The Ole Miss Rebels started their last series of the season this Thursday against #7 Texas A&M. The Rebels fell to the Aggies by a score of 0-4. Now falling to 29-25 on the season and 14-14 SEC.
“They were a little bit tougher than us tonight,” said Ole Miss Catcher Austin Knight. “We needed to be better offensively.”
The Rebels are now safe from falling below .500 record before the NCAA Tournament. The one thing that might of kept them out of the Tournament going into last weekend. The Rebels had a RPI of 27 going into the night and still have the number one strength of schedule. Impressive numbers that will keep the Rebels in the NCAA Tournament regardless of what happens this weekend and in the SEC Tournament in Hoover.
Ole Miss Starting Pitcher Christian Trent had a good day. He only gave up three runs in 6.2 innings pitched. He had six strikeouts and only gave up six hits against 26 batters. After Trent, Relief Pitcher Jacob Waguespack entered the game in the seventh inning. He gave up one run. Waguespack gave up one run and two hits in 1.1 innings pitched. After that Drake Robinson came in for one inning and gave up no hits.
“I don’t know if he (Trent) has pitched better all year long,” said Ole Miss Head Coach Mike Bianco. “That is why they’re good, they did not get a lot of hits tonight but they got all the big hits.”
While the Rebels had what many would consider strong pitching, the bats were dead. The Rebels only had two hits and did not get their first man on base till the fourth inning when Will Golsan was walked. Sikes Orvis, who has been on fire lately, had a rough outing, getting no hits. Austin Knight and J.B. Woodman were the only Rebels to get a hit tonight, both of which were doubles.
“As a offense tonight we were frustrated,” said Knight. “It seemed when we had swings to be on the fastball, he would throw that slider in there.”
The Rebels were dominated by Aggie Starting Pitcher Grayson Long. Long pitched a perfect game for almost four innings. He only gave up two hits in seven innings pitched. He ended throwing 117 pitches, and had twelve strikeouts and faced 26 batters. Long is now 9-0 on the season.
“Long did a really good job, he kind of went after us with the fastball,” said Knight. “He has one of those fastballs that is like Brady’s fastball, it really gets on you and you have to be ready for you.”
Ole Miss will face off against #6 Texas A&M again tonight at 6:30 pm. The Rebels will start Brady Bramlett, who after a great game against Alabama a couple weeks back, has looked a little shaky. The Rebels really only need to steal one to guarantee a NCAA Tournament bid, something they will have two more tries at tonight and Saturday. 
