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 the Sunherald

Report: Laremy Tunsil’s stepfather suing star Ole Miss lineman

Photo courtesy of Joshua McCoy, Ole Miss Athletics

This week was supposed to be one of the most exciting of Laremy Tunsil’s life.

Instead, the star Ole Miss left tackle has been taking hit after hit.

Once projected as the top overall draft pick in Thursday’s NFL Draft, several trades indicate Tunsil will likely be passed over for two quarterbacks.

Now, Tunsil’s ongoing saga with his stepfather, Lindsey Miller, has popped up just a day before the draft.

The Clarion-Ledger reported Wednesday morning that Miller is suing Tunsil for an alleged assault that took place in June. Miller also claims Tunsil defamed his character and caused “intentional infliction of emotional distress,” according to the C-L.

Courtesy of Patrick Ochs and the SunHerald

Osias Breaks Wins Record as Rebels Blank UAB

Photo courtesy of Joshua McCoy / Ole Miss Athletics

In front of a national TV audience, Senior Madi Osias broke the single-season record for wins in a season earning her 18th victory of 2016, leading the Rebel softball team to a 5-0 shutout over UAB Wednesday night at the Ole Miss Softball Complex.

The Rebels (35-15) jumped on the Blazers (22-26) early and often, plating three within the first three innings, capturing their 20th home win of the season, the first team in program history to reach the 20-win mark in home contests.

Osias was lights out in her 21st start of her senior campaign, tossing her sixth complete game of the year in her second shutout. The Tustin, California native allowed just two hits, one each in the second and third, and struck out five with just two walks. Her 18th win of the season breaks Amanda Fine’s record set back in 1997, still with seven regular season games left on the slate.

The Ole Miss offense also shined early, tying the single-game record for triples in a game hitting half of its season total’s worth with three. The three within the first three frames also tied the school record set back on April 16, 1997, in a contest with Mississippi Valley State.

Hailey Lunderman and Courtney Syrett led the six-hit effort on the night as the duo both went 2-for-2 in the contest. Lunderman inched closer to the record for hits in a season reaching the 64 hit mark, which ties for second-most in school history, two off tying the record. She, Miranda Strother and Grayce Majam all drove in a run as the Rebels chased UAB starter Tori Perkins after just 2.1 innings in the circle.

Ole Miss improved its record to 14-2 when scoring in the first inning after plating two early off the Blazers. Elantra Cox reached safely at first to lead it off after reaching on an error, before Lunderman delivered one of the Rebels’ three triples with her RBI knock to right-center field. She eventually crossed home on a wild pitch putting the Rebels on top, 2-0.

Kylan Becker led off the very next inning with her first extra-base hit of the season, before Majam drove her in with a perfect bunt to put the Rebels in front, 3-0.

Lunderman began the third with her second hit of the night off a bunt, before Strother’s triple off the left field wall scored the freshman giving Ole Miss a 4-0 advantage. Strother went on to plate the Rebels’ fifth run off a wild pitch to cap the scoring on the night.

The Rebels’ win over the Blazers is the first in school history in the short three-game series. Ole Miss has now won five-straight games with only two SEC series and a midweek at Louisiana Tech remaining.

On Deck
The Rebels return to SEC play for their final league series on the road at No. 14 Georgia this weekend in Athens. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. ET/5 p.m. CT Friday, while the Saturday and Sunday games are slated for a 2 p.m. ET/1 p.m. CT first pitch.

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

Ole Miss Rifle Inks Hayley Carroll

Photo by Joshua McCoy / Ole Miss Athletics

Ole Miss Rifle is building for the future and that includes the latest signee, Hayley Carroll of Fairfax, Virginia, who signed a national letter of intent to join the program in 2016-17.

During her time at Robison Secondary High School, Carroll earned First Team All-Metro in the PHSRL her sophomore, junior and senior years and received second place at the 2016 PHSRL Regionals. During her freshman, sophomore and junior year she also participated in 3P Nationals.

In addition, Carroll qualified for the Junior Olympics her junior and senior year and was awarded the High School Top Shot Season Award. She was even featured in the Washington Post.

“We are excited to have Haley become part of the Ole Miss family,” senior associate athletics director Lynnette Johnsonsaid. “She is an outstanding young lady on and off the range, and we look forward to helping her succeed at Ole Miss.”

Off the range, Carroll is an outstanding student with a variety of interests. She is a member of the A-B and Athletic Honor Rolls and enjoys photography, cooking/baking and going to concerts.

Carroll joins four-time Junior Olympian Alana Kelly of Acworth, Georgia − who signed in last fall − as members of the incoming recruiting class.

For more information on Ole Miss Rifle, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissRifle, on Facebook at OleMissRifle and on Instagram @OleMissRifle.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

Updates Announced for Baseball Renovations

Image courtesy of Ole Miss

In February 2016, Ole Miss Athletics announced plans for a $13 million baseball project that will enhance the student-athlete experience as well as the gameday atmosphere for Rebel fans. There will be multiple phases to the renovations with the goal for entire project be completed by the start of the 2018 season. The project will include the construction of a team performance center, dugout club and rooftop plaza on the first base side of the stadium.

Cooke Douglass Farr Lemons Architects (CDFL Sports) has been chosen as the architect for the project. This will not be CDFL’s first project on campus as the architectural group has already worked on the expansion of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium, the lighting of the football practice field as well as the design of the Olivia and Arching Manning Athletics Performance Center.

“Once again, we are happy to partner with CDFL Sports to complete another expansion and renovation project within our athletics complex,” said Ole Miss Athletics Director Ross Bjork. “CDFL has done tremendous work at Ole Miss and has helped make our athletic facilities among the best in the country. We are excited with the plans they have in place for the new baseball performance center and upgrades to Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field.”

Ole Miss continues to upgrade facilities in order to fulfill the needs of its student-athletes. Members of the Ole Miss baseball team will see this first hand with the construction of a new performance center at O-U Stadium. Behind a generous lead gift by Ed and Jan Trehern, the baseball performance center will feature a new clubhouse, training room, weight room and players’ lounge. The O-U Stadium addition will be built on the first base side of the facility, meaning the Rebels will switch dugouts after the completion of the project.

“The Trehern family and its foundation are very excited to be a part of this new era of facilities for Ole Miss Baseball,” said Ed Trehern. “Ole Miss has become a national pacesetter for facilities and crowds in baseball. The baseball facilities are very good now, but it is time to go to the next level because the competition is not sitting quietly. Baseball has become one of the trademarks for Ole Miss Athletics. We hope our gift will encourage others to support and give what you can to keep Ole Miss at the top.”

Already having the best atmosphere in college baseball, O-U Stadium will see the gameday experience reach new heights for Ole Miss fans. Similar to the field club going in Vaught-Hemingway Stadium and the courtside club in The Pavilion at Ole Miss, a dugout club will be a new feature to O-U Stadium. The exclusive club will have 330 seats and give fans a look at the Rebels as they leave the clubhouse and head to the field. As part of the dugout club, four rows of box seats will be added behind home plate, thus improving the best seats in the stadium and allowing fans closer access to the action.

As part of the $1.5 million donation by the M-Club towards the Forward Together campaign, a rooftop plaza will be built above the performance center. The plaza will be exclusive to baseball letterwinners, M-Club members and season ticket holders with seats in the newly created area.

Other parts of the project include the extension of the box seats down the third base line, the relocation of the children’s playground with improvements to it as well as the left field terrace.

The additional seating throughout the stadium will increase stadium capacity from 10,323 to 10,715.

Fundraising has already begun for the upgrades and renovations. Along with the lead gift by Trehern’s and the commitment from the M-Club, head coach Mike Bianco has already financially contributed to the project.

“On behalf of the Ole Miss Baseball program, we are extremely grateful for the generous contributions by the Trehern family and the M-Club towards the renovations to O-U Stadium and the addition of our own team performance center,” said Bianco. “With the valuable gift from Ed and Jan Trehern, the opportunity to build the best college baseball performance facility in the country has now become a reality.”

“Some great people/players have been involved with Ole Miss Baseball such as our great friend Don Kessinger. Coach Bianco has done and continues to do a great job, and many coaches use Ole Miss as the model program,” added Trehern. “One of our daughters was a Diamond Girl, and we have been very close to the program for a number of years. We are blessed to be able to make another investment in the program and facilities here at Ole Miss. We know we are recruiting the best players in the country and to win these battles we cannot come up short as it relates to facilities.”

To donate towards the Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field project, please visit GiveToAthletics.com or contact the Ole Miss Athletics Foundation (662-915-7159).

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

Gamble Named H. Boyd McWhorter SEC Male Scholar-Athlete Of The Year

Ole Miss golfer Forrest Gamble has been named the 2015-16 Southeastern Conference H. Boyd McWhorter Male Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Commissioner Greg Sankey announced Thursday.

Gamble and Alabama softball player Haylie McClene were chosen by a committee of Faculty Athletics Representatives from SEC universities and both will receive a $15,000 post-graduate scholarship, provided by AT&T, an SEC Corporate Sponsor, and the Allstate Sugar Bowl.

“Forrest and Haylie are the type of student-athletes who make a commitment to excellence in the classroom and in competition that are representative of the high standards of the Southeastern Conference,” Sankey said.  “Their accomplishments and their character make them ideal choices for the H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete Award.”

Gamble, a Physics major with a grade point average of 3.97, was the 2015 SEC Men’s Golf Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a CoSIDA Academic All-American the same year.  He has been named to the Chancellor’s List at Ole Miss every semester during his career with the Rebel golf team.

“I am so proud of Forrest for everything that he has accomplished during his time here at Ole Miss,” said men’s golf coach Chris Malloy. “He is everything that you want in a student-athlete and his best days are certainly ahead of him. He is certainly deserving of this prestigious award.”

Gamble finished in the top-ten this year at the FAU Slomin Autism Invitational to lead the Rebels to a first place finish, firing a season-low round of 2-under par 69 in the opening round.  He finished in the top 20 at the Shoal Creek Invitational in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama last fall and paced the Rebels with two rounds of even-par 72 at the Old Waverly Collegiate Championship this April to help Ole Miss finish second.

He also fired a career-low 66 at the 2015 SEC Championships at Sea Island, Georgia, en route to a tie for an 11th place.  He competed in every tournament his freshman season, earning his first top-five finish at the Querencia Cabo Collegiate in 2013.

“It’s a huge honor,” said Gamble. “I chose to play at Ole Miss and in the SEC because I wanted to have the opportunity to compete at the highest level both on the course and in the classroom, so winning this award is special for me. I appreciate all those who work to give student-athletes in the SEC the opportunity to pursue both their academic and athletic dreams.”

Gamble becomes the fifth Ole Miss student-athlete to win the award. Past winners include Jeff Noblin (1987, football), Danny Hoskins (1988, football), Rob Robertson (2005, football) and Bram ten Berge (2009, tennis).

The 13 other male nominees were: Retin Obasohan, Alabama (basketball); Andrew Pisechko, Arkansas (track & field); Justin Youtsey, Auburn (diving); Jared Watkins, Florida (track & field); Ty Stewart, Georgia (swimming); Jordan Swindle, Kentucky (football); Tommy LeBeau, LSU (football); Brandon McBride, Mississippi State (track & field); Nick Sublett, Missouri (track & field); Kevin Leithold, South Carolina (swimming); Mauricio Robles Rodriguez, Tennessee (diving); Antoine Marc, Texas A&M (swimming); Rhys Johnson, Vanderbilt (tennis).

The 13 other female nominees were:  Taylor Ellis-Watson, Arkansas (track & field); Kala Faulkner, Auburn (soccer); Delaney Dye, Florida (diving); Marjorie Butler, Georgia (basketball); Morgan Bergren, Kentucky (volleyball); Natalia Gomez-Junco, LSU (soccer); Jennifer Miller, Ole Miss (soccer); Shelby Jordan, Mississippi State (soccer); Candace Johnson, Missouri (soccer); Stevi Parker, South Carolina (soccer); Faith Johnson, Tennessee (swimming); Jennifer Madu, Texas A&M (track & field); Mallory Schonk, Vanderbilt (lacrosse).

Courtesy of the SEC

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