Around the Diamond: No. 15 Ole Miss baseball looks to keep rolling against Memphis

Ole Miss baseball tumbled in Top 25 polls following an SEC-opening series loss to rival Arkansas.

However, the Rebels righted the ship and are headed back in the right direction after a sweep at Missouri over the weekend. The Rebels were ranked No. 15 nationally in four of five polls this week. Ole Miss had been 0-3 against the Tigers since Missouri joined the SEC in 2012.

“Being a senior in the mix, I know how important sweeps are,” Ole Miss veteran RHP Mason Nichols said after Sunday’s 14-6 win. “I know how important winning on the road is.

“People don’t give this place enough credit. People don’t win a lot of games here for whatever reason. It took a lot of focus, and it showed we’re an older team that can do that. I’m proud of that. I’m as proud of that as anything we’ve done this year. Because sweeps are important, but definitely sweeping here. Tough place. Three consecutive good days for us.”

Ole Miss will try to go for a fourth on Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. CT.

The Rebels (18-5, 4-2 SEC) are throwing LHP Gunnar Dennis (1-1, 7.50 ERA) opposite Memphis starter Caden Robinson. Robinson, a righty, is 1-2 with a 6.88 ERA.

HOW TO WATCH

Television/Online: ESPN+
Play-by-Play: Jake Hromada
Color: Matt McLaughlin

HOW TO LISTEN: 

Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Brad Henderson

SCOUTING MEMPHIS

Tuesday will be the 160th all-time meeting between Ole Miss and Memphis (11-12, 0-3 AAC). The Rebels lead the all-time series, 102-57. 

Matt Riser is in his second season as head coach. The Tigers were 23-32 (10-17 AAC) last season, when the teams split two games. Memphis came out on top in the most recent matchup, 9-4, at FedExPark last April, the first for the Tigers over the Rebels since 2017. It was their first on-campus win over Ole Miss since 2001.

Memphis was swept in its conference-opening series against East Carolina, the preseason AAC favorite.

The Tiger pitching staff has combined for a 4.30 ERA (198.2 IP) so far, which is third in the American and Top 50 nationally. Their bullpen has covered 103.2 of those innings and given up just 41 earned runs for a bullpen ERA of 3.56.

Catcher Jonah Sutton is among the national leaders in runners thrown out (13). He’s one shy of the national lead and now 13 of 28 (46 percent) in such chances. 

The Rebels will pay a return visit to the Tigers April 8 at 6 p.m.

HUMP WEEK

Louisville transfer slugger Isaac Humphrey on Monday was named the SEC Player of the Week.

Humphrey hit .389 (7 for 18) with four home runs, 13 RBI and 21 total bases in four games last week. He was 1 for 3 with a double against Southern Miss in Pearl. 

However, Humphrey went nuclear at Missouri. He hit .400 (6 for 15) with four home runs, 13 RBI and 19 total bases. Ole Miss secured its first SEC sweep in nearly three years. 

Humphrey went into the series with three total home runs on the season. He more than doubled that total, including a pair of home runs in the Rebels’ series-clinching win on Saturday. It was the first multi-home run game of his career.

Humphrey drove in 32.5 percent (13) of Ole Miss’ runs of 40 runs, the most against a league opponent since 2019.

AROUND THE DIAMOND

Ole Miss is off to its best start in SEC play since 2021. … Humphrey and Hayden Federico are each riding 20-game on-base streaks. … Ole Miss is tied with Kansas for sixth in the NCAA in total home runs. The Rebels have hit 49 so far this season. 

Ole Miss is fifth in the nation in home runs per game. 

The Rebels are averaging 2.13 each game out. … Judd Utermark and Ryan Moerman each have nine home runs on the season, tied for 22nd in college baseball and sixth in the SEC. … Ole Miss is No. 10 nationally and No. 5 in the SEC in slugging percentage (.551). The pitching staff is seventh in the NCAA and sixth in the SEC in strikeouts per nine innings (12.1). … The Rebels host Florida Thursday-Saturday.