University, Miss. (TLV) – What a difference a weekend can make—or a day, for that matter. The team motto #wintheday proved to be just what Head Coach Mike Bianco and the Ole Miss Rebels needed to believe this past weekend, coming from behind to sweep Tennessee—which has caused the Diamond Rebs to be the talk of Mississippi Sports this week.
Saturday’s game proved to be the catapult Ole Miss needed to rejuvenate itself upon entering Sunday’s game where they have struggled all year. The dreaded third game of series for Ole Miss had become an expected loss until this past weekend.
The fact that it took a big hit from a freshman (who had a .205 average with 5 RBI and 0 home runs) in order for the Rebels to have a chance for a Saturday victory speaks volumes about how this team has bought into itself, its fans and its coaches.
Sikes Orvis, came up with a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth with two outs to tie the game and give Ole Miss a chance. His 2 RBI shot eventually secured an extra inning victory and gave the Rebs all the momentum they needed going into Sunday. Matt Snyder belted a three run shot in the 11th to give Ole Miss the 7-4 win.
“We played a great game,” said Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco. “I’m proud of our guys. We didn’t play very well starting off. Obviously it was a tough day for Mike Mayers. He didn’t have his best stuff today. He had some trouble locating all of his pitches. But, he hung in there. Then Tanner (Bailey) came in and was tremendous. He put up a lot of zeros. Finally, we got things going offensively with a huge homerun from Sikes Orvis and the big three-run home run from Matt (Snyder) in the 11th to win it.”
Ole Miss enters the series against Vanderbilt (ESPNU) just three games out of first place and are now serious contenders for a hosting spot come NCAA Regional time. The No. 22 ranked Rebels (USA Today) travel to Nashville where a slew of Rebel fans who reside in the area are sure to make the trip for what will be a decisive series in the world of NCAA Baseball.
Beat Vandy at their house and the possibility of a host site reward increases threefold. The Rebels have a current RPI of 20. In all likelihood, the SEC will get five host sites this year. The first four are sure to go to Kentucky, LSU, South Carolina and Florida. The fifth site looks to be up for grabs between Arkansas and your Ole Miss Rebels.
The Razorbacks travel to Knoxville, but one loss to the Volunteers will hurt their RPI tremendously. Tennessee’s RPI is 102. On the other hand, Vanderbilt’s RPI sits at 38, so a series win for the Rebels may be enough to for them to jump over Arkansas if the Razorbacks lose one on the road.
One thing is for certain, the Rebs will be in Hoover the following week. This year, the SEC changed its tournament format to include the top ten teams instead of the top eight. Call the Ole Miss Ticket Office for info on Ticket Packages at 662.915.7167.
While we don’t know where these resilient Rebels will be seeded, we do know the order of the games and have included the double-elimination format below for you, the TLV Rebel Fanatic.
As of today (THU 5/17), we know Alabama will be sitting at home. I know, breaks your heart, right? The teams battling for the last spot include: Tennesee, Auburn, and Vanderbilt.
