Four Rebels Earn All-SEC Honors

Following a 34-19 regular season that included five SEC series victories, four members of the Ole Miss softball team were recognized with All-SEC postseason honors, the conference announced Tuesday.

Paige Smith earned SEC All-Newcomer honors after starting all 53 games for the Rebels this season. She was an offensive force for Ole Miss, scoring 30 runs and driving in 35 with her bat. The sophomore slugged a team-high .553 and became the ninth Rebel in program history to hit double-digit home runs in a season, finishing with 11. Smith also made a smooth transition to the hot corner this season, after primarily playing second in the shortened season a year ago.

Biringer and Furbush both received SEC All-Freshman honors following their rookie season with the Rebels. Biringer batted .327 and started 50 of 53 contests during the regular season. The second baseman was also tied for the second-most hits on the team, with 20, in SEC action. Biringer was also tabbed SEC Freshman of the Week back on April 13 following a 4-for-8 weekend in Ole Miss’ series with South Carolina, helping the Rebels take 2-of-3. Furbush saw most of her playing time in the designated player role in her first year on campus. The Longwood, Florida, native drove in 18 runs for the Rebels and belted three home runs, including two grand slams. Furbush also made eight relief appearances in the circle. She tallied a 1.53 earned run average in 9.0 innings of work, striking out 12 batters along the way. 

Gillespie rounds out the SEC honorees, earning defensive laurels from the conference. Regarded as one of the top defensive backstops in all of college softball, Gillespie continued her dominance behind the plate. She recorded a team-high 276 putouts and only four errors. The Redlands, California, product was not one to be challenged on the basepaths. She caught eight runners this season and only allowed 13 stolen bases, the fewest surrendered in the SEC this season.

Ole Miss is back in action Wednesday at the 2021 SEC Tournament. The Rebels earned the No. 8 seed and will take on in-state rival Mississippi State at 11 a.m. CT in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. The first three rounds of the tournament will air on the SEC Network, with the semifinals and championship being carried on ESPN2.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports