Notes: Ryan Olenek questionable for LSU with shoulder injury
OXFORD | Ole Miss may be without its best hitter against LSU this weekend.
Ryan Olenek, who currently carries a 19-game hit streak and a .479 batting average in conference play, injured his shoulder during the Rebels' doubleheader sweep of Georgia to take that series.
He didn't travel for Ole Miss' midweek loss to Mississippi State in Pearl, and an MRI showed some damage to the non-throwing shoulder.
"The results were that he had a slight posterior labral tear," Ole Miss (32-10) head coach Mike Bianco said. "There’s a full spectrum of where do you go from there, but being a non-throwing arm and there’s no other damage to the shoulder, it should just be rehab and strength and then really is he capable of playing?
"How’s his strength. From yesterday to today, he’s made gains. We’re hopeful that he has a chance to play this weekend."
The series with the Tigers begins Thursday at 7 p.m. and continues at 6:30 Friday and 3 p.m. Saturday. The Thursday and Saturday games are nationally televised on SEC Network and ESPNU, respectively.
Olenek is tied for the SEC lead with 20 multi-hit games this season and his .397 overall average is second in the SEC to Florida's Jonathan India (.420). He leads the league in hits in SEC games and is tied for the overall lead in doubles with 14. Olenek is also the toughest player to strike out in the conference.
Tim Rowe started in Olenek's place Tuesday and had three hits. Rowe only has 10 SEC at-bats this season. Catcher Nick Fortes has only played right field occasionally this season when Olenek moved to the infield.
LSU COMES TO OXFORD WITH POOR ROAD RECORD
The entire SEC West -- other than Alabama -- is separated by only two games with LSU, Auburn and Texas A&M at 9-9 one back of Ole Miss and Arkansas at 10-8. Suddenly surging Mississippi State is 8-10 and Alabama is 5-13.
The Tigers are coming off a series sweep at the hands of South Carolina in Columbia. LSU is 25-17 overall but only 2-11 away from Alex Box Stadium. LSU is currently No. 53 in RPI.
"I think they’re kind of evolving... and put some good weeks together," Bianco said. "It’s the Southeastern Conference. It’s going to be a challenge."
Ole Miss is ranked sixth in RPI but has seven straight games against teams outside the top 50. Arkansas Pine Bluff (265) and South Carolina (52) follow up the series with the Tigers.
In D1Baseball.com's latest postseason projection, Ole Miss was the No. 6 national seed, and LSU was one of the last five teams into the field, getting placed as the No. 3 seed in North Carolina's regional.
THURSDAY, 7 P.M.
LHP Ryan Rolison (Ole Miss) | 5-3, 3.19 ERA, 59.1 IP
RHP Zack Hess (LSU) | 6-4, 3.79 ERA, 59.1 IP
FRIDAY 6:30 P.M.
RHP Brady Feigl (Ole Miss) | 7-2, 3.30 ERA, 57.1 IP
RHP Ma’Khail Hilliard (LSU) | 7-3, 3.12 ERA, 49.0 IP
SATURDAY 3 P.M.
RHP James McArthur (Ole Miss) | 5-0, 3.17 ERA, 48.1 IP
TBA (LSU)