No. 16 Auburn Set for Weekend Series at No. 5 Ole Miss

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May 9, 2018

AUBURN (35-14, 13-11 SEC) at OLE MISS (36-13, 13-11 SEC)

AUBURN, Ala. -- With two weeks remaining in the regular season, No. 16 Auburn (35-14, 13-11 SEC) and No. 5 Ole Miss (36-13, 13-11 SEC) will square off in another important Southeastern Conference series in Oxford, Miss., this weekend. The series opener at Swayze Field is scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. CT. Game two will begin Friday at 6:30 p.m. followed by the series finale Saturday at 4 p.m.

Thursday's series opener will air on national TV on ESPNU. Games two and three will be broadcast on SEC Network+ and can be found online at WatchESPN.com and the WatchESPN app. Fans can also find the broadcast on the Auburn Sports Network. You can listen on the radio on WTGZ-FM (93.9), online at AuburnTigers.com, or on a mobile device via the TuneIn app.

Probable Starters

  • Thursday -- So. RHP Davis Daniel (3-3, 5.28) vs. So. LHP Ryan Rolison (6-4, 4.13)
  • Friday -- Jr. RHP Casey Mize (9-2, 2.25) vs. R-Jr. RHP Brady Feigl (7-4, 4.28 ERA)
  • Saturday -- Fr. RHP Tanner Burns (3-4, 2.62) vs. Jr. RHP James McArthur (5-0. 4.09 ERA)

QUICK HITTERS

  • Auburn is 9-3 in the last 12 SEC games, tied with Florida for the best SEC record during the span.
  • Including its series clinching win vs. Mississippi State, the Tigers are hitting .316 and scoring 9.5 runs per game in its last 10 league contests.
  • Casey Mize was named the SEC Pitcher of the Week after matching an Auburn single-game record with 15 strikeouts. His 15 strikeouts were the most by a SEC pitcher in a league game since 2012.
  • Jay Estes is 10-for-his-last-15 (.667) and has four straight multi-hit games. He has raised his average 34 points in the last four games.
  • Brendan Venter is the first Auburn player with a home run in three straight games since 2014. He it hitting .571 with three doubles, four home runs and eight RBI during a six-game hitting streak.
  • Auburn has homered in six straight games and has 13 home runs during the span.
  • The Auburn pitching staff has allowed eight earned runs and has a 40-7 K-BB ratio in the last four.
  • The Tigers have won 11 SEC series in the last two years, tied for the second most in the league.

SCOUTING THE REBELS

  • Ole Miss enters the weekend with a 36-13 overall record and 13-11 mark in conference play. The Rebels are tied with Auburn for second in the SEC West and are tied with the Tigers and South Carolina for fourth overall in the league.
  • Offensively, Ole Miss ranks second in the SEC with a .302 team average led by the SEC's leading hitter, Ryan Olenek, who is hitting .414. The Rebels are hitting .298 in league play, which is also good for second.
  • On the mound, Ole Miss boasts a 3.86 ERA and ranks just ahead of Auburn for sixth in the conference. The Rebels' ERA in league action increases to 5.18 and opposing teams are hitting .285 against their pitching staff.

SERIES HISTORY vs. OLE MISS

  • The all-time series between Auburn and Ole Miss is tied, 85-85-1. However, the Rebels hold a 48-33-1 advantage in games played in Oxford.
  • Auburn defeated Ole Miss in two of three games at Plainsman Park a season ago before ending the Rebels' season with a 5-4 win in the opening round of the SEC Tournament.