Tag Archives: Ole Miss

15 Jun

season on the blink

To say it’s been a tough year for Mississippi-connected pitchers in the big leagues would be an understatement. Almost seems like there is a curse. Nine starters began the season on various 40-man rosters. Currently, two are on an active roster, and one of those is a veteran having his worst season. Four are on the injured list, caught up in the epidemic of arm injuries sweeping baseball. Three are stuck in the minors, and one of those missed a month with an injury. J.P. France, a rookie with Houston out of Mississippi State, has been good since his May 6 call-up, posting a 2-1 record and 3.54 ERA in seven games. He’s the bright spot. The other active pitcher, 36-year-old ex-Ole Miss star Lance Lynn, is 4-7 with a 6.75 for the Chicago White Sox. His career numbers: 127-91, 3.66. Something ain’t right. Back on April 1, at a frigid Wrigley Field, Justin Steele and Brandon Woodruff hooked up in a dandy duel. Lucedale native Steele threw six shutout innings, fanning eight for the Chicago Cubs. Wheeler’s Woodruff allowed one run in six innings, also striking out eight, for Milwaukee. A harbinger of great things? Not really. Woodruff made only one more start before landing on the IL. He’s still there. Steele was fairly brilliant (6-2, 2.65) over 12 starts, but he is hurt, on the IL since May 31. Spencer Turnbull, the former Madison Central High standout with Detroit, came off Tommy John surgery this season, went 1-4 with a 7.26 and was headed to the minors before landing back on the IL. Then there’s Colorado’s Ryan Rolison, the former first-round pick out of Ole Miss. He missed all of 2022 after shoulder surgery but seemed on the brink of his big league debut last month when — alas — he went back on the IL after two brutal Triple-A starts. Dakota Hudson, the ex-MSU star, went to spring training with St. Louis hoping to regain a job in the starting rotation. He scuffled, was optioned to Triple-A, got hurt and is slowly working his way back. He started for Memphis at Jacksonville on Wednesday, gave up nine runs (six earned) in 3 2/3 innings and fell to 3-4, 5.84. Also in the minors — and scuffling — are MSU alum Konnor Pilkington (6.92 for Arizona’s Triple-A club) and Ole Miss product James McArthur (6.82 for Kansas City’s Triple-A team).

09 Jun

what’s going on

It ain’t Red Sox-Yankees (also happening on this sports-packed weekend), but Counter Clocks-Blue Crabs is a burgeoning rivalry that should get the attention of Mississippi baseball aficionados. The Lexington Counter Clocks, managed by Biloxi native Barry Lyons, and the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs, managed by Jackson native Stan Cliburn, are slated for a three-game Atlantic League series at Regency Furniture Stadium in Waldorf, Md., beginning tonight. It is the first meeting this season of the two former big league catchers. Lyons is in his first year with the Counter Clocks, while Cliburn is a veteran of the independent league. Cliburn’s club leads the APBL North Division with a 21-13 record. Lyons’ team is 16-20, third in the South. The Blue Crabs’ top hitter is former Ole Miss standout Braxton Lee, batting .349. Ex-Rebels star Thomas Dillard is batting .235 with six homers and 17 RBIs for the Counter Clocks. … On the MLB docket, the two best teams record-wise, Tampa Bay and Texas, open a compelling three-game set tonight at Tropicana Field. On the undercard in this series is the first meeting as opposing players for the Brothers Lowe, former Mississippi State star Nathaniel of the Rangers and Josh of the Rays. A bunch of family and friends are expected to attend. … The Mississippi Braves and Biloxi Shuckers continue their Southern League series tonight at Pearl’s Trustmark Park. The Milwaukee-affiliated Shuckers have won two of the first three in the six-game set and lead the season series 7-5. … The NCAA Super Regionals begin tonight — Tennessee-Southern Miss starts Saturday — and one of the most interesting matchups is South Carolina-Florida, a longtime SEC rivalry. Both teams feature a Southern Miss transfer: Will McGillis is the Gamecocks’ usual leadoff batter and Hurston Waldrep is one of the Gators’ top starting pitchers. … The Cape Cod League, the best of the college summer loops, begins its centennial season Saturday. There are a handful of Mississippi products on the current rosters, including Mississippi State’s Ross Highfill and K.C. Hunt with Falmouth, State’s Hunter Hines with Yarmouth-Dennis and Ole Miss’ Mason Nichols with Hyannis. There is a lot of roster movement during the season, so there may be more Mississippians arriving later.

08 Jun

box of chocolates

The crop of players harvested out of Mississippi in the 2013 major league draft, conducted 10 years ago this week, proved quite fruitful. Of the 10 players drafted out of the state in the first 10 rounds that year, nine made the majors and five of those are still playing. That’s pretty impressive. Hunter Renfroe, the 13th overall pick from Mississippi State, now mans right field for the Los Angeles Angels. Tim Anderson, chosen 17th overall from East Central Community College, is an All-Star shortstop for the Chicago White Sox. Mike Mayers (third round, Ole Miss), Adam Frazier (sixth round, MSU) and Kendall Graveman (eighth round, MSU) are currently in The Show. Cody Reed (Northwest CC), Stuart Turner (UM), Bobby Wahl (UM) and Chad Girodo (MSU) also logged big league time. The only one who didn’t get that far was Andrew Pierce, a Southern Miss pitcher drafted in Round 9 by St. Louis. Picked in the third round that year was JaCoby Jones, a Richton High product who was drafted out of LSU and made the big leagues. Quite a few others were picked from Mississippi schools over the 40 rounds, but none made The Show. Overall, that 2013 draft did not produce a bevy of big league stars. Kris Bryant was the second overall pick and Aaron Judge was the 32nd. (Yes, 32nd.) Devin Williams, Cody Bellinger, Jeff McNeil, J.P. Crawford and Jon Gray are among the others from that draft who’ve had some notable MLB success, but that list isn’t very long. The draft is very much like the proverbial box of chocolates. We are about a month out from the 2023 draft, and there are seven current Mississippi players in MLB Pipeline’s latest Top 200 prospects. Ole Miss’ Jacob Gonzalez is No. 15 (down from No. 8 in April), Magnolia Heights’ Cooper Pratt No. 43, MSU’s Colton Ledbetter No. 48, Kemp Alderman — the Ferriss Trophy winner from UM — No. 62, USM’s Tanner Hall No. 92, UM’s Calvin Harris No. 132 and Oxford High’s Campbell Smithwick No. 155. Former USM pitcher Hurston Waldrep, now at Florida, is No. 20. Those rankings are no predictor of where the players might be drafted — or what kind of impact they might have in pro ball. As Billy Beane points out in “Moneyball,” scouts will say they know — but they don’t.

08 Jun

twin peaks

While the Mississippi Braves and Biloxi Shuckers were going at it in Trustmark Park on Wednesday night, a pair of their alumni were taking star turns in big league stadiums. Michael Harris II, who blew through Double-A Mississippi last year en route to winning rookie of the year honors in Atlanta, hit a game-winning homer for the first-place Braves against the New York Mets. Joey Wiemer, who spent most of his 2022 season with the Shuckers, belted two bombs for first-place Milwaukee in its win against Baltimore. Harris, who has been fighting injuries and a slump in his sophomore campaign, already had two hits on Wednesday when he stepped to the plate at Truist Park in the bottom of the eighth in a tie game. “You sorta feel like right guy, right time,” Braves TV analyst Jeff Francoeur said moments before Harris hit a 443-rocket to center field to put the Braves up 7-5. Harris’ 3-for-4 night lifted his average to .181 with three homers. He hit .297 with 19 bombs last season. He also made a great catch in deep center field in the top of the eighth. “I feel like myself,” Harris told mlb.com. He even flashed his Money Mike sign as he touched home plate after the home run. At Milwaukee’s American Family Field, Wiemer, the Brewers’ rookie center fielder, went 4-for-4 and drove in five runs in a 10-2 romp over the Orioles. This came a day after he delivered a walk-off hit to beat the O’s. He also had been battling a slump but is on a tear now, hitting .478 in his last seven games to boost his average to .231. He has eight homers. “He’s just a very pure competitor,” Milwaukee manager Craig Counsell said in an mlb.com story. Coincidentally, Wiemer recently got a mullet-style haircut that has been labeled the Kentucky Waterfall. “He got a good haircut and now he’s the best hitter on the planet,” Brewers pitcher Corbin Burnes said. P.S. Grae Kessinger, the former Ole Miss standout from Oxford, made his MLB debut Wednesday, going 0-for-3 as Houston’s third baseman in a loss at Toronto. Kessinger is the 25th Mississippian (native or school alum) to appear in the big leagues this season.

07 Jun

in keystone state news …

There were a couple of rare occurrences in Pittsburgh on Tuesday night. Oakland won a game, just its 13th of the season, and Brent Rooker hit a home run, ending his personal 20-game drought. Former Mississippi State star Rooker, one of the hottest players on the planet in April when he blasted nine home runs, has cooled off of late. He has three homers since the calendar flipped to May, and he hit .198 for the month after finishing April with a .353 average for the season. (Note: He was hitting .333 on May 5 when he went on the MLB Central show to talk hitting with Mark DeRosa.) On the positive side, Rooker has hit safely in three of four games this month and is sitting at .261 with 34 RBIs on the year. The awful A’s, now 13-50, hit four homers all told in their 11-2 win at PNC Park. … Across the Keystone State in Philadelphia, the best display of power might have come in a pregame exhibition by a football player. Before the Phillies put up three hits to beat Detroit 1-0 at Citizens Bank Park, Eagles All-Pro receiver A.J. Brown, the ex-Ole Miss football star, took batting practice and impressed onlookers with a smooth, powerful swing. Brown, a two-sport standout at Starkville High, is the rare prep player to participate in both the Under Armour Football and Baseball All-America Games. He was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 19th round out of high school in 2016 and signed a pro contract. He worked out for the Padres in extended spring training several times while at Ole Miss but never actually played a pro game. Currently listed at 6 feet 1, 226 pounds, the 25-year-old Brown has teased the idea recently that he might give baseball another shot.

05 Jun

three things

1 — After playing some six hours of do-or-die baseball over a 10-hour period, leaving the field after midnight on Sunday, Southern Miss earned the right to play again today. With a second straight Super Regional appearance on the line, the Golden Eagles will be up for it. USM meets Penn at 2 p.m. at Plainsman Park for the championship of the Auburn Regional. The Eagles scored a 9-4 revenge win against Samford in their first game on Sunday, then knocked off undefeated upstart Penn 11-2 in the nightcap. Heroes were all over the place. Matthew Etzel, Slade Wilks and Nick Monistere drove in two runs apiece against Samford, and three pitchers turned in a workmanlike effort, scattering 11 hits. The battle against Penn was toe-to-toe until the ninth, when USM scored eight times. Monistere, the freshman out of Northwest Rankin High, scored twice and drove in three more runs, and Dustin Dickerson, suddenly a slugger in the postseason, hit a three-run homer. But the big star was 6-foot-6 lefty Justin Storm, who retired 17 of the 18 batters he faced — 10 via strikeout — after coming on in relief.
2 — Former Ole Miss star Grae Kessinger is getting his first big league call-up today with the Houston Astros, who play at Toronto. Kessinger — the grandson of longtime MLB star and Ole Miss alum Don Kessinger — is having a big year at Triple-A Sugar Land, batting .284 with six homers and 32 RBIs. He has played shortstop, second and third base. Kessinger was drafted in the second round in 2019 and had put up very modest numbers before this season, his first in Triple-A. It’s unclear what Kessinger’s role will be; the Astros apparently are concerned about an oblique injury that has kept second baseman Jose Altuve out for a couple of games. The only other Mississippi product to debut in MLB this season also plays for the Astros. Right-hander J.P. France, a Mississippi State alum, was called up May 6 and has nailed down a spot in the Houston rotation.
3 — AJ Smith-Shawver, 20 years old and two years out of high school, made an impressive debut with Atlanta on Sunday, retiring seven of the eight batters he faced in relief against Arizona, and joins a ridiculously long and impressive list of former Mississippi Braves pitchers who have had a positive impact in The Show. The parade started with Blaine Boyer in 2005; he was one of four members (the others: Macay McBride, Anthony Lerew and Zach Miner) from the M-Braves’ original rotation to make the majors. Since then, we’ve seen the likes of Chuck James, Jo-Jo Reyes, Charlie Morton, Matt Harrison, Kris Medlen, Tommy Hanson, Craig Kimbrel, Mike Minor, Julio Teheran, Luis Avilan, Alex Wood, Sean Newcomb, Lucas Sims, Max Fried, A.J. Minter, Michael Soroka, Ian Anderson, Spencer Strider, Bryce Elder, Jared Shuster and Dylan Dodd. (That’s not the entire list.) Smith-Shawver was a seventh-round pick out of a Texas high school in 2021; he started this season in A-ball and made just two appearances for the Double-A M-Braves during his rapid rise. Atlanta’s scouting and development staff deserves a round of applause.

01 Jun

banging on door

Sent back to the minors despite going 6-for-6 in his last two games for Minnesota, Matt Wallner has responded by banging out six hits, including two home runs, in his first two games for Triple-A St. Paul. He had a double, triple and homer on Tuesday, a homer and two singles on Wednesday. The former Southern Miss standout has crushed the ball with such ferocity that a St. Paul broadcaster called him “Judge-like.” A 6-foot-4, 220-pound lefty-hitting outfielder, Wallner is batting .298 with six homers and 21 RBIs for the Saints. He was at .368 in 19 at-bats for the Twins when they optioned him out to make room for Max Kepler, who came off the injured list. The Twins, clinging to first place in the American League Central, surely can’t keep Wallner down on the farm for long. … There are several other Mississippi products in Triple-A seemingly banging on the big league door. At Norfolk (Baltimore system), Mississippi State alum Jordan Westburg is batting .311 with 14 homers and 47 RBIs. The Orioles’ No. 3 prospect, who has played shortstop, third base, second and the outfield this season, hit nine homers in May. At Sugar Land (Houston), Oxford native and Ole Miss alum Grae Kessinger is batting .286 after a 3-for-7 effort in a pair of games on Wednesday. He hit his sixth homer and has 31 RBIs. At Louisville (Cincinnati), ex-USM star Chuckie Robinson went 2-for-4 with two RBIs on Wednesday and is batting .331 with six homers and 29 runs driven in. Robinson got a brief look with the Reds last season. At Jacksonville (Miami), Flowood native and ex-MSU standout Jake Mangum is hitting .307 after an 0-for-3 Wednesday. The speedy outfielder has two homers, 22 RBIs and seven steals. At Round Rock (Texas), Mississippi College product Blaine Crim is batting .255 with four homers and 18 RBIs and former State star Justin Foscue is at .272 with seven and 23 plus seven steals. At Albuquerque (Arizona), MSU alum Hunter Stovall is batting .296 with 27 runs in 32 games. P.S. Kudos to ex-Ole Miss standout Nick Fortes, who got his second career walk-off hit for Miami, an RBI single in the ninth against San Diego closer Josh Hader. … Tough day for Lance Lynn and Justin Steele, starting pitchers for Chicago on Wednesday (see previous post). Ole Miss alum Lynn gave up eight runs in four innings in a loss for the White Sox and George County High product Steele was pulled with left forearm tightness after throwing three perfect innings for the Cubs, who would go on to lose. … William Carey University’s great season ended with a 15-6 loss to Lewis-Clark State in a semifinal game at the NAIA World Series in Lewiston, Idaho. The Crusaders won the SSAC regular season title, climbed to No. 8 in the national poll and finished 49-11; their last win in Idaho was coach Bobby Halford’s 1,300th at WCU. … Congrats to East Central, Purvis and East Union for winning series openers in the MHSAA state championships at Pearl. East Union’s Landon Harmon tossed a perfect game.

31 May

spotlight on …

Chicago will be hoppin’ today with both the White Sox and the Cubs in town, and a pair of Mississippi products will be on the mound for the home teams. At Guaranteed Rate Field, ex-Ole Miss star Lance Lynn looks to win his fourth straight start for the underachieving White Sox, scuffling along at 23-34. They meet the star-studded Los Angeles Angels. At Wrigley Field, former George County High star Justin Steele looks to recapture his early season form after going 0-2 in his last three starts for the disappointing Cubs (24-30). They play Tampa Bay, the best team in baseball. Lynn got off to an awful start in 2023, as did the ChiSox. He has improved to 4-5 and lowered his ERA to 5.83 by allowing just four runs in his last 19 innings. Today’s start will be the 297th career for the 36-year-old right-hander. For Steele, a 27-year-old lefty, today will be career start No. 45. He was 6-0 after beating St. Louis on May 10 but has been a bit wobbly of late. Cincinnati roughed him up for five earned runs in 3 2/3 innings on May 26, pushing his ERA to 2.77. P.S. No American League reliever has had a better May than Mississippi State product Kendall Graveman of the White Sox. He has not allowed a run in 11 outings, posting four saves and two holds. … In college ball: William Carey University lost for the first time Tuesday night in the NAIA World Series but will play on today against Lewis-Clark State, the home team in Lewiston, Idaho. … On the prep front: Kudos to Lewisburg, St. Stanislaus and Resurrection Catholic for winning series openers in the MHSAA state championships in Pearl.

30 May

almost perfekt

The Kansas City Royals took a flier in the off-season on Mike Mayers, signing the former Ole Miss standout to a minor league deal after he had posted a 6.88 ERA in Triple-A last season. It is beginning to look like a smart move. In his third appearance for the Royals since a May 17 promotion, Mayers threw six perfect innings in relief on Monday before yielding a couple of hits in K.C.’s 7-0 win at St. Louis. The 31-year-old right-hander now has a 1.35 ERA in 13 1/3 innings. Coincidentally, Mayers made his MLB debut for the Cardinals at Busch Stadium in July 2016. He has good memories from his four years in St. Louis, but that outing — nine runs in 1 1/3 innings — wasn’t one of them. Waived by the Cardinals in 2019, he spent three seasons with the Los Angeles Angels, won a pitcher of the month award in September 2020, struggled mightily in 2022 and finished the year in the minors, becoming a free agent at season’s end. “My story hasn’t always been easy,” he told the Kansas City Star after Monday’s performance. He relieved opener Josh Staumont in the second inning and carried a perfect game into the eighth before a Nolan Arenado single broke it up. Two other relievers closed out the two-hitter. P.S. Kudos to Michael Soroka, the former Mississippi Braves ace who returned to the big leagues with Atlanta on Monday for the first time since 2020. The injury-plagued right-hander threw six relatively sharp innings, allowing four runs in the travel-weary Braves’ 7-2 loss at Oakland. … Former Southern Miss star Matt Wallner was optioned to Triple-A for the third time this year by Minnesota. … William Carey University is 2-0 in the NAIA World Series after a 13-4 win against Southeastern (Fla.) on Monday. The Crusaders play Westmont (Calif.) tonight in Lewiston, Idaho.

27 May

one of eight

Craig Kimbrel vs. Ronald Acuna. This was must-watch TV — for baseball fans, for Atlanta Braves fans and especially for longtime followers of the Mississippi Braves. On a 3-2 pitch with a runner on base and two down in the ninth inning, Kimbrel (M-Braves 2009) retired Acuna (M-Braves 2017) on a ground ball to third, preserving a 6-4 Philadelphia win Friday night at Truist Park. It was Kimbrel’s 400th career save, making the right-hander one of only eight pitchers to reach that milestone. “Just happy; just a lot of things,” Kimbrel said in an mlb.com story. Kimbrel came through Mississippi 14 years ago and was virtually unhittable in his brief stay. He was 6-for-6 in saves with a 0.77 ERA in 12 games. He was in Atlanta the next year (2010) and recorded the first of his 186 saves for the Braves that season. He has bounced around in recent years, running hot and cold. He has a 5.68 ERA this season but is 6-for-6 in save opps. There was nothing cheap about Friday’s save. Acuna, one of the best hitters to come through Pearl, is having a monster season — .323, 11 homers, 27 RBIs — and one swing could have tied it. Kimbrel joins former Jackson Generals star Billy Wagner in the 400-plus club. Wagner had 422. Interestingly enough, there are seven Mississippi-connected closers in the top 23 on the all-time saves list. Jonathan Papelbon (Mississippi State) sits 11th at 368, Jeff Reardon (Jackson Mets) 12th at 367, Randy Myers (JaxMets) 14th at 347, Todd Jones (Generals) 22nd at 319, and Rick Aguilera (JaxMets) 23rd at 318. A bit further down are former MSU stars Bobby Thigpen (201) and Jeff Brantley (172). Former Biloxi Shuckers standout Josh Hader, currently with San Diego, is rising at 145, still a long way from 400. P.S. Ole Miss alum Lance Lynn won again for the Chicago White Sox on Friday and is 3-0 with a 1.89 ERA in his last three starts. He is 4-5 overall. … George County High product Justin Steele is 0-2 and has yielded 10 earned runs in 15 2/3 innings in his last three starts, taking an L Friday when the Chicago Cubs lost to Cincinnati 9-0. He is 6-2 on the year. … Ex-MSU ace Ethan Small made his 2023 debut for Milwaukee and gave up five runs in three innings in mop-up duty in a 15-1 loss to San Francisco. Small had a 2.33 ERA at Triple-A Nashville.