By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com
A top-10 SEC baseball matchup to open conference action this weekend as No. 3 Ole Miss travels to Nashville to take on the No. 6 Vanderbilt Commodores. The Rebels and Commodores will open a three-game SEC series on Thursday at 6 p.m. on ESPNU.
Ole Miss (14-3) looks to bounce back from a tough midweek 10-6 loss at Jacksonville State on Tuesday night. Against the Gamecocks, the Rebels it five doubles all led by Ethan Groff with two.
Groff leads the team with seven doubles. The Rebels have it 31 doubles on the season.
The total number of extra-base knocks for Ole Miss is 68 (31 doubles, 4 triples and 33 home runs) going into conference action.
Vanderbilt comes into the weekend with a 13-5 record after a 15-6 victory over Belmont on Tuesday night. Over the weekend, the Commodores won the series over Loyola Marymount by taking the first two games of the series.
The Commodores are led at the dish by RJ Schreck with a .317 average, three home runs, two triples and five doubles. Vandy is led by Davis Diaz and Enrique Bradfield Jr who both have 13 RBIs.
This weekend’s pitching matchup showcases the arms of right-hander Jack Dougherty (Thursday), RHP Grayson Saunier (Friday) and LHP Xavier Rivas (Saturday) for the Rebels. The Commodores will go with LHP Carter Holton (Thursday), LHP Hunter Owen (Friday) and LHP Devin Futrell (Saturday)
On Thursday night, this will be 135th all-time meeting between Ole Miss and Vanderbilt. Last season, the Rebels did not face the Commodores during the regular season they met in the opening round of the SEC Tournament in Hoover and Vandy won 3-1. The loss made the Rebels wait and hope to hear their name for the Road to Omaha. Ole Miss holds a 69-63 advantage in the all-time series.
The game-time for this weekend’s series is Thursday (6 p.m. ESPU), Friday (6 p.m. SEC Network+) and Saturday (1 p.m. SEC Network+).
