Softball Back In Oxford To Host Rebel Invitational

LEADING OFF

• With a week off of SEC play, Ole Miss Softball returns home to host the Rebel Invitational March 16-19. The tournament features North Dakota State, Purdue, Samford and St. Thomas.

• Ole Miss snapped a five-game skid on Wednesday with a 9-1 victory over in-state foe Southern Miss in Hattiesburg.

• Sophomore Catelyn Riley returned to the circle after missing a month of action, tossing a two-hitter in the 1-0 series finale loss at Tennessee.

• Freshman Jalia Lassiter hit her first collegiate home run, a two-run shot, last weekend at Tennessee.

• Ole Miss boasts one of the nation’s top defenses. The Rebels lead the SEC with 0.60 double plays per game and a .981 fielding percentage.

• The Rebels’ pitching staff ranks 47th nationally with a 2.27 earned run average.

• Shortstop Mikayla Allee saved the best for last. The fifth-year senior leads the Rebels with 24 hits and a .348 batting average.

• Ole Miss’ 2023 roster features 14 returners, four impact transfers and eight freshmen who were ranked as the No. 3 signing class in the nation by ExtraInningSoftball.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

The Ole Miss Softball Complex has been an absolute fortress for the Rebels since the arrival of head coach Jamie Trachsel. After going 24-3 at home in 2021 and 19-6 in Oxford last season, Ole Miss is ready to defend its home field again in 2023. The Rebels are off to a 4-2 start so far this season and now have won 80-of-96 games at home, dating back to the start of the 2019 season.

THE BULL IS BACK

Nicknamed “The Bull” for her relentless energy and competitive mentality, Catelyn Riley played a big role in the Rebels’charge through the second half of last season. She became a mainstay in the Ole Miss lineup, boasting a .361 average at the plate, while posting a 3.46 ERA through 81.0 innings pitched in the circle and collecting a team-high 12 wins, the second-most by an Ole Miss freshman pitcher. Back from injury, the Dandridge, Tennessee, native got her first start of the season against the No. 4 Tennessee Lady Vols and absolutley dealed. Riley only allowed two hits to one of the nation’s most potent offenses in a 1-0 defeat.

HOTTY TODDY TATE

After missing suffering an early season injury, senior Tate Whitley is back in the lineup and has resumed her leadoff duties as the sparkplug for the Ole Miss offense….