Ole Miss pitcher Cade Townsend reacts to a strikeout in Saturday's game against Missouri State. | Dylan Cohron/HottyToddy.com
Ole Miss pitcher Cade Townsend reacts to a strikeout in Saturday's game against Missouri State. | Dylan Cohron/HottyToddy.com

Ole Miss Sets Weekend Rotation for SEC Series at Florida

BY Taylor Hodges

For the second-straight SEC series, Ole Miss will have a different starting pitcher rotation.

Part of that is because of the early start to the series at No. 21 Florida. Game one is Thursday and that forces some adjustments to most pitching staffs. But the Rebels are also trying to find a consistent third starter.

Sophomore right-hander Taylor Rabe is the new starting pitcher this week for Ole Miss and will take to the mound on Thursday. That lets Friday’s starter Hunter Elliott keep his normal weekly schedule and moves Cade Townsend back into a Saturday appearance when he’s started most of his games.

This will be Rabe’s second start this season and eighth appearance. His first start was successful, pitching 2.2 innings against Southern Miss and not giving up a run, hit or walk and striking out one.

For the season, Rabe has a 2.61 ERA and .87 WHIP with 26 strikeouts and only three walks. He’s mostly been used as a reliever following Townsend, but has grown into more of a multi-inning closer. His longest out of the season was four innings against Ohio State back in February and he had seven strikeouts in that game.

A performance like that Thursday will be what Ole Miss is looking for and if he can longer, even better. But coach Mike Bianco may be planning for Thursday to be a bullpen game knowing he has his two best starters on the mound for the last two games of the series.

Florida, meanwhile, has not announced its starters for the series. However, it’s a safe bet that Liam Peterson and Aidan King will be among the rotation. The third starter, though, is more uncertain.

Cooper Walls started most of the series finales this season, but Florida sent Russell Sandefer to the mound to start last Sunday against then-No. 4 Arkansas. Walls pitched in Tuesday’s 4-3 loss to Jacksonville, so the Rebels may see Sandefer as the third starter for the Gators.

Here’s a quick breakdown of the announced and projected starting pitchers for this weekend’s SEC series in Gainesville.

Ole Miss Starting Pitchers

Thursday

Taylor Rabe, RHP

  • Season Stats: 3-1, 2.61 ERA, .87 WHIP, 2 SV, 20.2 IP, 15 H, 6 R, 6 ER, 3 BB, 26 SO, .200 Opp. BA

Friday

Hunter Elliott, LHP

  • Season Stats: 3-0, 3.72 ERA, 1.29 WHIP, 36.1 IP, 25 H, 16 R, 15 ER, 22 BB, 51 SO, .197 Opp. BA

Saturday

Cade Townsend, RHP

  • Season Stats: 2-1, 1.90 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 23.2 IP, 17 H, 8 R, 5 ER, 7 BB, 40 SO, .191 Opp. BA

Florida (Projected) Starting Pitchers

Thursday

Liam Peterson

  • Season Stats: 1-1, 3.67 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 34.1 IP, 22 H, 15 R, 14 ER, 22 BB, 55 SO, .183 Opp. BA

Friday

Aidan King

  • Season Stats: 3-2, 1.97 ERA, 1.13 WHIP, 32 IP, 27 H, 15 R, 7 ER, 9 BB, 33 SO, .225 Opp. BA

Saturday

Russell Sandefer

  • Season Stats: 2-1, 4.24 ERA, 1.29 wHIP, 17 IP, 15 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 7 BB, 23 SO, .238 Opp. BA

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