Three Observations: Ole Miss vs. Hawaii Series Finale
Ole Miss Rebels fans were probably quick to turn off the radio broadcast on Sunday as things got out of hand fairly quickly in a sloppy 13-4 loss to the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors.
While a series split wasn't what fans had in mind, this is a tough way to start the season. The Rebels traveled over 4,000 miles for this unique opening weekend, and after playing a 13-inning game on Friday, they have got to be gassed. It is a quick turnaround though, as the Rebels play Arkansas State on Wednesday at 4 p.m. CT, and some areas of their game have got to be addressed.
Here are three takeaways from the series finale on Sunday.
Ole Miss Athletics
Tons and Tons of Errors
The Rebels had six errors on Sunday. Ouch.
Obviously, you aren't going to win a lot of ballgames making the amount of errors Ole Miss had in the finale, and the bottom line is that the defense has to be better. Committing six errors against Hawaii is one thing, but letting that trend continue would be even more detrimental.
Also: Tons and Tons of Walks
Ole Miss pitchers recorded ten walks on Sunday, and that combined with errors means the game is basically a forgone conclusion.
Rebel pitching also walked in three runs to add insult to injury. Throwing strikes was a consistent problem for Rebels pitching on opening weekend, but one bright spot was freshman LHP and Ole Miss quarterback Austin Simmons. Simmons saw one inning of action on Sunday, recording two strikeouts and got out of the inning in only twelve pitches. Josh Mallitz also saw two innings of work, had three strikeouts and no earned runs.
The Big Hit
The Rebels started the game by loading the bases and settled for one run off of a sac fly from Ethan Lege. Rebel hitters only managed four hits on Sunday and left eight on base, unable to find that one big hit to get back in the game.
On the bright side, freshman catcher Campbell Smithwick recorded his first collegiate base hit, going 1-for-3 with an RBI double in the top of the fourth. Bo Gatlin also continues to contribute, following up his three-run home run on Saturday with a 1-for-2 performance. Gatlin also recorded an RBI in the fourth.