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.

Thornberry Completes Play At NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional

Photo by Joshua McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics.

Freshman Braden Thornberry posted a 1-under 71 in the third and final round of the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional in Tuscaloosa, Alabama Wednesday.

Thornberry carded four birdies on the day, including three in his final nine holes to finish tied for 21st overall. The Southaven, Mississippi native finished second among individuals with a three-round score of 3-over par 219.

“Braden did not have his best stuff from tee to green this week for sure, but he did a great job grinding it out and making the par putts when he needed  to to  keep his round together,” said Rebel head coach Chris Malloy. “He has adjusted well to the culture we are trying to create here and I am sure he is looking forward to improving on what I would say was a very successful freshman campaign. His future is extremely bright.”

The Georgia Bulldogs finished first in the NCAA Tuscaloosa Regional with a team score of 848. The remaining four teams that advanced to the NCAA Championships in Eugene, Oregon are South Carolina, Alabama,  Kentucky  and Auburn. William Rainey of the College of Charleston qualified as the low individual with a tournament score of 7-under 209.

For all Ole Miss Men’s golf news and information, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissMGolf, on Instagram at OleMissMGolf and on Facebook at facebook.com/OleMissMGolf. Fans can also follow head coach Chris Malloy on Twitter @CoachMalloy12.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

Lartigue Named Semifinalist for Johnny Bench Award

Ole Miss catcher Henri Lartigue
Photo by Joshua McCoy/Ole Miss Athletics@olemisspix

Putting together an impressive 2016 season at the plate, Ole Miss junior Henri Lartigue has been named a semifinalist for the 2016 Johnny Bench Award presented by BaseballSavings.com, the Greater Wichita Area Sports Commission announced Wednesday morning. The Johnny Bench Award, named after the 14-time All-Star and 10-time Gold Glove winner, is presented annually to the nation’s top collegiate catcher as voted on by Division I coaches.

Lartigue is the only catcher from the Southeastern Conference to be named a semifinalist. Hitting at a team-leading .358 clip at the plate, the switch hitter boasts the best batting average among SEC catchers. Moreover, the Southaven, Mississippi native is raking during conference play, hitting .390 which ranks fifth. He has tallied 10 games with at least three hits, pacing the Rebel bats.

The Ole Miss catcher has also come through in the clutch with a pair of walk-off hits this season. Against Auburn (April 24), Lartigue smacked a base hit to knock in Rebels’ fourth run of the ninth inning and cap a 6-5 comeback victory. Last weekend versus Kentucky (May 13), he walked to the dish with runners on the corners, one out and his team trailing by one. Battling against UK closer Sean Hjelle, Lartigue belted a deep fly ball to right field that cleared the fence for a three-run home run, giving the Rebels a 7-5 win and earning his second walk-off hit of the season.

The tradition of great catchers at Ole Miss is well known, especially over recent history. Stuart Turner won the Johnny Bench Award in 2013. One year later, Will Allen was an All-American catcher as a 2014 Johnny Bench Award finalist. With a coaching staff filled with guys who played the position, expectations of Rebel catchers are always lofty. Head coach Mike Bianco was a catcher at LSU, while assistant coaches Carl Lafferty and Mike Clement also started behind the plate during their playing days.

From the group of semifinalists, three finalists will be selected June 6; the winner will be presented with the award June 30 in Wichita, Kansas.

Lartigue and the Rebels return to the diamond tomorrow night, facing No. 2 Texas A&M in the final series of the regular season. First pitch from Blue Bell Park is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT on SEC Network.

For the latest news and updates involving Ole Miss Baseball, follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissBSB, on Facebook at Ole Miss Baseball and on Instagram at olemissbsb.

2016 Johnny Bench Award Semifinalists
Riley Adams, San Diego, So.
Zack Collins, Miami (FL), Jr.
Brady Cox, University of Texas, Arlington, Jr.
Brett Cumberland, Cal, So.
Logan Ice, Oregon State, Jr.
Henri Lartigue, Ole Miss, Jr.
Jeremy Martinez, USC, Jr.
Chris Okey, Clemson, Jr.
Joey Roach, Georgia State, Sr.
Keith Skinner, North Florida, Sr.
Evan Skoug, TCU, So.
Deon Stafford Jr., Saint Joseph’s, So.
Matt Thaiss, Virginia, Jr.
Michael  Tinsley, Kansas, Jr.
Harrison Wenson, Michigan, Jr.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

Ole Miss Inks German and European Champion Tim Sandkaulen

Courtesy of Ole Miss

The Ole Miss men’s tennis team recently concluded the season with its 23rd-straight NCAA appearance. Head coach Toby Hansson is already looking forward to next year, announcing the addition of German standout Tim Sandkaulen, who will join the program in the fall.

A native of Monchengladbach, Germany, Sandkaulen achieved a career-high ITF World Junior Ranking of No. 33 and participated in all four junior grand slams.

“We are very happy that Tim will be joining the program and become part of the Ole Miss family,” Hansson said. “He is the top player in Germany, one of the best in Europe and has proven himself on the world stage. Tim is the caliber of player that will make an immediate impact.”

Sandkaulen reached the doubles semifinals and the second round of singles at the 2015 French Open. He beat then-No. 2 Orlando Luz of Brazil to reach the second round of singles at the 2015 Australian Open.

In addition, Sandkaulen won the European Doubles Championship and the German U-18 Singles Championship in 2015. Sandkaulen helped Germany finish third at the 2013 Junior Davis Cup and has won two ITF junior tournaments (Grade 2 and 3) in singles and reached the doubles final of an ITF Futures event in Germany.

While Sandkaulen’s accomplishments are plenty, his character and work ethic caught Hansson’s eye as well.

“Tim’s family owns and operates a tennis club in his hometown,” Hansson added. “I was extremely impressed when I watched him play and work out and then he promptly went and joined his family in the kitchen to help prepare lunch for the club guests. He is hard working and very accomplished, but also humble. His characteristics will fit in perfectly with our team philosophy.”

Sandkaulen joins Rebel All-Americans Matthias Wellermann, Marcel Thiemann, Chris Thiemann and Jonas Lutjen as well as current freshman Fabian Fallert to hail from Germany.

For more information on Ole Miss Men’s Tennis, follow the Rebels on Twitter @OleMissMTennis, on Facebook at OleMissMTennis and on Instagram at OleMissMTennis, follow Coach Hansson on Twitter at @TennisToby.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

Two Soccer Signees Named Gatorade Players of the Year

Courtesy of UM Communications

Two Ole Miss soccer signees – Tennessee’s Gabby Little and Mississippi’s Alley Houghton – were named 2015-16 Girls State Players of the Year for the Winter and Spring High School seasons, Gatorade released Tuesday in collaboration with USA Today High School Sports.

The award, which recognizes not only outstanding athletic excellence, but also high standards of academic achievement and exemplary character demonstrated on and off the field, distinguishes Little as Tennessee’s best high school girls soccer player, and Houghton as Mississippi’s top high school girls player.

Now a finalist for the prestigious Gatorade National Girls Soccer Player of the Year award to be announced in May, Little and Houghton join an elite alumni association of past state award-winners in 12 sports, including Abby Wambach (1997-98, Our Lady of Mercy, N.Y.), Derek Jeter (1991-92, Kalamazoo HS, Mich.), Candace Parker (2001-02, Naperville Central HS, Ill.), Alexi Lalas (1987-88, Cranbrook HS, Mich.), Heather O’Reilly (2001-02, East Brunswick HS, N.J.) and Mark Sanchez (2004-05, Mission Viejo HS, Calif.).

Little, a Germantown, Tennessee native, led the Mustangs to a 22-0 record and the Class AAA state championship this past season. Little scored 23 goals and dished out 20 assists, including eight goals and three assists in six postseason games.

An All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, the 5-foot-7 senior forward played in the High School All-American Game in North Carolina in December. She capped her high school career with 60 goals and 41 assts.

Little has maintained an A average in the classroom. An active member of the Girl Scouts, she has volunteered locally with fundraising campaigns to benefit breast cancer research and on behalf of multiple community-service initiatives through her church.

Houghton, a local product from Lafayette High School in Oxford, is the first Gatorade Mississippi Girls Soccer Player of the Year to be chosen from Lafayette.

The 5-foot-3 senior forward scored 71 goals and passed for 10 assists this past season, leading the Commodores (19-3) to the Class 4A state final. The state’s returning Gatorade Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Houghton concluded her prep career with 250 goals, shattering the state record.

An All-American selection by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America, she is also a two-time Clarion-Ledger First Team All-State honoree. Houghton has maintained an A average in the classroom. She has volunteered locally on behalf of the Oxford Humane Society and the Special Olympics.

Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Soccer on Twitter at @OleMissSoccer, on Facebook at Facebook.com/OleMissSoccer, and on Instagram at Instagram.com/officialolemisssoccer. Also follow head coach Matt Mott on Twitter at @CoachMattMott. Additionally fans can get a behind the scenes look at Ole Miss Athletics on Snapchat under the handle, @WeAreOleMiss.

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