FINAL: Ole Miss 14, Bethune Cookman 1

Rebels face Miami-Missouri loser tomorrow at 11 a.m.

— PA

BASEBALL: Bethune-Cookman update file

First Inning

Joseph Gautier pitching for Bethune, a lefty, 6-2, 2.00 ERA in 67 2-3 innings. Opponents are hitting .197 against him.

Ole Miss batting

Jordan Henry goes 3-1 and walks. … Fuller Smith goes 2-1 and bunts Henry to second. 1 out. … Logan Power goes 1-1 and singles opposite way to RF, and the Rebels have their first run of the NCAA tournament. Henry scores and Ole Miss leads 1-0. … Cody Overbeck grounds to short for a double play 3 outs.

Ole Miss 1, Bethune 0

Bethune batting

Ortiz bunts safely on first pitch. It’s between Pomeranz and Smith. No one is expecting the bunt, so when Smith breaks for the ball Miller isn’t covering. There’s nobody within a train ride of first base, and Ortiz is safe easily. … Hoyte goes 1-1 and Ortiz is caught stealing. … Hoyte goes 3-2 and walks. … Lozada goes 2-1 and flies to left. 2 outs. … Torres goes 1-2 and singles hard up the middle. Might have hurt Pomeranz if it had hit him. … 2 on, 2 out for Brown … Brown can do nothing for Bethune, at least not in this at-bat. Goes 2-2 and flies to left. 3 outs.

Ole Miss 1, Bethune-Cookman 0

BASEBALL: Online at Mark Light Stadium

We’re online at the moment, and I’m going to give the blog thing a try. I have determined that the “Light” in Mark Light could also be interpreted as “Facility Lite.”

I try not to complain for the sake of complaining, and I want to paint an accurate picture here. The stadium is adequate, I think, from a fan perspective. It has a concrete grandstand, about a third of which is chairback seating. The rest is just concrete, and you better bring your stadium chair. There is no cover so no shade for fans at any point.

They have put a few tent shelters up at the top of the stadium for what has become auxiliary media seating. I have moved out here, because the view far better than in primary media seating, and so, too, is the wireless signal.

If the signal holds I’ll have an in-game blog.

The problem you find when you travel for college baseball is that many of the traditional powers have not upgraded facilities as the game has grown. Arizona State and Cal-State Fullerton are also examples of this. The other problem, perhaps, the bigger problem is the traditional college baseball power that lives in a pro sports market, as all three of these do.

Their stadiums are suited to the small crowds that follow them. They are not suited to any sizeable media contingent. Throw a television crew into the mix, as you do with anything NCAA, and you have problems.

The schools that reside in “college markets” like most in the SEC have the better support and, far and away, the better facilities.

— PA

BASEBALL: When to push the Bittle Button

Here’s the print gamer from Ole Miss’ 7-0 loss to Missouri in yesterday’s first round of the Coral Gables Regional.

Mike Bianco summed it up when he said the game was all about Aaron Crow. He dominated. Why he so handily dominated the Ole Miss lineup is a question that will have to be addressed in the off-season. It’s not something that will be addressed in a few hours here against Bethune-Cookman.

Bethune will be a tough game. Any team that lost to Western Kentucky, Arkansas State and Central Arkansas all in one season can certainly fall short today if it doesn’t crank up the bats.

Freshman left-hander Drew Pomeranz will start for Ole Miss. The interesting question becomes when to push the Bittle Button. If you get a lead against Bethune do you try to skate by Jake Morgan, Brett Bukvich and others?

If you can do it, yes. Scott Bittle will be Ole Miss’ best chance to win in a loser’s bracket game on Sunday and get to Monday.

— PA

BASEBALL: Miami Postcard

CORAL GABLES, Fla. – It’s elimination day for the Rebels, who will face Bethune-Cookman at 11 a.m.

In six regionals under Mike Bianco, Ole Miss has gone two-and-out just once, and that was the 2004 Oxford Regional, the first time in which it served as host.

Bethune, the 4 seed, lost to Miami 7-4. It held a 2-0 lead and had the game tied at 4 in the middle innings.

After the Rebels lost yesterday I came back to the hotel here to write and later peeled off with Chase Parham of the Ole Miss Spirit (soon to be of the Oxford Eagle), and we located the Argentinian steakhouse recommended by Gregg Ellis.

I was delighted to find that in Argentina steaks are cooked over charcoal much like they here, so it was indeed a nice experience.

Upon my walking route yesterday I wound through an old Coral Gables neighborhood, a really nice area with trees and sidewalks and friendly people who were eager to tell me I was walking in the wrong direction when I asked them to point toward Highway 1.

I was able to find Highway 1 and get back to the Holiday Inn before the rain started.

Rain really hasn’t been an issue here, and I hope that continues today.

I think I totaled about five miles after combining my intended route with my unintended route.

I crossed over this canal in the neighborhood. You can see the water craft anchored on the sides, which basically are people’s back yards.

I’m going to sign off now and swim a few laps today.

If the wireless situation is different at the stadium today I will try to have more on the blog during the game.

— PA

BASEBALL: Missouri 7, Ole Miss 0

Total dominance by Missouri right-hander Aaron Crow, who pitched a 3-hit complete game. He was especially tough on the five and six spots in the order, Michael Guerrero and Matt Smith, where he collected six of his 10 strikeouts. The Rebels didn’t reach second base until the sixth, then reached it only twice for the game. Third base was a dream.

Ole Miss vs. the Miami/Bethune-Cookman loser tomorrow at 11.

— PA

Plan B …

Thanks Parrish for the in game blog effort. Sorry that didn’t work out. … Here is a link to the scoreboard to follow the game at – Click here for score and Gametracker. … We’ll post an update when it is over at djournal.com.

Todd Vinyard
Online Editor
Djournal.com

BASEBALL: No in-game blog

The NCAA will have nothing to fear from my blog, because it has allowed a regional host site with seats where I cannot see. I will go outside for this game, and if Ole Miss and Miami meet I’ll have to come up with another plan since the stands will be much more crowded, I imagine. The wireless connection in the press box is iffy anyway.

I’ll catch up with you guys later.

— PA

BASEBALL: NCAA blog policy

One post every half-inning. I have to register with the NCAA and submit proof that I am neither a terrorist nor a registered Communist. Anyway, I will have a blog from today’s game.

— PA

BASEBALL: Regional coverage

Here’s what we had in today’s print edition. The Rebels expect to swing away against Crow.

— PA