Ole Miss softball (25-22, 3-15 SEC) is back at home for the final time during the 2024 season, opening a four-game homestand with a midweek against Southern Miss (20-23, 8-10 SBC) on Tuesday, April 23, at 5 p.m. CT.
LEADING OFF
• The Rebels look to bounce back after a tough weekend on the road against an in-state foe in Southern Miss. Ole Miss leads the all-time series 24-12, including each of the last four meetings.
• Lexie Brady blasted her team-leading 12 home run last week, the fifth most in the SEC. The junior is now three shy of the Ole Miss single-season program record.
• Paige Smith ranks among the top 10 in program history in 10 different categories. The senior has played in every game since stepping foot on campus in 2020. She ranks sixth among all active Division I players with 250 games played.
• Left fielder Jaden Pone leads the Rebels with 51 hits on the season. The junior has over 200 hits in her collegiate career.
• Senior Aynslie Furbush is having the best offensive season of her career, boasting a .342 mark at the plate and 41 hits.
SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Natalie Poole is in her second season as the head coach of Southern Miss Softball after leading the Golden Eagles to a 22-24 finish and their first conference postseason appearance since 2019 in her debut campaign last year. The Golden Eagles are 20-23 on the season with an 8-10 mark in the Sun Belt. Last weekend, Southern Miss was swept by Louisiana on the road. This year, the Golden Eagles are 0-1 against the SEC, falling to Mississippi State 9-0 inStarkville. Catcher Hannah Borden leads the offense with a .393 mark at the plate and 55 hits, including 15 home runs. As a team, Southern Miss boasts a .267 batting average with over 300 hits on the season. In the circle, two-way player Jana Lee owns a 4.46 ERA to go along with a 7-7 record in 78.2 innings pitched. The Golden Eagles staff as a whole has a 5.85 earned run average and is allowing opponents to hit .288.
THE LAST TIME OUT
Ole Miss looks to bounce back after a tough weekend against No. 7 Texas A&M. The Rebels dropped all three games against the Aggies on the road. Miscues were costly, resulting in eight unearned runs for the opposition. Junior Angelina DeLeon and Aynslie Furbush both blasted home runs against the Aggie pitching staff, while Jaden Pone hit .300 at the plate. Ole Miss has lost 12 SEC games in a row.
CHASING 100
Two Rebels are closing in on career milestones. Aynslie Furbush and Jalia Lassiter are right on the doorstep of 100 hits. Furbush, a senior, is just one swing away from triple digit hits, while Lassiter is looking to record her 100thcareer hit in just her second season of collegiate softball.
SENIOR SENDOFF
This weekend, Ole Miss will honor four seniors as they suit up for the final time at home this season. Aynslie Furbush, Makenna Kliethermes, Delaney Rummell and Paige Smith will all be recognized on Saturday, April 27th.
LEGACY AND LOYALTY
Playing in her fifth and final season of eligibility, Paige Smith elected to return to Ole Miss for legacy and loyalty. A true threat in the middle of the Rebel lineup, she is one of seven players in Ole Miss history with 100 hits and 100 RBI and ranks second in the record books with 159 RBI. The Corona, California, native has appeared in a Rebel uniform and started every game since stepping on campus in 2019. Looking to leave her mark as one of the program's top sluggers, Smith recorded her 186th career hit on Tuesday, cracking the top 10 at Ole Miss.
BUILDING SOMETHING SPECIAL
One of the most exciting things fans and student-athletes have to look forward to in 2024 is a brand new softball stadium as part of Ole Miss' Champions. Now. Campaign. This past May, the Ole Miss Softball Complex, which served as the Rebels' home field since 1998 and has seen one SEC Tournament, two NCAA Regionals and countless other memories, saw its final game ever as the Rebels walked off No. 14 Alabama with a four-spot in the bottom of the seventh inning. Just 23 days later, construction crews began demolition on the ballpark as part of a brand new $32 million facility upgrade. The Ole Miss Softball Stadium renovations will include numerous fan amenities, upgraded grandstands, restrooms and concessions. The team will also benefit from enlarged bullpens, as well as improved team offices, locker rooms and storage.
