Division II, with East Mississippi fifth and Mississippi Delta 10th. But no team in the state is hotter than Delta State, which has won 11 in a row and is ranked 12th in Collegiate Baseball’s newest NCAA Division II poll. The Statesmen are 21-6 with a home game today against Arkansas-Monticello and a home Gulf South Conference series this weekend against Lee University. DSU is hitting .334 as a team, led by Will Robertson (.385), Carlos Leal (.382) and Dex Herrington (.369), the former Senatobia High and Northwest CC star who has four homers, 23 RBIs and 30 runs. The staff ERA is 2.34, and Michael Manley, from Terry by way of Meridian CC, is 6-0 with a 0.98.

01 Apr

eye openers

Desmond Jennings went 2-for-4 with a couple of runs and made a sensational catch in center field for Tampa Bay on Monday. But the ex-Itawamba Community College standout was the exception to the rule for Mississippians in the majors on opening day for most of the clubs. Meridian CC product Cliff Lee got a win for Philadelphia – but he allowed 11 hits and eight runs in five innings. Mississippi State alum Jonathan Papelbon did pitch a clean ninth in the 14-10 win over Texas. Former Bulldogs star Mitch Moreland went 0-for-3 for the Rangers. Southern Miss product Brian Dozier was 0-for-4 leading off for Minnesota in a 5-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox. And in Cincinnati, ex-Ole Miss standout Zack Cozart was 0-for-4 with two strikeouts and Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton 0-for-4 with four K’s in his debut as the Reds’ new leadoff batter. The Reds lost to St. Louis 1-0.

30 Mar

debut anniversaries

Climbing into the Wayback Machine here to celebrate some MLB debut anniversaries. The year 1984 was a banner year for Mississippians to break in. Four made The Show that season: Chris Brown, Stewart Cliburn and Mike Smith — all Jackson natives — and Natchez’s Fred Toliver. Brown had the best sustained career of that group, playing six seasons, hitting .268 and even making an All-Star Game appearance. But let’s go back further. Way back in 1924 — 90 years ago — Hughie Critz, a former Mississippi A&M player from Starkville, made his major league debut with Cincinnati. A second baseman, Critz would enjoy a fine career, batting .268 over parts of 12 big league seasons. Eighty years ago saw the debut of Ole Miss alumnus Charlie Moss, a catcher from Meridian who came up with the Philadelphia A’s. Former Mississippi Southern star Hugh Laurin Pepper broke in in 1954 as a pitcher with Pittsburgh. In 1974, Belzoni native Herb Washington, the Oakland A’s designated pinch runner, made his famous debut. He stole 29 bases that season — without once swinging a bat — but was released early in 1975, never to return. Twenty years ago, Pontotoc’s Steve Pegues, a former first-round draft pick, arrived in the majors for his brief stay (100 games as an outfielder over two years). And in 2004, Hattiesburg’s Joey Gathright and Natchez’s Nook Logan, both outfielders with exceptional wheels, got their calls. Both enjoyed some success, but neither remains in the big leagues.

30 Mar

big sunday

The state’s Big 3 Division I schools find themselves in very different positions heading into series finales today. Ole Miss seeks to avoid a sweep at Alabama; Mississippi State will play a rubber game against Arkansas at Dudy Noble Field; and Southern Miss goes for the sweep at Florida Atlantic. Worth noting, too, is a doubleheader in Lorman, where Jackson State will try to rebound from a 4-3 loss to struggling Alcorn State in Saturday’s SWAC series opener. Ole Miss, coming off a thumping by USM at Trustmark Park in Pearl last Tuesday, saw ace Chris Ellis (0.67 ERA) get KO’d early by Alabama in a 7-6 loss on Friday, then fell 6-5 in 10 innings on Saturday. The Rebels, ranked ninth, are now 21-7, 4-4 SEC. State, ranked 13th, moved to 5-3 in the league and 19-10 overall by beating Arkansas 5-1 in Game 2 on Saturday after dropping Game 1 of the twinbill 4-0. USM clinched its third straight Conference USA series win with a 5-2 over Florida Atlantic on Saturday. The Golden Eagles won the opener 2-0 on Friday. USM has won four straight games overall to reach 15-12 and 6-2 C-USA. P.S. Jackson native and Ole Miss alum Seth Smith hit his first homer of the spring in San Diego’s last exhibition game on Saturday. The left-handed hitting Smith, batting .325 with seven RBIs in his first camp with the Padres, should see plenty of playing time early on, though he may sit in tonight’s opener against Los Angeles Dodger lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu. The Padres put Carlos Quentin on the disabled list — where he joins Cameron Maybin — and sent Kyle Blanks to Triple-A, reducing the crowd in their outfield. Smith is one of five on the opening day roster.

28 Mar

mlb roster news

Found wanting in Minnesota, Alex Presley has found a roster spot in Houston. The Astros have claimed the former Ole Miss standout off waivers and reportedly will put him on their opening day roster as a backup outfielder. Presley, a .264 career hitter, had a poor spring with the Twins and was beaten out by Aaron Hicks for the starting center field job. Presley, a left-handed hitter with some pop and some speed, is the “type of player you hope becomes available in a waiver claim,” Astros GM Jeff Luhnow told mlb.com. In other moves: Meridian Community College alumnus Corey Dickerson apparently will make the Colorado 25-man roster with the Rockies deciding to carry six outfielders. … Pascagoula’s Joey Butler, claimed by St. Louis off waivers from Texas in the off-season, was sent down by the Cardinals. … Chris Coghlan, the ex-Ole Miss star, will join Delta State alum Eli Whiteside at Triple-A Iowa; both were in the Chicago Cubs’ camp as non-roster players. … Former Pillow Academy star Louis Coleman, a key member of Kansas City’s vaunted bullpen, may start the season on the disabled list with a finger injury. … Bobby Abreu was released by Philadelphia. With Freddy Garcia having been cut by Atlanta and Lance Berkman retiring in the off-season, there are no former Jackson Generals left in the major leagues. The Astros’ old Double-A club had produced a steady stream of big leaguers starting in 1991 when Tony Eusebio was the first to go up.

24 Mar

star search

The college season is still relatively young, but the individual stats are starting to mean something. Stars are forming. Ferriss Trophy candidates are coming into focus. Here’s a few worth noting: Auston Bousfield is hitting .379 for Ole Miss, and not far behind is Will Allen at .357 with four home runs and 32 RBIs. The Rebels’ top pitcher to date: Chris Ellis, 4-0 with a 0.67 ERA. Brett Pirtle leads Mississippi State with a .310 average, and Preston Brown tops a long list of strong pitchers at 3-0, 1.12. For Southern Miss, Matt Durst is batting .312 with three homers and 16 RBIs, and Bradley Roney has a 0.87 ERA and six saves. Tilur Smith leads Jackson State hitters with a .377 mark, and Jamal Wilson is 3-0 with a 3.06. Charles Moses tops Alcorn State at .370, and Arrington Smith leads Mississippi Valley State — which finally won a game over the weekend — with a .297. Dex Herrington is hitting .368 with four homers and 17 RBIs for Delta State, now 14-3 in the Gulf South Conference after sweeping Alabama-Huntsville in a matchup of nationally ranked NCAA Division II clubs. Co-aces Michael Manley (0.77) and Ricky Winters (1.45) are both 5-0 for the Statesmen. Paul Pickerrell leads Belhaven hitters with a .348 average, and on the bump Ben Allison is 6-0 with a 1.07 ERA. Not to be overlooked is Tyler Akins, a .345 hitter with 32 RBIs who has 10 saves and a 1.29 ERA. At William Carey, Sean Hodges is hitting .319, and Scott Fabre has five homers. Gavin Culpepper (3-2, 2.60) has been the Crusaders’ steadiest arm. For Millsaps, Logan Patterson is hitting .375, Andrew Rafferty .359 and Isaac Glenn .356, and as a pitcher, two-way standout Keith Shumaker is 3-0 with a 1.05. Marty Stringfellow leads Mississippi College hitters with a .447 average (in just 11 games), while Spencer Wilson is at .333. Brooks Fortenberry is 2-1 with a 2.80 ERA for the Choctaws, who swept LeTourneau, nationally ranked in D-III, over the weekend.

16 Mar

box score browsing

It’s mid-March. MLB’s Opening Day approaches. Rosters are taking shape. A little box score scanning this morning reveals that no Mississippian in the majors is hotter than Jarrod Dyson. The ex-Southwest Mississippi Community College star is hitting .364 with a home run (on Saturday) and six steals. Surely the speedy outfielder has nailed down a role with Kansas City, which is starving to make the playoffs. On the subject of speedy outfielders, Cincinnati has to be pleased with what it has seen from Taylorsville’s Billy Hamilton, expected to take over as leadoff batter and center fielder this season. Hamilton is hitting .276 with seven steals and nine runs … Others enjoying a good spring to date: Meridian CC product Corey Dickerson (.371, a homer, five RBIs for Colorado); Itawamba CC alumnus Desmond Jennings (.346, a homer, five RBIs, two steals for Tampa Bay); former Mississippi State star Tyler Moore (.306, a homer, six RBIs for Washington); Ole Miss product Seth Smith (.286 for San Diego); ex-Meridian CC standout Cliff Lee (1-1, 2.63 ERA in 13 2/3 innings for Philadelphia); and Mississippi Gulf Coast CC alum Tony Sipp (0.00 ERA in seven innings for the Padres). … Also of note: Southern Miss product Brian Dozier hit his first homer on Friday and is batting .269 for Minnesota; former MSU star Mitch Moreland has six RBIs and a .250 average for Texas; Ole Miss alum Drew Pomeranz has 11 strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings for Oakland; and Pascagoula native Joey Butler, a longshot to make the St. Louis club, is hitting .235 with two RBIs in 17 at-bats. Former Rebels Alex Presley (.160 for the Twins) and Chris Coghlan (.211 for the Chicago Cubs) are struggling, as is MSU product Paul Maholm (7.04 ERA for the Los Angeles Dodgers). P.S. Former Mississippi Braves shortstop Brandon Hicks is having a terrific spring as a non-roster player with San Francisco. Hicks is batting .370 with a homer and six RBIs in 27 ABs. … Generally, it was a good weekend for the state’s Big 3 college teams in their conference openers. USM and State both took two of three, with the Bulldogs halting Georgia’s 11-game win streak with a Saturday sweep, and Ole Miss handed top-ranked South Carolina its first loss on Friday, though the Rebels lost the series.

14 Mar

the new season

Road tests are in order as conference play begins this weekend for the state’s Big 3. Ole Miss is at South Carolina, Mississippi State is at Georgia and Southern Miss is at Marshall. All three series are big in their own way, but it’s USM’s that seems most compelling. The Golden Eagles are scuffling at 7-10. They’re hitting .230 as a team, with a .301 slugging percentage. They aren’t running much either: 7-for-12 on steals. Keep in mind that USM started sluggishly in 2013 and wound up winning the Conference USA regular season title and making the tournament championship game. No need for panic at this stage. Note, too, that the pitching has been generally good. Cameron Giannini, slated to start Sunday, is 1-1 with a 1.42 ERA in four starts, and Bradley Roney (a .302 hitter) has five saves and a 0.96 ERA in seven relief appearances. Perhaps the bats will get going at Marshall, which is 5-10 overall — but 2-1 in the league. P.S. Two other key series are going on this weekend: Jackson State hosts Mississippi Valley State in the SWAC and Belhaven visits Faulkner in a Southern States Athletic Conference clash. JSU is 13-6 (2-1 SWAC) and has won six straight games, with Melvin Rodriguez (.317, 15 RBIs) swinging the hot bat. Valley is 0-15 and 0-4. … Belhaven is 22-4 with seven straight wins. Faulkner is 22-5 – and ranked No. 1 in NAIA. The teams are tied atop the SSAC at 7-2. The Blazers love to run; they’ve got 96 steals. The Eagles love to mash; they’ve got 17 home runs.

10 Mar

heat check

The Chicago Cubs’ cast of outfielders is not exactly star-studded, including the likes of Junior Lake, Justin Ruggiano, Nate Schierholtz and Ryan Sweeney. Also in the mix this spring — as a non-roster invitee — is former Ole Miss standout Chris Coghlan. The former National League rookie of the year went 1-for-3 with an RBI today, but with only two hits in 16 at-bats for the spring, he hasn’t made a great impression. Coghlan, 28, is a .270 career hitter (spent entirely with the Miami Marlins) who has had bad luck with injuries. He hit .256 in 70 games last year for the Marlins, who elected not to bring him back. Eli Whiteside, the former Delta State catcher, is also in Cubs camp as a non-roster player. Whiteside, 34, is hitless in seven at-bats this spring as he bids for the job backing up Wellington Castillo. Whiteside, a good receiver, is a .215 career hitter who spent 2013 in Triple-A with Texas and batted just .187. At this stage, it appears both Coghlan and Whiteside will be left out in the cold when Chicago sets its opening day roster.

06 Mar

number crunching

Delta State has won 33 straight games — yes, 33! — against Christian Brothers, which comes to Ferriss Field in Cleveland this weekend for a Gulf South Conference series. DSU is 79-11 all-time vs. CBU. The teams will play two on Saturday and a single game Sunday. The Statesmen, still nationally ranked in NCAA Division II, are 7-5 and 6-3 in the GSC. … Jackson State, which opens Southwestern Athletic Conference play this weekend at Braddy Field against Alabama A&M, is batting .211 as a team. And yet, the Tigers are 7-5 and coming off a 5-4 win over South Alabama. In addition to some solid pitching, JSU has 25 stolen bases, 21 sacrifice bunts and five sac flies. … Ole Miss and Mississippi State are 22-6 combined, and Memphis has wins over both of them. The Tigers (11-1) beat the Rebels (11-2) 4-1 on Wednesday. No longer in C-USA, Memphis doesn’t play Southern Miss this year but does take on Alcorn State and Mississippi Valley State in addition to another game with UM. … In Wednesday’s big junior college showdown in Senatobia, Jones County and Northwest split the doubleheader. The Rangers (now 9-5) got a 5-for-5, two-homer performance from Chase Clark in handing the Bobcats (15-1) their first loss of the year, 7-1, in the opener. JCJC won Game 2 5-3 as Trent Giambrone hit the Bobcats’ first homer of the season and Cole Barlow notched his fifth save. … East Mississippi CC improved to 12-4 by taking two from Pearl River at Poplarville on Wednesday. The Lions have swept four doubleheaders already. Chase Reeves had four hits, including a homer, in the PRCC sweep, while Connor Burton got his third save in Game 1 and J’Daylin Jackson his third win in Game 2.