HottyToddy.com’s Daily Ole Miss Sports Roundup

HottyToddy.com is giving readers a roundup of all the commentary and information about the Ole Miss Rebels from various publications around the Web.

Readers will be able to check out the latest information in a single post every day throughout the year. Here at HottyToddy.com, we are doing all the leg work to find the information that people may want to hear about Ole Miss sports.

Today’s roundup features Ole Miss Sports and SEC Network.

Softball Adds Texas Standout Salinas to Recruiting Class

Photo by Robert Jordan / University Communication

Ole Miss softball added a key piece to its future of the program in outfielder Dominique Salinas, head coach Mike Smith announced Wednesday.

A native of Corpus Christi, Texas, Salinas is the Rebels’ 11th announced signee of the 2016 class. She’s a four-sport high school athlete from Richard King High School, who this spring is completing her senior year on the diamond.

Salinas is a three-time First Team All-District outfielder, and has once been named offensive player of the year and twice the defensive player of the year. The multi-sport letter winner was named to the 2016 Softball Preseason Texas All-Star Team, and has compiled a batting average of at least .400 in each of her varsity seasons in Texas.

Following her junior campaign, she was named a 28-6A All-South Texas First Team outfielder. She’s also a point guard for the varsity basketball team, where she’s been named all-district twice, and also earned both offensive and defensive MVP honors.

On the track, Salinas competed in her freshman and sophomore seasons, earning a top-four finish in the 800m/1600m run in her district as a freshman, leading to an area qualifier that same season. As a sophomore she finished in the top four in the 28-6A District.

In cross country, Salinas has earned multiple honors including newcomer of the year as a freshman, multiple regional qualifiers, all-district honors following her junior campaign, and was also a state qualifier in her junior campaign.

In the past two seasons she’s been named an Impact Athlete to the Texas State Cross Country Team, and was also named King High School’s Most Athletic recently as a senior.

The outfielder has also been a standout in the classroom, earning Academic All-District honors each year of her career. She’s a member of the National Honor Society and ranks in the top seven percent of her graduating class.

Salinas comes from a very athletic family with a rich history, as one of her uncles, Trey, played at the University of Texas and was a MLB 21st Round Draft Pick to the Tampa Bay Rays, advancing as high as the AAA level after an eight-year career. Another uncle, Michael Rodriguez, was a sixth round pick to the Blue Jays and advanced as high as AA ball. Her grandfather, Hector, played with the Diablos Rojos of the All-American Mexican League, while her father, Orlando, played in the Independent and Mexican Leagues. Her mother, Elsie, also ran track and cross country at Texas A&M-Kingsville

For all Ole Miss Softball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball, on Facebook at Ole Miss Softball and on Instagram at Instagram.com/olemisssoftball. Fans can also follow head coach Mike Smith on Twitter at @msmithsb16. Additionally fans can get a behind the scenes look at Ole Miss Athletics on Snapchat under the handle, @WeAreOleMiss.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

SEC Network Spotlights QB Greats on Wednesday; Former Head Coach Steve Spurrier to Take Calls on Finebaum

Tomorrow, Wednesday, April 20, SEC Network spotlights great quarterbacks in the Southeastern Conference with two programs: a one-hour compilation of SEC schools’ quarterbacks that have participated in Jon Gruden’s QB Camp, and Heisman Award winning quarterback turned Head Coach Steve Spurrier in-studio on The Paul Finebaum Show. The week concludes with the final SEC Spring Game: Arkansas.

Gruden’s QB Camp: SEC Greats

Gruden’s QB Gamp: SEC Greats features footage of every quarterback from an SEC school that has appeared in ESPN NFL analyst Jon Gruden’s show since it began in 2010. It airs on SEC Network at 9 p.m. ET.

The special highlights 13 quarterbacks from ten SEC schools, beginning with Heisman and National Championship winner Tim Tebow in 2010, through this year’s Dak Prescott, leaving Starkville with every quarterback record in the Mississippi State record book.

Finebaum Guest: Steve Spurrier
The Paul Finebaum Show, 3 to 7 p.m. weekdays, will feature SEC legend, Heisman Award winner and former head coach Steve Spurrier in-studio on Wednesday. Previously coaching for Florida (his alma mater) and South Carolina, Spurrier will discuss headlines of the day and also plans to take calls with Paul during his visit. During his tenure at South Carolina the “Head Ball Coach” appeared on the show numerous times, but Wednesday will mark the first time the H.B.C. has interacted with the Finebaum phone line.

Final Spring Game: Arkansas
SEC Spring Football games conclude this weekend with Arkansas on Saturday, April 23. Former Arkansas quarterback, Clint Stoerner, returns to Razorback Stadium to call the “Red-White” game at 1 p.m. on SEC Network, alongside Mike Couzen and reporter Kayce Smith. The network televised all 13* SEC Spring Games live and every game was also available through connected devices on WatchESPN and the ESPN app.

*Ole Miss did not host a Spring Game this year due to stadium construction.

Courtesy of SEC Network

Softball Makes History in Victory over Memphis

Photo courtesy of Joshua McCoy / Ole Miss Athletics

Ole Miss softball made history Tuesday night clinching its school record 31st win, thanks to a 5-3 victory over Memphis at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.

The 2016 Rebels (31-15) become the first team in school history to win more than 30 games, and still have 11 contests remaining on the regular season slate.

Ole Miss also etches its name into the record books for the most home wins of any team in program history, now with 16 on the season breaking the former record of 15 set by the 2010 club.

In Tuesday’s matchup with the Tigers, Alex Schneider and Miranda Strother both went yard, as Schneider’s solo shot in the fourth set the tables for the offense, while Strother kept it going and gave the Rebels the go-ahead lead in the fifth thanks to her three-run blast.

In the circle, senior Madi Osias inched closer to the single-season wins record with her 16th on the year thanks to a five inning effort with two runs and four hits allowed to go along with four strikeouts. Sophomore Kayla Landwehrmier worked the final two frames with one run allowed off two hits, earning her team-best third save of the year.

Offensively for the Rebels, Grayce Majam continued her hot streak at the plate with a 2-for-2 night, while five other Rebs chipped in with one hit each. Elantra Cox, Hailey Lunderman, Strother, Schneider and Paige McKinney scored the runs for Ole Miss, while Strother’s three RBI and Schneider’s one paced the way.

The Rebels jumped out to an early 1-0 lead in the first, chasing Memphis’ starter Calli Irvin, thanks to a double steal when Lunderman broke for second and Cox crossed home, putting the home team in front 1-0.

After two-straight scoreless frames, Schneider’s blast to right center in the fourth gave the Rebels a 2-0 advantage, before a two-run double from the Tigers’ Lindsay Crowdus tied the contest up at 2-2 in the fifth.

But, the tie didn’t last long as it was Strother’s shot to the scoreboard in the fifth that put the Rebels back on top. Majam got the rally going thanks to a one out double to left center, before Lunderman walked to put two on for Strother that led to her blast.

Memphis went on to plate a run in the sixth off an RBI single, but Landwehrmier held strong earning the save for Ole Miss.

On Deck
Ole Miss stays home for an SEC weekend series Friday through Sunday versus Arkansas. First pitch on Friday in the opener is set for 6 p.m., and Saturday’s game will start at 7 p.m. and be televised live on SEC Network. Sunday’s finale is slated for a 1 p.m. start in what will  be Strikeout Cancer day at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.

For all Ole Miss Softball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball, on Facebook at Ole Miss Softball and on Instagram at Instagram.com/olemisssoftball. Fans can also follow head coach Mike Smith on Twitter at @msmithsb16. Additionally fans can get a behind the scenes look at Ole Miss Athletics on Snapchat under the handle, @WeAreOleMiss.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

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