HOOVER | Dylan DeLucia wanted the ball on Saturday, so it was more of a formality that he’s getting it on Tuesday.

The Ole Miss ace makes his third start will have thrown on four of the last 12 days when the No. 9 seed Rebels meet No. 8 seed Vanderbilt in a single elimination game at the SEC Tournament on Tuesday. The winner advances to double elimination play against No. 1 Tennessee on Wednesday.

DeLucia threw 36 pitches two Fridays ago at LSU before rain suspended the game until the next morning. He returned those 14 hours later and all in all held the Tigers to three runs in seven-plus innings. Throwing on short rest Thursday against Texas A&M, DeLucia lasted just 1.2 innings and threw 57 pitches in a loss to the Aggies.

“A lot tighter (than normal against A&M),” DeLucia said. “I thought I was just kind of muscling stuff. Instead of my ball running like it usually does, it was flattening out and that was the bad part, and I was over the middle of the plate. I’m a lot looser now and did a lot of stretching this week. I feel good.”

With the Rebels trying to get to .500 in the SEC standings Saturday against the Aggies, DeLucia was available late in the game, should Ole Miss have had the lead. Texas A&M scored seven in the fourth to take a comfortable advantage the rest of the way.

“How many times have we not done this (pitching the ace the first game in Hoover),” Mike Bianco said. “Obviously you don’t want to give the ball to a guy who can’t do it, but this is a game that you win or go home. You want to put your best guy out there if he’s able to pitch. He’s more than physically ready.

“He’s a guy who had spikes on Saturday and if winning late and we already had thrown (closer Brandon) Johnson, he would have pitched. He wanted the ball. You love guys like that.”

DeLucia has a 4.60 ERA in 16 appearances with 64 strikeouts and 20 walks in 62.2 innings, but he JUCO transfer's numbers are much better as a starter. He’s been a regular in the weekend rotation since mid-April, and Ole Miss has won six of his seven SEC starts. He’s thrown at least 105 pitches in every league start but against Texas A&M.

Vanderbilt is countering with freshman lefty Carter Holton, who sat out the LSU series last week. His most recent appearance was a 113-pitch complete game shutout of Arkansas. He’s 7-3 with a 3.42 ERA.

DeLucia didn’t throw a bullpen between starts to manage the load on his arm, opting for stretching and long tossing instead of lifting weights, as well.

The Rebels, with the No. 36 RPI, are on the NCAA at-large bubble. A win on Tuesday would solidify their position in the field of 64.

"I want to be that guy,” DeLucia said. “I want the ball every chance I get. If I can help and take the ball, I’m taking it.”