LEADING OFF
• For the sixth-consecutive season, Ole Miss has received a bid to the NCAA Softball Championship, competing in the Los Angeles Regional. The Rebels will open play against LMU Friday at 6:30 p.m. CT.
• Ole Miss is joined in the regional by host and No. 5 national seed UCLA, Grand Canyon and LMU.
• It is the Rebels' first-ever trip to Los Angeles for the NCAA Regionals; however, they did make an appearance in the Super Regionals in 2017 against the UCLA Bruins.
• Outfielder Tate Whitley leads the SEC and ranks tied for ninth in the nation with 74 hits on the season.
• Ole Miss' 38 wins are tied for most in a regular season in program history with the 2016 season (38-19). It is chasing its fourth-ever 40-win season.
• The Rebels held strong in three Top 25 polls, entering Regional play ranked No. 24 by ExtraInningSoftball and No. 25 by D1Softball and Softball America.
• Ole Miss won seven of its final nine SEC contests to close out the regular season, sweeping South Carolina on the road and taking the series from No. 12 Tennessee and No. 16 Georgia.
• Pitcher Catelyn Riley leads the team with 11 victories on the season so far, the second-most by a freshman in program history.
• The Rebels have a pair of top-10 wins on the season. They shut out No. 9 Arkansas in Oxford and took down No. 8 Kentucky in Lexington. They are 10-10 against ranked teams.
• Anna Borgen has been dominant in the circle down the stretch. The senior has a 2.88 ERA in her last seven appearances, with a pair of wins over Georgia and one over Tennessee.
SCOUTING GRAND CANYON
Making its first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament, Grand Canyon punched its NCAA tournament ticket by winning its first WAC Tournament championship last Saturday, rallying from a 3-0 hole to beat Stephen F. Austin 6-4 in the championship game. GCU has won 22 of its last 28 games and ranks seventh nationally with .333 hitting. The Lopes like to puts pressure on opponents, averaging 2.5 stolen bases per game, the second-best mark in the nation. Grand Canyon is led by head coach Shanon Hays, who is in his first year with the program. In 12 seasons as a head coach, Hays has racked up 468 career victories and holds a .721 winning percentage.
SCOUTING LMU
For the third time in program history, the LMU softball team has been selected to the NCAA Tournament. After earning the West Coast Conference's automatic bid on Saturday, the Lions heard their name called on Sunday and will stay in Los Angeles for Regionals. The Lions are 36-15 on the season, including wins over Arizona State and Mississippi State and narrow losses to Kentucky, Arizona, Washington and Oregon. As a team, they are batting .311 and own a 2.88 ERA in the circle, led by Sophom*ore Jenna Perez with a 17-6 record. Olympic Gold Medalist Tairia Flowers leads Loyola Marymount University's softball program. She is in her first season with the Lions.
SCOUTING UCLA
The UCLA softball team was selected as the No. 5 national seed for the NCAA Tournament and will host Regionals at Easton Stadium. The Bruins finished the regular season with a 43-8 overall record and 19-5 mark in conference play, second in the Pac-12 regular-season standings. Playing in their home stadium, UCLA boasts a 21-1 record in 2022, with its only loss coming against Utah this month. As a team, the Bruins are batting .319 with 319 runs scored on the season. In the circle, they boast a 1.38 team ERA paced by Holly Azevedo and Megan Faraimo. Kelly Inouye-Perez leads the 11-time national championship-winning program in her 16th season as head coach.
HEADED WEST
For the sixth-consecutive season, Ole Miss has received a bid to the NCAA Softball Championship, competing in the Los Angeles Regional. It is the Rebels' first-ever trip to Los Angeles for the NCAA Regionals; however, they did make an appearance in the Super Regionals in 2017 against the UCLA Bruins. Ole Miss is joined in the regional by host and No. 5 national seed UCLA, Grand Canyon and LMU.
EXCEEDING EXPECTATIONS
Winning seven of its final nine games in SEC play, the Rebels recorded a 12-12 record in the conference for the second consecutive season. Finishing eighth overall in the conference, Ole Miss once again exceeded its preseason projection from the SEC Coaches Poll, where it was picked ninth. In six of the past seven completed seasons, Ole Miss has outperformed its projection in the conference preseason rankings.
DOGGONIT, WE TOOK THE SERIES... AND THEN SOME
Closing out its regular season in Athens, Ole Miss battled back to take the series from No. 16 Georgia after dropping Friday's opener. The Rebels responded in game two, tallying 12 hits, their most in a conference game this year, and putting up 10 runs. In the decisive rubber match, Anna Borgen took over in the circle, tossing a complete game and holding the potent Bulldog offense to two runs. With the series victory, Ole Miss tied its program record for most regular season wins at 38. The Rebels matched up against the Bulldogs in the opening round of the SEC Softball Tournament, winning their third straight over Georgia, 9-5 in the early hours of the morning.
LATHAM'S LEGACY
One of the Rebels' top offensive weapons in Abbey Latham is leaving her mark on the Ole Miss Softball record book. Taking advantage of her fifth season of eligibility, she has entered the top-10 in 10 different statistical categories. Latham ranks inside the top-five in program history in games played (third, 234), at-bats (fifth, 650), doubles (third, 40), home runs (third, 39), total bases (third, 351) and slugging percentage (third, .540). In addition to leading Ole Miss with 167 career RBIs, she ranks sixth in school history with 194 hits.
HOTTY TODDY TATE
Senior Tate Whitley has been a sparkplug for the Ole Miss offense this season. Hitting in the leadoff spot, Whitley has reached base in all but seven games for the Rebels this season and has collected multiple hits in 25 contests, including nine three-hit games and one four-hit outing. The Angleton, Texas, native has tallied 74 hits, 30 more than her total from last season (44). Whitley leads the SEC and is tied for ninth in the NCAA in hits this season and owns a .396 batting average. Further, she has crossed the plate 50 times for the Rebels in 2022, the third-most in a single season in program history.
IT JUST MEANS A LITTLE BIT MORE
Emotions were high in Oxford as seven seniors played their final series in front of their home crowd. Senior Anna Borgen had the Lady Vol hitters on their toes all weekend, tossing 13.1 innings and only allowing two earned runs. Catelyn Riley delivered the walk-off single in the bottom of the seventh, helping Ole Miss knock off No 12 Tennessee 5-4 in front of a packed crowd on Saturday, and a three-run third on Monday, backed by stellar defensive play, helped Ole Miss send its senior class out with a series victory over a ranked SEC opponent.
END OF AN ERA
Playing their final game at the Ole Miss Softball Complex before it is torn down for renovations, Anna Borgen and the Rebels stunned No. 12 Tennessee 3-1 to take the series Monday night. It capped off another successful season in Oxford for Ole Miss, who posted a 19-6 record on its home field this season. Built in 1998, the Ole Miss Softball Complex served as the Rebels' home field for 25 seasons, serving as host to one SEC Tournament, two NCAA Regionals and countless other memories. In its recent success, Ole Miss boasted a 76-14 record since the start of the 2019 season in Oxford and a 55-game non-conference winning streak dating back to 2018.
THE BULL
Nicknamed "The Bull" for her relentless energy and competitive mentality, Catelyn Riley has helped the Rebels charge through the second half of their season. The freshman has become a mainstay in the Ole Miss lineup ever since blasting a grand slam against Tennessee State. Starting the final 18 games of the regular season, she boasts a .362 average. Nine of her 21 hits have gone for extra bases, including two home runs. But Riley's impact goes well beyond the plate. She has also been a difference-maker for the Rebels in the circle, ranking second on the team in innings pitched with 75.1 and a 3.35 earned run average. Her success has been remarkable, as her team-high 11 wins are tied for the second-most by an Ole Miss freshman pitcher with Mary Jane Callahan (2004).
BLUEGRASS UPSET
Taking on top-10 opponents in back-to-back weeks, the Rebels were able to shock the softball world, knocking off No. 8 Kentucky 7-6 in Lexington to open the series. The victory came just one week after Ole Miss shut out No. 9 Arkansas at home. Against the Wildcats, Sydney Gutierrez had a huge day at the plate, going 3-for-4 with a pair of doubles and three runs batted in. In the circle, Catelyn Riley entered the game in the fourth inning and took over, retiring 11 of the final 14 batters she faced to clinch the victory. It marked Ole Miss' first top-10 win on the road since defeating No. 5 Auburn 10-4 in 2017.
SPINNY REBELS
The Spinny Rebels were the stars of Ole Miss' midweek doubleheader as Savannah Diederich, Brooke Vestal and Landyn Bruce were unhittable in the circle. The trio combined to throw Ole Miss' first no-hitter since March 19, 2014, as the Rebels topped Tennessee State 10-0 in five innings. Diederich faced seven batters in the first two frames, including striking out the side in the first inning, and Vestal took over in the second, retiring all six batters she faced. Needing just three outs to cap off the victory and the no-hitter in the fifth inning, Bruce retired the side with a flyout and two groundouts.
TOP-10 SHUTOUT
The Rebels were nothing short of dominant in the circle in the series opener against Arkansas this past weekend, keeping one of the nation's most potent offenses off the scoreboard. Anna Borgen, got the start, going 5.0 innings without allowing a run, and freshman Catelyn Riley slammed the door shut on the No. 9 ranked team in the country, marking only the second time the Razorbacks have been held scoreless all season.
RBI QUEEN
Abbey Latham recorded her 144th career RBI in the second inning, passing Lauren Grill for the top spot on the all-time leaderboard as the Rebels took down UT Martin 8-3 in a midweek clash. The fifth-year senior entered the evening needing three RBIs to break the program record. She tallied on in the first inning, singling in Whitley for the first run of the game. Then in the second inning, with the bases loaded, Latham took the ball the other way for a clutch two-RBI single to become Ole Miss' all-time leader with 144 runs batted in. Latham's 167 RBIs rank 30th nationally among active career leaders.
BORGEN NAMED SEC PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Following a dominant week in the circle, senior left-hand pitcher Anna Borgen was named SEC Pitcher of the Week to close out the month of March. Borgen posted a 0.78 ERA and earned a pair of wins over No. 19 Missouri. She only surrendered one run on the weekend and stifled opposing batters, who hit a mere .161 when she was in the circle. The Heath, Texas, native got the start on Friday to open the series, pitching 4.0 innings and followed up that performance with five scoreless frames in the series finale on Sunday. She held one of the league's top offenses in Missouri to just two hits while striking out a pair of Tigers.
STATEMENT SWEEP
In its first SEC series in Oxford this season, Ole Miss made a statement, sweeping No. 19 Missouri. The Rebels came out swinging on Friday night to take game one 5-1. Paige Smith blasted a three-run home run as part of a five-run third inning. They took the series on Saturday, with another five-run inning fueling the victory. Bre Roper and Abbey Latham went yard in the win, and freshman Catelyn Riley earned her first career SEC victory. Ole Miss closed it out, completing the sweep on Sunday with another 5-1 win over the Tigers. It marked the Rebels' first sweep over a ranked SEC foe since 2017 (No. 11 LSU).
IMMEDIATE IMPACT
Following the conclusion of the 2021 season, Ole Miss announced the addition of two transfers who look to contribute right out of the gate. Utility player Bre Roper joins the Rebels from Georgia Tech as a fifth-year senior and has already established herself as a mainstay in the Ole Miss lineup. Roper has tallied multiple hits in 19 games, including a 4-for-4 outing against No. 16 Georgia, and is hitting .350 on the season with 36 runs scored and 33 more batted in. Last month, Roper also recorded the 200th career hit of her career, going 3-for-3 in a 10-0 victory over Louisiana Tech.
Also making her way to Oxford is junior right-hand pitcher Brooke Vestal. The former No. 1 recruit in the nation by FloSoftball and high-school All-American joins the Rebels after spending the last three seasons at Oklahoma. Vestal has 19 appearances on the season, including a pair of complete-game shutouts against DePaul and Western Kentucky. She also combined on the Rebels' first no-hitter since 2014 against Tennessee State and threw 6.1 innings in the victory at No. 16 Georgia. The junior owns a 2.64 ERA on the season.
ONE LAST RIDE
In 2022, four Rebels will be exercising their fifth season of eligibility as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic. Three returners in Abbey Latham, Anna Borgen and Sydney Gutierrez, along with Georgia Tech transfer Bre Roper are set to cap off their collegiate careers in Ole Miss uniforms.
ROOKIES IN THE RANKINGS
Head coach Jamie Trachsel's first recruiting class at Ole Miss welcomed nine freshmen to Oxford. The talented group ranked No. 10 in the nation by Extra Innings Softball bolsters a healthy mix of talent across the field. The class includes nine total signees, including four members of Extra Innings' Elite 100 Player Rankings.
Infielder Brooke Barnard was tabbed as the No. 11 ranked recruit in Extra Innings Softball's 2021 Recruiting Rankings. A three-time letterwinner at Palm Beach Gardens High School in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, Barnard helped lead PBGHS to district championships in 2018 and 2019, while receiving all-district, all-county and all-state honors in both seasons.
A three-time South Dakota First Team All-State and four-time Class A All-Tournament Fastpitch honoree, Lexie Brady checks in tied for 52nd in Extra Innings Softball's Recruiting Rankings. As a senior at O'Gorman High School in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, Brady hit .544 with nine doubles, a triple and eight home runs, scoring 35 runs and driving in 28 more.
Makenna Segal comes to Oxford ranked tied for 65th in Extra Innings Softball's Recruiting Rankings. A four-time letterwinner at South Forsyth High School in Cumming, Georgia, she set school records in career batting average (.489), career on-base percentage (.620), home runs (34) and career walks (118).
KK Esparza rounds out the Rebel freshman class in the Extra Innings Softball's Recruiting Rankings at No. 69. Esparza was a three-time letterwinner at Friendswood High School in Friendswood, Texas, where she played under Olympic gold medalist Christa Williams-Yates.
CHAMPIONS. NOW.
The $350 Million CHAMPIONS. NOW. capital campaign has been established to vastly improve the Ole Miss Athletics facilities and raise the standard for the Rebels' level of competitiveness and success within the Southeastern Conference and nationally. The Ole Miss Softball Complex is one of the first phases of the plans with a $20 million stadium renovation, featuring a larger press box, upgraded grandstands, enlarged bullpens, as well as improved team offices and storage, helping raise the standard.
For all Ole Miss softball news and information, go toOleMissSports.comand follow the Rebels on Twitter at@OleMissSoftball, on Facebook atOle Miss Softballand on Instagram atInstagram.com/olemisssoftball. Also, follow head coachJamie Trachselon Twitter at@Jamie_Trachsel.
