OXFORD | Ole Miss has had extended difficulties at the plate the past month or so, but the Rebels are hoping some middle-innings life against Southern Miss on Tuesday was a step in the right direction.

Down four runs to the Golden Eagles at Trustmark Park, Ole Miss put five quality at-bats together to score three runs and eventually won the game, 6-5, in 12 innings to break a three-game losing streak.

With a critical series against Alabama starting Friday at 6:30 p.m. and continuing at 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in Oxford, here's a conversation with hitting coach Mike Clement about his offense after three Southeastern Conference weekends.

Despite having a right-hand-dominant lineup, Ole Miss his hitting .183 against lefties and .268 against right-handers

"It’s a couple things. Number one we’ve faced some really good left-handers, when you look at the kid last weekend from State — Konnor Pilkington — and we faced the good left-hander from Texas Tech, and I’m missing a couple in there.Those stick out. Especially early on we swung it well against the left-hander from East Carolina, but then haven’t been great on that.

"It’s more indicative of us coming off balls and not sticking to an approach. I feel like our approach against Pilkington wasn’t too bad even though we didn’t have a ton of hits to show for it. We had three runs and a chance to win. When we got in that funk at the front part of March it seemed like we faced a few left-handers and got outside ourselves and were pulling off the ball. I feel like it’s better now. We’re going to see a solid left-hander (from Alabama on Friday.) We’ll have a bunch of right-handers in there. It’ll be important to stay on him because he can give you fits like he did Arkansas last week."

With in-season coaching, what's the balance between changing approach and coaching for success while also being aware of the psychology of hurting them even more from a confidence and too-much-change standpoint?

"It’s a delicate process and not just this year but any year there’s a fine line there, especially with young guys who are struggling. Obviously you have to coach them and make them better and that’s my job. But the flip side is you want them to have confidence and it’s the check of the egg. What comes first? A couple hits would help with confidence but you want guys to stick with who they are. You can’t completely change them, especially this time of year. They are good enough to get on a run. You want to give them the confidence to be able to do that. It’s a balancing act with the younger guys on our group."

The approach while at the Shriners Classic in Houston was focused on adjusting to changeups and "getting jammed by the fastball." As SEC play has begun, Ole Miss seems to be struggling with hittable fastballs. What's the approach at this point?

"As you look at it, starting with Houston, it was way more that we were good on the fastball and got outside ourselves on any type of offspeed stuff. The good part about the league is you’re going to see a lot of really good stuff — by that I mean fastballs and hard sliders. We’ve handled those pretty well. The struggles are guys who get in hitter counts and throw changeups and breaking balls.

"With the weather blowing in (on Friday) it’s pretty good with the guy we’re going to see. He tries to keep you off-balance and if he can’t do that he struggles because he doesn’t have the big fastball. You have to keep your nose on and use the whole field. Right-handers have to get up on the plate and work the other way. He’s not the guy you home run to death by any stretch. You have to single him and get on base.

"In 3-1 and 2-0, those kind of counts, you have to work hard for the fastball. Get the barrel out there and drive the baseball. You’re right lately while we’ve gotten hits it’s been singles and spread out. We talk about keeping the chain together. That was the nice point of Tuesday with the bases-clearing double. Get in advantage counts and then get your pitch and work to get your very best swing off."

The sixth inning Tuesday in Pearl was a sign of toughness when the Rebels could have given up for the night, not hitting and down four runs.

"That was huge. You sit in the dugout and get down 4-0. You get one back and they score one and it’s 5-1 against a good team with some really good arms in a tough ballpark to hit in. The thing I was most proud about wa the energy and focus and sticking together through that. Then we string together some at-bats and you’re back in the game. You ride that momentum. Even though it was 5-4 for a few innings there and we were still down a run it felt like we were going to win that game because of the confidence and stringing at-bats together. It’s amazing what one inning can do for you."

Out of the younger players, Grae Kessinger is only hitting .182 but he's also not striking out and is at least moving runners. And then Nick Fortes seems much more comfortable compared to last season, as he's gotten more opportunities to get in a routine.

"(Kessinger) is the one guy who walks more than he strikes out and is somewhat like Will Golsan from the last couple years. He’s hitting the ball on the barrel and if the other team makes a good play it seems like he’s at the plate. He has a really good approach and it’s coming with him. I’ve talked to him about it. He’s hit into some tough luck. You want him at the plate with a man at third base in a strikeout situation. You don’t feel like he’s going to strike out.

"Fortes is another guy who doesn’t strike out a whole lot with good hand-eye coordination. It wasn’t as good on Tuesday but he gives you competitive at-bats. That’s the difference and what we’ve needed here. Nick has done a really good job. He didn't get a lot of at-bats early and he’s stuck with it and worked at it in practice situations and batting practice, even though Cooper (Johnson) was getting most of the reps."

Stuart Turner, who won the Johnny Bench Award during his lone season with Ole Miss in 2013, made the Cincinnati Reds roster out of spring training and got the start behind the plate on Thursday.

Turner went 0-for-3 in the 7-4 win over the Phillies but picked up an RBI with a sacrifice fly in his second at-bat.

The Twins drafted Turner in the third round of the 2013 First Year Player Draft, and the Reds picked him up in the offseason in the Rule 5 Draft. He played 195 games over the past two seasons in Double-A before getting this chance with the Reds.

"How cool is that?" Mike Bianco said when asked about Turner's start. "It's neat, and I got to see a couple innings. That shows you how hard it is.

"You watch that kid play and watched him play here and gosh you think he's going to be in the Big Leagues in a year, especially a premium defensive position like catcher and he can catch and throw. He can hit. Shows you how hard it is. I'm excited and proud for him."

Turner came to Ole Miss from LSU-Eunice and was named the nation's best catcher after hitting .374 with a .962 OPS. He also threw out more than 50 percent of would-be base stealers.

Alabama (13-16, 2-7 SEC) at Ole Miss (17-12, 3-6 SEC)

Alabama: Friday - So. LHP Dylan Duarte (2-1, 2.48 ERA); Saturday - Sr. RHP Nick Eicholtz (1-0, 5.96 ERA); Sunday - TBA

Ole Miss: Friday - So. RHP James McArthur (1-1, 2.00 ERA); Saturday - Jr. LHP David Parkinson (4-2, 2.79 ERA); Sunday - Fr. LHP Ryan Rolison (3-1, 2.08 ERA)