Govenor’s Cup

Ole Miss vs Miss. State in a non-conference matchup

By: Adam Brown, Sports Editor of HottyToddy.com

adam.brown@hottytoddy.com

Photo by Peyton Spear / HottyToddy.com

The Ole Miss baseball team travels to Pearl, Miss., tonight to take on the Mississippi State Bulldogs in the annual Governor’s Cup at Turstmark Park.

Ole Miss (23-9) comes into this non-conference matchup with the Bulldogs ranked as number 18 in the country according to the USA Today / ESPN Coaches poll.  The Rebels are looking to bounce back after five straight losses to Florida and Vanderbilt.

Despite being swept by Vanderbilt over the weekend, junior Stuart Turner’s bat came alive at the plate on Sunday, going 4-5 with a walk, scoring a run and driving in an RBI. Coming into this week, Turner is hitting with an average of .409, ranking him in the top five in the SEC.

Mississippi State (26-9) rolls into Pearl after winning two of three from the Florida Gators over the weekend.  The Bulldogs are led at the plate by Hunter Renfroe, who has a batting average of .417, with a total of 38 RBI’s and 10 home runs on the year.

The probable pitching matchup for tonight’s game showcases the arms of sophomore  Brandon Woodruff for the Bulldogs and sophomore Josh Laxer for the Rebels.

Ole Miss and Mississippi State are long-time rivals on the baseball diamond. When the two squads meet tonight, it will be for the seventh annual Governor’s Cup that dates back to the 2007 season, with the series split at three games a piece. Prior to the 2007 season, the game was known to Ole Miss and Mississippi State fans as the Mayor’s Trophy.

Fans unable to attend can listen to all the action of the game on the radio at Q 93.7 or from anywhere on Rebelvision.

Be sure to follow HottyToddy.com on Twitter @hottytoddynews for all the action of tonight’s Governor’s Cup.