By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
April 16, 2004
Ole Miss is back to full strength as it enters the team's fifth Southeastern Conference baseball series of the season today.
Infielder Justin Donovan, outfielder Drew Robinson and pitchers Taylor Fowler, Chris Hollomon, Chris Thompson and Brae Wright returned to the Rebels' fold on Monday, after being suspended for last weekend's series against Auburn for violating unspecified team rules.
The Rebels lost the series against the Tigers 2-1, but they rebounded to take a pair of midweek games, defeating Mississippi State University 10-4 on Tuesday in the 25th annual Mayor's Trophy game and edging out Arkansas State at home 9-8 on Wednesday.
Ole Miss, which is ranked seventh in the latest Baseball Weekly/ESPN poll, will need its full roster available as the Rebels suit up to take on SEC Eastern Division leading Tennessee (29-6, 9-3 SEC) in a three-game series at Oxford-University Stadium.
The Rebels enter the series tied with Arkansas for the top spot in the Western Division. Ole Miss and Arkansas share an 8-4 record in conference play, and the Rebels are 28-6 overall.
Tennessee comes to Oxford riding a six-game SEC winning streak. The Volunteers are ranked 11th in the Baseball Weekly/ESPN poll. Tennessee lost its last game 8-7 to Carson Newman in a 12-inning affair at home.
Ole Miss' Mark Holliman (6-0, 2.36 ERA) will open the series on the mound against Tennessee's Derek Tharp (6-0, 2.04 ERA), and the Rebels' Eric Fowler (3-0, 4.72 ERA) will match up against Sean Watson (4-1, 2.40 ERA) on Saturday. Left-hander Brae Wright (5-1, 2.47) will start Sunday's game for Ole Miss against Tennessee's Ben Riley (3-1, 3.63 ERA).
The Rebels begin the three-game home set at 6:30 tonight. Saturday's first pitch is scheduled at 4 p.m., and Sunday's game will start at 1:30 p.m.
MSU enters its weekend conference series back in the thick of the playoff race in the Western Division.
The Bulldogs (21-12, 5-7 SEC) are one game back from being tied for third in the division with LSU (26-9, 6-6 SEC) and Auburn (24-11, 6-6 SEC), and they are three games out of first place, after winning their first SEC series of the season against Kentucky last weekend.
MSU hosts No. 20 Florida in a three-game set at Dudy Noble Field, beginning at 6:30 tonight. The series continues with a 3 p.m. game on Saturday and wraps up at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
The Gators (26-10, 6-6 SEC) are tied for second in the East with South Carolina (25-8, 6-6 SEC), and they have lost five of their last nine conference games.
Alan Johnson (1-1, 6.32 ERA) will start the opening game of the series for MSU against Florida's Tommy Boss (2-1, 6.44 ERA). Justin Hoyman (6-0, 2.75 ERA) will start the second game of the series for the Gators, and Bryan Ball (5-1, 3.86 ERA) will close the series on Sunday for Florida. MSU has not announced its pitchers for Saturday's and Sunday's games.
The University of Southern Mississippi, which is ranked 13th in the Baseball Weekly/ESPN poll, welcomes Memphis to Pete Taylor Park for a three-game Conference USA series this weekend, starting at 6:30 tonight.
The Golden Eagles (27-7, 10-2 C-USA) hold a one-game lead over East Carolina (28-6, 9-3 C-USA) and Tulane (25-10, 9-3 C-USA) for the top spot in the conference, and have won their last seven conference contests.
Memphis (17-12, 6-6 C-USA) enters the series riding a six-game winning streak. The Tigers swept UAB in their C-USA series last weekend.
USM's Cliff Russum (5-1, 2.82 ERA) will start tonight's game against Memphis' Jarrett Grube (6-1, 2.15 ERA). Anthony DeWitt (6-1, 3.33 ERA) will take the ball on Saturday for the Eagles against Derek Hankins (4-3, 5.08 ERA), and USM's Patrick Ezell (4-0, 3.92 ERA) will match up with Bill Edwards (2-2, 2.45 ERA) on Sunday.
Saturday's game is scheduled to start at 4 p.m., and the first pitch on Sunday will be thrown out at 1 p.m.