Rebels hope Dallas Woolfolk turned a corner Wednesday against Pine Bluff
OXFORD | Dallas Woolfolk's relief was obvious on Wednesday.
The Rebels (35-11, 12-9) completed a 10-3 win over Arkansas Pine Bluff 48 hours before the first pitch is thrown in South Carolina for a key Southeastern Conference series, and the seemingly mundane eighth inning was on most minds.
Woolfolk, a 2017 All-American and the closer for the United States Collegiate National Team last summer, threw the penultimate inning in the blowout. Ten of the 14 pitches went for strikes. There were two strikeouts, and the nation's No. 275 RPI team was overmatched by a mid 90s fastball.
It would look pretty standard from the outside, but for Woolfolk it was a salve that hopefully turns around a season of personal disappointment.
"It’s been a struggle but you find how to grow in those times of struggle," Woolfolk said. "I can’t be more thankful than I am to have the outing I did."
It's a potential development that gives the Rebels hope for a deeper bullpen when Ole Miss meets the Gamecocks starting at 6 p.m. (CT) Friday at Founders Park.
Woolfolk, who was routinely in the in the mid 90s last season, has spent the majority of 2018 with a fastball in the 89-91 range, but he hit 94 MPH a few times on the stadium radar gun Wednesday, and Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco implied that the actual reading was above that once or twice.
The breaking ball had more bite, and location was mostly in the zone, though Pine Bluff isn't the team to take advantage of missed command at that velocity anyway.
"That was impressive and nice to see," Bianco said. "A piece that would certainly be nice to have in the bullpen. He looked good and confident. Not just velocity, but the stuff and command looked more like himself."
It was only Woolfolk's third clean appearance this season out of 15 outings -- and first since a perfect inning against Tulane on February 25. He's striking out more than a batter an inning, but he's allowed 23 runners in 14 innings, a stat magnified by his high-leverage role.
He hadn't thrown since April 15 before Wednesday, and Woolfolk twice thanked the coaching staff when speaking to the media. It was just an inning, but it was a breath of fresh air the junior desperately needed.
"He’s handled it well but it’s tough when you don’t have success," Bianco said. "The expectations are high and it’s tough on you. I think he’d lost some confidence. When you lose confidence you’re not as good at anything. You don’t move as fast. You don’t swing as fast. You don’t throw it as fast. You’re not yourself."