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Ole Miss Softball Travels to South Carolina for a Weekend Tilt
By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com
Ole Miss softball heads to the Palmetto State to take on the South Carolina Gamecocks in an SEC weekend series tilt. The first pitch is set for Friday at 5 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.
Ole Miss (30-14, 5-10 SEC) snapped a five-game skid with a 10-0 run rule victory over Louisiana Tech in their final home midweek of 2022. The Rebels have clinched their seventh consecutive 30-win season.
Senior Bre Roper notched her 200th career hit in the Rebels’ victory over Louisiana Tech, going 3-for-3. It was her 15th multi-hit game this season. While her teammate Tate Whitley continues her hot streak at the dish as she ranks fifth in the nation with 62 hits and has a .431 batting average on the season.
South Carolina welcomes the Rebels into the weekend with a 25-21 overall record and a 2-13 mark in the SEC. The Gamecocks’ two SEC victories have come against ranked opponents, topping No. 15 Georgia 7-3 and No. 19 Auburn 10-7.
As a team, USC is batting .286 and has scored 256 runs for an average of 5.57 per game. At the plate, Riley Blampied paces the Gamecocks with a .341 average and 45 hits, 14 of which have been doubles. Leadoff hitter Jordan Fabian follows just behind her with 39 hits and 32 walks, coming around to score a team-high 44 runs.
In the circle, the Gamecocks’ Skylar Trahan boasts the top ERA on the staff with a 1.91 ERA through 22.0 innings pitched. Sophomore Leah Powell has been the workhorse for South Carolina this season, making 27 appearances on the year and posting a 3.30 ERA through nearly 100 innings pitched. Together, the USC pitchers have a 3.65 earned run average in the circle, while opponents are batting .251.
Ole Miss and South Carolina have met on the diamond 57 times with the Gamecocks holding a 34-23 advantage in the all-time series.
Game times for this series are set for Friday (5 p.m. CT SEC Network+), Saturday (2 p.m. CT SEC Network) and Sunday (noon CT SEC Network+).