FOOTBALL: Hardy, Peria Jerry on Nagurski list

Ole Miss players Greg Hardy (DE) and Peria Jerry (DT) are among the 18 SEC players on the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, presented by the Football Writers Association of America to the nation’s top defensive player.

Hardy may be the only player on the watch list running second team at the conclusion of spring drills.

Two players from Wake Forest, linebacker Aaron Curry and DB Alphonso Smith, also made the list.

Here’s the link: Nagurski Trophy

– PA

BASEBALL: Ferguson is SEC Freshman of the Week

Ole Miss shortstop Tim Ferguson, whose 3-run home run lifted the Rebels to a 7-6 win over Auburn Friday, has been named SEC Freshman of the Week.

– PA

FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK
Tim Ferguson • Ole Miss
IF • Beaumont, Texas

Ferguson made the most of his one at bat in Friday’s contest against Auburn as the freshman hit a 3-run, walk-off home run to give the Rebels a 7-6 win over the Tigers. Ole Miss won the weekend series 2-1.

Ferguson entered the game in the eighth inning as a defensive replacement before getting his key at bat in the ninth inning … Ferguson split time with SS Sean Stuyverson on the weekend as the Rebels are rotating starts at the position.

BASEBALL: Postseason numbers to crunch

Alabama went 15-15 with a 32-23 overall record in 2001 and did not make the SEC tournament or the NCAA tournament.

One year later Ole Miss was 14-16, did not make the SEC tourney but was 37-19 overall and had a strong RPI.

It was after that season that you began to see a trend of teams making the NCAA without making the SEC. Florida was 13-16-1, 37-21-1 in 2003, and State did it twice. The Bulldogs were 13-17, 35-24 in 2004 and 12-17, 37-23 in 2006.

Don’t know what the RPI numbers were during those seasons.

The Rebels are 33-20, 14-13 right now with three games at Kentucky remaining. They have a 45 RPI as of today. Kentucky is 38-14 with a 35 RPI.

– PA

BASEBALL: Solid bullpen effort

Winning two against Auburn this weekend was critical, and I didn’t think the Rebels would sweep. They haven’t been playing well enough to sweep.

While they achieved the necessary two wins it was quite an ugly path to get there. They didn’t hit Auburn Friday starter Grant Dayton until the late innings. Auburn Saturday starter Taylor Thompson had a no-hitter for 6 1-3 innings in a complete game 11-1 win, and the Rebels went four innings without a hit on Sunday.

By the time Matt Smith led off the fifth with a solo home run, Auburn pitching had held Ole Miss scoreless in 17 of the 22 innings played.

Credit the Rebels for rallying Friday against Bryan Woodall, an All-America level closer, and for manufacturing the necessary runs Sunday with Logan Power’s chopper over third base and Brett Basham’s sacrifice fly.

The biggest bright spot on the weekend was the Rebels’ bullpen. The performance Scott Bittle turned in Sunday (4 IP, 2 hits, 0 runs, 1 BB, 7 SO) has come to be expected. But Ole Miss got solid outings from Jake Morgan (2 1-3 IP, 0 hits, 0 runs, 0 BB, 4 SO) on Friday and Brett Bukvich (5 1-3 IP, 4 hits, 2 runs, 2 BB, 4 SO) on Saturday.

That is the kind of depth that was trumpeted for this team back in January. That is a level of pitching that gives you a chance to win … if your offense scores a few runs.

Maybe the offense can up its game a little bit at Kentucky this week.

– PA

FYI: Today’s agenda

The week is condensed with SEC baseball series beginning on Thursday in this, the final week of the regular season.

That means Wednesday is a travel day for Ole Miss, which heads to Kentucky and will end the regular season as it began it, on the road.

I’ll review the weekend that just concluded and look ahead to the Kentucky series later today. Winning the series against Auburn was a must for Ole Miss, but it has guaranteed the Rebels nothing except the chance to remain in the mix for postseason play. Had the Rebels lost it would have created an enormous amount of pressure for the series in Lexington. That pressure will be there this weekend, because no berth is secure yet, but if the Rebels come away with just one win to go 15-15 in the SEC, that gives them a pretty good shot.

I’ll also be working on an opinion piece on Ole Miss baseball for the Tuesday print edition.

This is a week to shift gears a little bit on a couple of late spring, early summer projects that Gregg and I have going on as well.

– PA