OXFORD | It’s easy to point to Gunnar Hoglund’s slider as the difference. It is, after all, the reward of his emphasis in the summer and the fall. But the mechanics are cleaner and more repeatable, too. The fastball has more life.
It’s really everything, and it all was on display Saturday, as Hoglund spun six shutout innings and held Xavier to two hits, one of which was a bunt single. The Rebels clinched the series with a 9-0 win, a day after no-hitting the Musketeers (2-3) in a 13-0 decision.
“I think everything, the slider is the one pitch that he worked on and added a different look to him, but fastball velocity and fastball command, his confidence level, his overall stuff is a tick better,” Mike Bianco said.
The No. 17 Rebels (5-1), winners of five straight, go for the sweep at noon and also the first series shutout since Ole Miss held Furman scoreless for three games in 2017.
Hoglund struck out multiple hitters in five of his six innings and struck out the side in the second inning. The 12 total are a career high, and Hoglund completed the sixth frame in his second start — something that took 10 starts during his freshman season.
Hoglund’s fastball maxed at 94 MPH, and he showed a solid changeup in the late innings.
“Having three pitches I can throw any time anywhere in the count is just huge,” Hoglund said. “Today Doug (Nikhazy) told me to attack and I gave my team the best chance to win.”
A year ago, Hoglund wasn’t precise enough in the strike zone and struggled to get through the lineup multiple times. But that was much improved a week ago in 5.1 innings against then-No. 1 Louisville, he continued the staff domination against Xavier.
Austin Miller struck out five of the six he faced in relief, and Ole Miss struck out 18 as a team, the most since 19 against Arkansas State in February 2017. Freshman Cole Baker fanned one in the ninth inning, throwing eight pitches to finish the game.
Three freshmen pitchers (Drew McDaniel, Jackson Kimbrell and Baker) have made their debuts this weekend and combined for four scoreless innings.
Ole Miss left the bases loaded twice in the early innings but Cale Baker and Hayden Dunhurst each hit a two-run, two-out home run for a couple run in the third and fifth innings, respectively. Dunhurst also hit a home run on Friday, and Baker has three for the season.
Anthony Servideo, after a Justin Bench RBI single, finished it off with a three-run home run over the 390 sign in center. Servideo, with three home runs, ties his season total from 2019 in six games. He had 261 plate appearances a year ago.
