Luke Dunavant
The Ole Miss Baseball team lined up against the No. 1 Arkansas Razorbacks last weekend in a three-game series that started on Thursday, April 4, and wrapped up on Saturday, April 6.
The Diamond Rebels entered this Fayetteville, Ark., series on a four-game losing streak, having been swept by Kentucky in Oxford and dropping a game to Memphis on the road. This series was more of the same, and it could signify a dangerous trend for this team if it continues throughout the season.
There was nothing to write home about for the Rebels in this entire series, but this is to be somewhat expected — the Razorbacks are the best team in the country for a reason. The concerning aspect here is that Ole Miss has struggled to win at home and on the road. Obviously, losing to Kentucky and Arkansas — two nationally ranked teams — is not inherently a bad thing, but losing to them a combined six times is worrisome.
Game one: (lost 5-2)
Game one was a horrible way to start the series and was a sign of things to come, with six out of nine players going hitless. The best player for the Rebels was infielder Luke Hill, who went two for four.
This game got uglier as time went on, with the Rebels cycling through three pitchers and Head Coach Mike Bianco probably leaving right-handed pitcher Riley Maddox in too long. The pitching staff also surrendered two home runs and gave up seven hits total. The offense from Arkansas was far too much for the Rebels to compete with.
The only good thing about this game was that the Rebels did not commit a single error, something that has been plaguing them for a while now.
Game two (lost 8-3)
Game two was somehow even worse for the Rebel team. Ole Miss only had one shining star in this matchup, with infielder Andrew Fischer hitting two home runs. Fischer was the offense for the Rebels on Friday, but his solo efforts were never going to be enough to out-bat Arkansas.
Pitching and overall defense improved in game two, but Arkansas’ offense was firing on even more cylinders than the previous game. The good thing is that they only gave up one home run in this game. Instead, it was Arkansas’ total hitting number that dug the Rebels’ grave.
The starter for Ole Miss in Friday’s game was left-handed pitcher Liam Doyle, and he only made it three innings. It is not as if the pitching crew was horrible; the pitching was actually a night-and-day difference from game one to game two, as Ole Miss struck out 11 batters. They were simply not good enough to keep up with Arkansas.
Game three (lost 7-4)
Game three was much like the first two — the Rebels could not match the Razorbacks’ prowess on the diamond.
The starting pitcher for the Rebels was RHP Mason Nichols, who pitched three innings and gave up a home run. Despite this, he was probably the team’s best pitcher on Saturday. It looked like the team might have a chance to make a late comeback, but a three-run home run from Arkansas sealed the deal, shutting the door on Ole Miss for good.
The Rebels had a walking problem in this game, as they walked eight batters. They also committed two huge errors as a team.
What’s next?
Ole Miss now shifts its focus to Murray State for their midweek game on Tuesday, April 9. The game will be in Oxford at Swayze Field. The first pitch is set for 6:30 p.m. CT.
