By By Tony Krausz / assistant sports editor
May 14, 2004
Ole Miss will try to break a recent trend against Florida this weekend, as the No. 11 (Baseball America) Rebels (35-15, 14-10 Southeastern Conference) travel to Gainesville, Fla., to take on the No. 9 Gators (37-13, 16-8 SEC).
In the last three years, the home team has swept the visiting teams. Ole Miss took all three games of the best-of-three series against Florida in 2001 and 2003 when the games were played in Oxford. The Gators swept the Rebels in 2002 when the series was played in Florida.
The series opens at 5:30 tonight, with the second game slated to start at 3 p.m. Saturday. The series wraps up on Sunday with the first pitch scheduled for 11:30 a.m.
Rebels right-hander Mark Holliman (7-2) will start tonight's game. The Gators will send Tommy Boss (3-3) to the mound for the series opener.
Holliman is the reigning SEC Pitcher of the Week after facing the minimum 27 batters against Arkansas in a three-hit, 1-0 win on May 7.
Ole Miss has not announced its starters for Saturday's and Sunday's games. Florida is expected to start Justin Hoyman (10-0) on Saturday, and Bryan Bell is slated to start on Sunday.
Mississippi State University (29-21, 8-16 SEC) hosts Arkansas in its final home series of the season.
The series begins at 6:30 tonight, and Saturday's game is scheduled to start at 2 p.m. Sunday's series finale is slated to begin at 1 p.m.
The Bulldogs snapped a six-game losing streak on Wednesday against Louisiana Tech, and they will be looking for their first win against a SEC opponent since defeating Auburn 9-8 on April 24.
Alan Johnson (3-3) will start for the Bulldogs tonight against the Razorbacks' Clint Brannon (3-2). MSU's Jeff Lacher (3-6) will matchup against Arkansas' Charley Boyce (7-1) on Saturday, and Todd Doolittle (2-2) will take the mound for MSU on Sunday. Arkansas has not announced its Sunday starter.
With a spot in the Conference USA baseball tournament in hand, the University of Southern Mississippi will try to makeup ground with league-leading East Carolina (43-7, 21-3 C-USA), as the No. 17 Golden Eagles (36-13. 17-7 C-USA) travel to take on Charlotte (20-26, 9-15 C-USA).
USM begins its last road conference series of the season at 5 p.m. today, and Saturday's game is slated to start at 5 p.m. The series' final game is slated to start at noon on Sunday.
Patrick Ezell (4-1) will start for the Eagles tonight against the 49ers' Justin Brown (2-4), and USM's Anthony DeWitt (9-2) will start Saturday's game against Charlotte's Matt Landphair (1-3) on Saturday.
USM will send either Mike Cashion (2-2) or Cliff Russum (6-2) to the mound on Sunday against Charlotte's Zach Treadway (3-4).