Ole Miss baseball vs. Georgia 2018: Game times, streaming info, and preview

FADE IN

HIBERNATING OLE MISS PITCHERS

The bullpen arms are nestled together in the Gas Tank sleeping off the end of 26-4 start.

ROLL ROAD TRIP AND SERIES LOSSES

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. A SCHEDULE CLEARING - LATE APRIL

The crust of an old snowfall still covers the frozen bullpen, and the bare, icy fence of the enclosing glistens dully in the early morning light.

CUT TO:

INT. SWAYZE FIELD - THURSDAY

MIKE BIANCO is standing in front of the baseball team gesticulating animatedly at the podium and eyes staring back at him, talking a mile a minute. He looks completely crazy as he points at nothing and winks to the Red Cup Rebellion commenters.

CUT TO:

EXT. OXFORD, MISS. - SAME TIME As we streak across the North Mississippi landscape, flying over fields and farms, small towns and hamlets, railroad lines and interstates, rock yards and factories, until we cross Sardis Lake and turn to the East.

CUT TO:

CLOSE UP - THE CLOCK The time changes from 5:59 to 6:00. The radio starts playing “I Got You, Babe.” Mike wakes up and smashes the radio.

He lies there for a moment then leaps out of bed like a man reborn and heads straight for Oxford-University Stadium.

It has been a rather strange last three weeks. The Rebs went on the road and dominated Memphis like an elite team is supposed to. Then, they traveled to Starkville and lost two-of-three to Mississippi State in weird fashion.

But, then they bounced back and dominated top-15 Southern Miss like an elite team is supposed to. Then, they dominated top-15 Vanderbilt on Friday like an elite team is supposed to. Then, they lost two in a row for the first time ever this season in shitty, dumb fashion in seven-inning games.

So two weeks in a row with a nice bounce back followed by a weird series loss. Welp. Here we are again. No. 11 Ole Miss (30-8, 8-7) took care of Arkansas State on Wednesday in impressive fashion and now must try to keep the ball rolling as they host No. 23 Georgia (26-11, 9-6) in a humongous swing series.

Georgia itself are also coming off back-to-back series losses after a hot start (won its first three series in SEC play, including a sweep of USC), but completed the season sweep of Clemson in the midweek before heading West to Oxford. The last time UGA traveled to Swayze Field, the good guys took two-of-three. And boy do they need another weekend like that.

The Rebs need to keep pace with not only the rest of the SEC West, but they need conference wins to continue to improve an already stout resume. They are currently sitting third in the division, but can make up significant ground but taking care of business this weekend and next against second place LSU.

Barring an immediate reversal of the past two weekends, this sets up to be a battle of Bulldog pitching versus Rebel hitting. Georgia will trot to the mound a staff that has tossed six shutouts this season, good for 5th nationally and a tie for the SEC lead. Those arms will go against a Rebel offense that might be Mike Bianco’s best ever. Five every day players are well over .300 for the year and SEC Player of the Year candidate Ryan Olenek is now over .400 for the season.

The Bulldogs don’t swing it very well in conference play (.266/.384/.348) so if the Rebs can get a lot of Ryan Rolison, Brady Feigl, and James McArthur along with the usual suspects on the back end throwing like we know they can, this is a winnable series for Ole Miss who has played very well at the friendly confines (20-2).

It’s time for the Rebs to smash that proverbial alarm clock once and for all.

The numbers

Complete Ole Miss stats | Complete Georgia stats

How to watch

Friday

First pitch: 6:30 p.m. CT
TV: NONE
Online streaming: SECN+
Game-time weather: 69° NICE, sunny, 1% chance of rain
Projected pitchers
Ole Miss: LHP Ryan Rolison (5-3, 3.27 ERA)
UGA: RHP Chase Adkins (3-0, 3.97 ERA)

Saturday (game one)

First pitch: 1:30 p.m. CT
TV: NONE
Online streaming: SECN+
Game-time weather: 73°, mostly sunny, 0% chance of rain
Projected pitchers
Ole Miss: RHP Brady Feigl (6-2, 3.92 ERA)
UGA: RHP Emerson Hancock (4-2, 3.78 ERA)

Saturday (game two)

First pitch: 45 minutes after game one
TV: NONE
Online streaming: SECN+
Game-time weather: 61°, thunderstorms, 80% chance of rain
Projected pitchers
Ole Miss: RHP James McArthur (4-0, 3.40 ERA)
UGA: LHP Ryan Webb (1-4, 4.30 ERA)