Ole Miss Baseball Weekend Scouting Report: Kentucky Wildcats

The red hot Kentucky Wildcats come to Swayze Field for an Easter weekend series against the Ole Miss Rebels.

The Ole Miss Rebels are looking for their second SEC series win this weekend as the Kentucky Wildcats come to town. The Wildcats currently sit at 5-1 in conference play, and here are three things to watch for this weekend as the Rebels looks to bounce back from a rough weekend in Knoxville.

Small Ball

The Wildcats are maybe the complete opposite of the Tennessee ball club that the Rebels played last weekend. They don't kill you with the long ball, but they will lay a bunt down the line if you aren't paying attention. The home run leader on the team has four long balls on the year.

Nick Lopez is someone to keep your eye on. Lopez is hitting for a .395 average in 22 games and has only struck out six times all year. Expect Lopez to be a tough out and be dangerous with runners in scoring position as he has 20 RBIs on the year.

Rebel pitchers will need to be able to pound the zone as Kentucky battled in their midweek game forcing long at-bats, converting them into walks to spark a come from behind win against Miami (Ohio).

Friday Night

Friday night should be interesting as Kentucky has yet to decide who it will start on the hill. Riley Maddox also gets his first SEC start of the year for Ole Miss, and nerves might be a factor. Maddox will need to settle in as the game progresses so the Rebels hitters can find their footing.

A win on Friday can give a team a clear path for a series win.

Road Warriors

The Wildcats are coming into their second straight SEC road series after taking two of three from Missouri. Going on the road in the SEC is a bear, and the home crowd in Oxford will likely do no favors for this Kentucky team.

The win at Missouri is impressive, but the Rebels will be stiffer competition than the Tigers. A series loss at home would be a serious bump in the road for the Rebels.

First pitch on Friday is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on SEC Network+.