Nine lists of nine to preview Ole Miss baseball’s Houston weekend

HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 26: The skyline of downtown Houston looking south west is seen in Houston, Saturday, April 26, 2025. (Jason Fochtman/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images) Fresh off a run-rule thrashing of Southeast Missouri that brought the Rebels to 9-0 on the season, our pitch-catch-and-hit-t

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What is the story about?

Fresh off a run-rule thrashing of Southeast Missouri

that brought the Rebels to 9-0 on the season, our pitch-catch-and-hit-the-ball sons are headed to Space City for their first taste of competition that’s more of their speed.

In a three-day span at the BRUCE BOLT College Classic, Ole Miss is scheduled to play:

Baylor (Friday at 3:05 PM)
Ohio State (Saturday at 11:05 AM)
Coastal Carolina (Sunday at 10:05 AM)

If your first reaction to the schedule is who on God’s green earth is out here scheduling baseball on a Sunday morning at 10:05 in the AM, you have reacted appropriately. I realize tournament

organizers have to cram in three games a day, but we are trained in the dark arts of a seventh-inning stretch at 12:45 AM in Hoover, Alabama. We ain’t trained for a first pitch around the time Sunday School starts.

Outside of learning if they can hit an off-speed pitch before noon, these three games should give Ole Miss a better idea of who they are as a team. It would be nice to keep piling up wins and stay undefeated, but the information gathered against teams reflecting what they’ll see in conference play will have significant value.

So let’s get to previewing!

Who or what is BRUCE BOLT?

For the record, the all-caps is not me shouting, “BRUCE BOLT,” though it’s fun to shout.

BRUCE BOLT is a family-owned business in Austin, Texas
It sells baseball and softball equipment, primarily batting gloves, sleeves, and protective gear, while also offering golf gloves
A 16-year old named Bear Mayer started the company in 2017
For comparison, at 16 years old, I worked for the now-defunct Jackson Generals (AA affiliate of the Astros) where I learned to tap kegs and pour headless beer*, run a register, pull a tarp across a field in driving rain, and expertly fill little batting helmets with that outrageously delicious soft-serve ice cream
Mayer named the company BRUCE BOLT after his grandfather who was in fact Bruce Bolt
According to the company website, the actual Bruce Bolt was struck by lighting
According to the company website, the actual Bruce Bolt was struck by lighting a second time and lived to tell the tales
Their golf gloves, which I’m sure are lovely, go for $60-80 and are a hard pass for someone who is ready to throw his golf clubs off a bridge to wake them up
Signature BRUCE BOLT athletes include Ian Happ, Fernando Tatis, Jr., Lars Nootbaar, and we’re stopping at Lars Nootbaar because LARS NOOTBAAR

*Was this actually legal? Who’s to say? What are you, a cop?

Baylor players and things of note

Granted, I have watched zero Baylor baseball this year, but based on stats, these are names and things to know.

Tyce Armstrong – leads the team in dingers and RBIs
Travis Sanders – rocking a very normal .579 on-base percentage with a .448 batting average (lol what) in 8 games started
Brady Jasunek – another starter with a normal .474 on-base percentage
Ethan Calder – 10 strikeouts in 8.2 innings (2 starts), WHIP of 0.92, and opponent batting average of .167
Zack Wallace – 9 strikeouts in 8.1 innings (4 appearances, 2 starts), WHIP of 0.84, and opponent batting average of .241
Armstrong has 19 RBIs, and the next closest person has 5
It’s actually a three-way tie at 5 among Janusek, Hunter Snow, and John Youens
Snow is hitting .200 (.448 OBP), and Youens is hitting .188 (.458 OBP)
Just a thought, but maybe make Snow and Youens swing

Ohio State players and things of note

Granted, I have watched zero Ohio State baseball this year, but based on stats, these are names and things to know.

Mason Eckelman – leads the team in dingers (2) and RBIs (10), which is some real broke boi stuff
You may say, Gray, it’s cold in Ohio and no one can hit in the cold
Friends, they’ve played 3 games in Pensacola, Florida (against St. Louis; sure!) and 4 games in Memphis
The Memphis games involved 2 games against Memphis (understandable) and 2 against Louisiana Tech (why not)
They went 2-0 against Memphis (20-7 combined score) and 0-2 against Louisiana Tech (3-15 combined score with 1 shutout)
Gavin Kuzniewski – 13 strikeouts in 8 innings, WHIP of 1.38, and opponent batting average of .219
Chris Domke – 12 strikeouts in 7.1 innings, WHIP of 1.23, and opponent batting average of .250
Noah Furcht, with his .483 OBP and .364 batting average, has the potential to drive Ole Miss fans insane
And let’s copy and paste that for Miles Vandenheuvel and his .500 OBP and .391 average

Coastal Carolina players and things of note

Granted, I have watched zero Coastal Carolina baseball this year, but based on stats, these are names and things to know.

The Chanticleers are currently ranked 9th in the latest D1Baseball poll (Ole Miss is 25th) with a 6-2 record that features losses to College of Charleston and Illinois
Of note, that’s a 4-4 Illinois team who beat them 14-5 in Conway
In even more bad news for Coastal, their top 2 pitching starters are out for at least 8 weeks
Cameron Flukey has a stress fracture in his rib, which I (not a doctor) have never heard of, but it sounds like pure hell
Hayden Johnson has elbow issues, which is extremely NOT GREAT, BOB
If there is good news for Coastal, it’s that they get a chance to figure something out now rather than on the fly in March and April
Darin Horn – 13 strikeouts in 11 innings, WHIP of 0.27, and opponent batting average of .079
Scott Doran – 13 strikeouts in 8.2 innings, WHIP of 0.58, and opponent batting average of .129
Case Bosch, who started 1 game (3 appearances), has 11 strikeouts in 9.2 innings, WHIP of 0.62, and opponent batting average of .133

We’ve reached our allotted 9 spots without getting to any hitters, so let me throw out Trace Mazon and Dean Mihos as guys who are most likely to do some damage.

Where to watch the festivities

In person at Daikin Park* on Friday
In person at Daikin Park* on Saturday
In person at Daikin Park* on Sunday
Via television on Space City Home Network (I don’t know either)
Streaming on Astros.com (no paywall!)
Streaming on Astros Twitter
Streaming on Astros Facebook page
Streaming on Astros YouTube channel
At a bar featuring any of these viewing services

*I am today years old in finding out it’s not Minute Maid Park.

OBP stats we love to see from Ole Miss

Will Furniss – .575
Collin Reuter – .545
Tristan Bissetta – .541
Judd Utermark – .524
Hayden Federico – .459
Dom Decker – .415
Austin Fawley – .414
Brayden Randle- .394
Tate Sirmans, who is not a primary starter like the guys above, checks in at .583 in 12 plate appearances

Pitching stats we love to see from Ole Miss

Cade Townsend – 16 strikeouts in 8.2 innings, WHIP of 0.81, and opponent batting average of .188
Wil Libbert – 14 strikeouts in 10 innings and WHIP of 1.10
Hunter Elliott – 12 strikeouts in 9.2 innings and opponent batting average of .206
Taylor Rabe – 0.90 WHIP
Team 3.34 to 1 strikeout-to-walk ratio
Team WHIP of 1.25
Team 97 strikeouts in 75 innings
Team 22 earned runs allowed in 75 innings
Team 5 dingers allowed in 75 innings

Also of note, ZERO TRIPLES ALLOWED.