So far, so good for the Crimson Tide in this the 30th year of the program. Now, the SEC schedule kicks in.
RANDOM THOUGHT
According to NCAA Rule 3.10.1 regarding headgear, “Visors, headbands and caps are uniform accessories, may be mixed, and must be of the same predominant color and worn as intended by the manufacturer. Exception: The catcher’s headgear may be of a different color than other defenders’ headgear.”
Headgear is an “accessory”, meaning it is not required. The only reason this was brought up is the observation
that you almost never see girls wearing caps. Most of them opt for visors or no hat. That is your Random Thought for the day.
ACCOLADES
- Jocelyn Briski was named SEC Pitcher of the Week. Including the midweek game against UAB, she won three games and did not give up a run over 15.0 innings. She allowed only five hits and two walks, while striking out 28 in those games.
RAT POISON
- Softball America 13 ↑ 8 ↑ 6 ↑ 4 ↔ 4 – ahead of Okie
- D1Softball 14 ↑ 10 ↑ 9 ↑ 8 ↑ 5 – behind Okie
- ESPN/USA Softball 16 ↑ 13 ↑ 9 ↑ 7 ↑ 6 – behind Okie & Nebr
- USAToday/NFCA 15 ↑ 10 ↑ 8 ↑ 5 ↑ 4 – ahead of Okie
The top 3 teams in each poll are Tennessee, Texas Tech, and Texas.
SCHEDULE
This will be the first trip for the Crimson Tide to the unoriginally-named Ole Miss Softball Stadium. The new state-of-the-art home for Rebels softball in Oxford was officially opened in the spring of 2025. It has a capacity of 1,677, which pales next to Rhoads’s 3,940.
Due to inclement weather expected for Saturday, the two teams will play a doubleheader on Friday.
- Fri, Mar 6 at Ole Miss 3pm/4pm
- Fri, Mar 6 at Ole Miss 45 minutes after the conclusion of Game 1
- Sun, Mar 8 at Ole Miss 1:30pm/2:30pm
HOW TO WATCH… ALLEGEDLY
Moar SECN+ streaming (ESPN+).
WEATHER
Oxford temperatures should be in the high 70s with partly cloudy skies on Friday. After thunderstorms expected most of the day on Saturday, morning rain is anticipated on Sunday but it should clear up by first pitch. It will be quite the test for the Ole Miss grounds crew to get the field ready for the finale.
OLE MISS (18-5)
The Rebels have had a sloppy start to the 2026 campaign. Their defeats have come at the hands of Cal State Fullerton, Boise, McNeese, ULL, and Missouri State. It’s little defense, but each loss was away from the Magnolia State. OM has had only 8 home games after traveling to Fullerton, CA, Lafayette, LA, and Birmingham, AL for tournaments. They have won all 8 of their games in Oxford and overall have won 8 straight. Alabama will be the first 2026 “Power” opponent for the ‘Sip.
THROW THE BALL
Emilee Boyer (4-3) transferred in from Division II West Texas A&M and has been thrown right into the fire. She has been great at times, but is a little inconsistent. Her ERA is 1.73 in 48.2 innings. Senior Kyra Aycock (8-1) has thrown the identical number of innings but her ERA is 2.30. Her record is mostly due to higher run support. Previously at Missouri, junior Lilly Whitten (5-0) is the third pitcher but has a nice ERA (1.46). She has been used mostly in short stints, averaging around 3 innings per outing.
HIT THE BALL
Freshman Madi George has 30 hits in 66 at bats (.455) with 7 round-trippers and 23 batters knocked in. If you are into OPS, she has a gigantic 1.383. Persy Llamas is hitting .430 with five four-baggers and 25 ribbies. Soph Mackenzie Pickens is at .348 but is second on the team in homers (6), doubles (5), and RBI (24).
The Rebs have 31 dingers as a team, which is tied for 16th in the nation.
CATCH THE BALL
The Ackbars are a decent fielding team. Their .975 fielding percentage is right around 4oth best in the nation.
TEN CENT ANALYSIS
Although Mississippi has not had the best start to the season, they are still SEC and the series is still in their home stadium. On paper, the Tide should roll to three victories, but nothing is certain when rivals clash.
