By By Will Bardwell / staff writer
May 21, 2004
After Ole Miss' three-game sweep of Tennessee in mid-April left the Rebels in first place in the Southeastern Conference, coach Mike Bianco predicted the title race would come down to the final weekend.
He was right.
Ole Miss, ranked No. 9 nationally by Baseball America, hosts No. 4 LSU beginning today in a three-game series that is crucial for both teams. The Rebels (38-15, 17-10 SEC) are tied for first place in the SEC West with Arkansas, while LSU (39-14, 16-11 SEC) trails by just one game.
"It's amazing," Bianco said. "All weekends count the same, but when you get down to it at the end, there's no room to make up for mistakes."
The SEC West title hopes of Ole Miss, LSU and Arkansas all likely hinge upon the outcome of the series between the Rebels and Tigers. Though the Razorbacks are tied with Ole Miss atop the West, the Rebels own the tie-breaker and are guaranteed the division title if they sweep LSU.
But that will likely prove easier said than done against one of the nation's most storied program.
"LSU has got the best offense in the conference," Bianco said. "Especially in conference games, they've put a lot of runs on the board."
The Tigers lead the SEC with a .333 team batting average and have scored a league-high 430 runs. Their 645 hits are 52 more than the next-highest total in the conference, and they have swatted 67 homers the most in the SEC West.
But LSU is not invulnerable. The Tigers starting rotation has been woeful at times, particularly in series openers. Before a 3-2 win over Vanderbilt a week ago, LSU lost seven straight Friday night games. The Tigers' 3.66 ERA is ranked sixth in the SEC.
"Their pitching staff is good and solid, but they lack that No. 1 guy," Bianco said. "They've had their struggles on Friday night."
LSU has slated junior left-hander Lane Mestepey to start tonight's game, which begins at 6:30. Mestepey is 5-1 with a 3.77 ERA, but has started only twice in league play with no decisions.
The Rebels will counter with sophomore ace Mark Holliman (8-2, 2.33 ERA), who has allowed just two earned runs in his last 16.2 innings.
And while Ole Miss looks to cap a memorable season with a division title or SEC championship, Mississippi State would probably rather forget its last three months.
The Bulldogs (31-22, 10-17 SEC) are tied for last place in the SEC West and visit co-cellar dweller Alabama in the final series of its season.
Mississippi State is on the outside looking in at the SEC tournament but is mathematically still eligible. The Bulldogs need at least two wins against the Crimson Tide to stay eligible, but more likely need a sweep to advance to the tournament in Birmingham, Ala. next week.
If Florida sweeps Tennessee, Arkansas wins at least once against Auburn and the Bulldogs sweep the Tide, it would likely be enough to put Mississippi State in the SEC tournament as the No. 8 seed.