Ole Miss Prepares to Take the Diamond Against No. 8 Kentucky on the Road

By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com

Ole Miss softball heads to the Bluegrass State of Kentucky to take on the No. 8 Kentucky Wildcats in a SEC series tilt this weekend. The first pitch of the series is set for Friday at 5 p.m. on SEC Network.

Ole Miss rolls into Lexington with a 28-9 overall and 4-5 in the SEC. The Rebels swept Tennessee State in the doubleheader on Tuesday.

This season, Tate Whitley ranks second in the nation with 56 hits and is 11th in the country with a .467 batting average. Her teammate Bre Roper has come into the Rebel lineup and made an impact at the dish. The senior is batting .371 with 14 multi-hit games.

In the circle, the southpaw Anna Borgen was named SEC Pitcher of the Week to end the month of March, following a 2-0 weekend over No. 17 Missouri to open conference action at home.

Kentucky (25-8, 6-3 SEC) is coming off a series victory over No. 18 Auburn and a sweep at No. 20 LSU. The Wildcats boast one of the conference’s best offenses, ranking fourth nationally with a .342 average. 

This season, the Wildcats are averaging just over seven runs per game, led by Kayla Kowalik and Erin Coffel, who are both hitting .423 through 33 games. Coffel, one of UK’s top power hitters, leads the team with 38 RBIs and a .784 slugging percentage.

In the circle, Kentucky has a mix of arms, with six pitchers that have each made 10 or more appearances. As a team, they own a 3.06 ERA while holding opponents to a .246 mark at the plate. Tatum Spangler leads the Wildcats with a 0.37 ERA through 18.2 innings pitched. She appeared in all three games against LSU last weekend for UK, earning all three victories.

These two programs have met on the diamond 58 times with Ole Miss holding a 32-26 advantage in the all-time series. The Rebels hold a 15-13 lead in games played in Lexington.

This weekend fans can watch Friday (5 p.m.) and Saturday’s (11 a.m.) game on SEC Network and stream Sunday’s game at noon on SEC Network+.