OXFORD, Miss. – After a tumultuous offseason that saw the sudden departure of former head coach Mike Smith, the Ole Miss softball program will begin its 2020 campaign this weekend under the direction of interim head coach Ruben Felix.
No. 21 Ole Miss will begin play on Friday at 12 p.m. (CT) in Clearwater, Florida against Louisville and will follow that with a 5 p.m. matchup against N.C. State.
“I think we’re just really ready to play softball,” said senior catcher Autumn Gillespie. “We have faced a lot of adversity this year and I think we’re all excited to get started this weekend. Every single one of us is on campus to play softball, so I think that once that starts all of the problems will fade away.”
Here are five storylines heading into opening weekend...
1. HORTON LEAVES CENTER UP FOR GRABS.
The roster, albeit laden with veterans, will not include one of its most dynamic players from 2019 in senior outfielder Kaylee Horton. Horton decided to part ways with the club on Monday, the only departure since Mike Smith resigned in December.
“It’s unfortunate,” said Felix on Tuesday evening. “But we want the best for our kids and Kaylee, obviously, she wanted to get away from softball. So, we wish her the best and hope she lands on her feet.”
Last year, Horton earned a spot on the SEC All-Defensive team with a .974 fielding percentage from her right field spot. Heading into 2020, she was set to be the opening day center fielder after the graduation of Kylan Becker.
“Losing a starter is never easy. Especially a couple of days before opening day,” said Felix. “But, we have more than enough candidates. Obviously, (Nyomi) Jones and Reagan (Cheyne). But right now, Jones is the frontrunner, for sure,” he said in relation to the open spot in center.
Horton was also due to be the Rebel’s lead-off hitter this year, but the staff have had to adjust.“I see (Tate) Whitley at the top,” Felix said regarding the batting order. “Jones, Mikayla (Allee), and those kinds of kids are going to be in the 2, 6, and 9 holes just because they are going to draw walks out in front of our big hitters.”
2. WHO IS IN THE CIRCLE?
One position that Felix spoke on with absolute certainty was his squad's opening day pitcher.
“It will definitely be Molly (Jacobsen),” Felix said. “I mean Molly has earned the right from last years’ experience. She is the most experienced pitcher, so she’ll be our horse.”
Jacobsen, now in her senior season, posted a 14-8 record in 2019 with a 2.15 ERA that earned her All-SEC honors.
“I feel really good and I’m excited,” said Jacobsen.
After Jacobsen, it will likely be a combination of junior Ava Tillman and sophomore Savannah Diederich to take much of the remaining innings. Tillman compiled a 1.99 ERA with an 8-2 record while Diederich managed a team-best 0.88 ERA in her six appearances.
The senior catcher, Autumn Gillespie, is slated to handle duties behind the plate this season as she made 59 starts behind the plate last year.
“We have a very diverse pitching staff,” said Gillespie. “I think that they compete with anybody in the country. You know, we have a lefty that spins it and a righty that guns it to 70. We have a lot of different options to go through.”
At the plate, Gillespie’s .243 batting average from 2019 along with her five-homerun total are both numbers the veteran has been working to improve.
“It’s a lot easier for me to want to focus on defense than anything,” Gillespie said. “I think I need to contribute offensively, so I’m working a lot with Abbey (Latham), on our team, on my swing. She led the righties in batting average last year and broke the RBI record, so she is a good person for me to try a model afterward.”
3. A FRESHMAN STANDOUT AT SECOND:
Paige Smith, a freshman out of Corona, California, has shot her way up the depth chart after impressing the coaches during this winter's practices.
“She has definitely earned that spot and she has earned her place in the starting lineup,” Felix said about Smith. “We’re expecting big things from her. So, hopefully, she takes off and never comes back as far as taking off on a good note and hopefully, she keeps it going all year.”
In her final year of prep softball, Smith earned Softball America's 2019 Travel Ball Player of the Year recognition after recording a .420 average along 45 RBIs, and six home runs.
4. A TOUGH SLATE FOR 2020:
The 21st-ranked Rebels (USA Today) have nine other SEC teams joining them in the national poll while their schedule includes seven power-five non-conference opponents.
“We are playing a much tougher schedule than last year,” said Felix. “It’s going to prepare us for SEC play, and it is also going to give us a chance to be competitive and compete against really good teams right of the get-go.”
Just a couple of weeks ago, Ole Miss was picked to finish eighth out of 13 teams in the SEC standings.
“They have no idea what goes on in our program,” said Gillespie when asked about Ole Miss' doubters. “They can say what they want to say, and they can write reports on what they want to write reports about. So, if people want to doubt us then that’s fine. That is their prerogative. But I know that no one on this team is doubting the talent we have, and nobody doubts how far we are going to make it this season.”
5. HOW WILL PUK FIT INTO THE LINEUP?
Jessica Puk, a junior out of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, started most of last season at second base. However, with Paige Smith having taken that role because of her defensive prowess, it is anybody's best guess as to where the Puk will fit into the lineup.
Puk ranked second last season in both RBI (41) and home runs (9), so it is likely they will need her veteran bat. Most positions have been locked up, but Puk has shown the capability to fill in whenever needed in either the middle-infield or outfield.
WHAT IS ON DECK?
On Saturday, Ole Miss encounters another doubleheader with Illinois and Notre Dame before wrapping up the NFCA Division I Leadoff Classic on Sunday with a contest against Liberty.
The Rebels will have two more weekend-long classics before their first home game on Feb. 26 against North Alabama.
