Central Arkansas Mid-Week Series

[oxfordrebel]

The Rebels will open the home portion of their schedule with the University of Central Arkansas Bears. Here are some quick facts:

Conference: Southland

Website: University of Central Arkansas Athletics

Current Record: 2-1 (0-0 Southland); 0-0 Away

Current W/L Streak: W1

Current rank:
UCA is not ranked nor did they receive votes in any polls.

Current Pseudo-RPI (Boyd's World): 2009 RPIs have not been released yet.

Team Stats:
.379 Team BA; .259 Opponent Team BA
5.00 Staff ERA; 10.80 Opponent Staff ERA
.948 FLD%, 6 E
28 Men LOB; 26 Opponent's Men LOB
1 Double Plays; 1 Opponent Double Plays

2008 Final Record: 27-27-1 (13-16-1 Southland)

All-time Series Record: The Bears have a 1-0 series lead on Ole Miss. The only meeting came last season on March 18 in Oxford. The Rebels had 10 hits but left 15 men stranded in the game. Justin Cryer picked up the loss when he gave up the go-ahead run in the top of the 10th inning losing 4-3.

Projected Starter (2008 Stats):
UCA has not released their projected starter yet.

Other notes:

First pitch is set for 3:00 pm Tuesday and 3:00 pm Wednesday.

UCA Head Coach Doug Clark is in his 5th season at UCA. he is 141-121. Assistant Coach Ronnie Goodwin is a former Rebel who graduated in 2001.

UCA has 6 starters and 10 pitchers returning this season on defense.

UCA played a 3 game set against UT-Martin this past weekend in Conway, AR. The Bears won the Friday match 11-5, but dropped the Saturday game to the Skyhawks, 7-6. However the Bears got revenge, and the series win, in the rubber match on Sunday by winning 15-6.

SS Bobby Pritchett and OF Tye Throneberry are each hitting a solid .667 on the young season. Pritchett is 8-for-12 at the plate while Throneberry is 6-for-9. UCA has 4 players hitting for .500 or better and 5 hitting about .400. Of those 5, 4 of them have started at least 2 of UCA's 3 games and those 4 players also have more than 7 plate appearances each.

Ole Miss will look to bounce back from a poor performance in Mobile last weekend as the Rebels have a 2 game losing streak going into this series. This will be the first game at Swayze field since major renovations took place this past off-season.

[dgmcdowe]

I will be there, but I swear if we blow this, I won't be at another one and I will be calling for Bianco's job.

[OMNOB]

I will be there, but I swear if we blow this, I won't be at another one and I will be calling for Bianco's job.

That seems a bit harsh. I, too, am starting to wonder a bit about Bianco and his possibly becomming complacent, maybe his lack of estimating his staff's talent, his declining recruiting, etc., dating back to last season. I am unsure as to what the problem is.

However, the Rebels were the doormat of the SEC before he came to Oxford. If this team ends up at least mediocre this season, I believe he has earned at least one more go of it.

But, that's just me.

[Heath]

I will be there, but I swear if we blow this, I won't be at another one and I will be calling for Bianco's job.

That seems a bit harsh. I, too, am starting to wonder a bit about Bianco and his possibly becomming complacent, maybe his lack of estimating his staff's talent, his declining recruiting, etc., dating back to last season. I am unsure as to what the problem is.

However, the Rebels were the doormat of the SEC before he came to Oxford. If this team ends up at least mediocre this season, I believe he has earned at least one more go of it.

But, that's just me.

Well, I will say this. I think we need to make a CWS appearance this season or next or I will REALLY be wondering why Bianco is the highest paid coach in the SEC. I mean, look at LSU. In Maneiri's first year, they go to the CWS and won approx. 21 games in a row. And where did Georgia come from last year? WTF?

What I am saying is, if you were the highest paid salesman, manager, etc. at your company or highest paid person in your position compared to your competitors, and you did not produce when it counted, what do you think would happen to YOUR job in a few years? Why do you think most Yankees fans hate A-Rod (even before the whole steroid ordeal)? Eventually, it becomes time to "put up, or shut up!".

Hopefully Bianco proves me wrong this year......or at least next year!!

[Heath]

Ouch! I think I twisted my ankle getting off my soap-box!

[oxfordrebel]

I will be there, but I swear if we blow this, I won't be at another one and I will be calling for Bianco's job.

That seems a bit harsh. I, too, am starting to wonder a bit about Bianco and his possibly becomming complacent, maybe his lack of estimating his staff's talent, his declining recruiting, etc., dating back to last season. I am unsure as to what the problem is.

However, the Rebels were the doormat of the SEC before he came to Oxford. If this team ends up at least mediocre this season, I believe he has earned at least one more go of it.

But, that's just me.

I think it's more his coaching staff. I still have some faith in them for now, but each aspect has gone downhill under the current asst. coach as compared to the previous asst. coach in that area. Hitting and fielding especially. Pitching is the exception. Not that it hasn't gone down, but that's on Coach Bianco, not an assistant because Coach is pretty much the pitching coach. We need a dedicated pitching coach, but that's just my humble opinion and obviously I'm not a coach.

I still think recruiting is strong. It's really, really hard to recruit baseball. The NCAA makes it just about impossible with such strict scholarship limits. I firmly believe Ole Miss does as good a job in recruiting as any of the top programs in the nation. The numbers may not always show it (recruiting rankings), but we fill the needs we have well.

But getting back to my original point, I've said it plenty the past couple of days and I'll say it again now, I really think we're getting worked up over 3 games. We're gonna have to give it more time. Like Chuck said in another thread, I have a feeling we'll look up at the end of the season and see a pretty good club who's pulled it together, made some noise, and is ready for post-season action.

[done]

I will be there, but I swear if we blow this, I won't be at another one and I will be calling for Bianco's job.

That seems a bit harsh. I, too, am starting to wonder a bit about Bianco and his possibly becomming complacent, maybe his lack of estimating his staff's talent, his declining recruiting, etc., dating back to last season. I am unsure as to what the problem is.

However, the Rebels were the doormat of the SEC before he came to Oxford. If this team ends up at least mediocre this season, I believe he has earned at least one more go of it.

But, that's just me.

I think it's more his coaching staff. I still have some faith in them for now, but each aspect has gone downhill under the current asst. coach as compared to the previous asst. coach in that area. Hitting and fielding especially. Pitching is the exception. Not that it hasn't gone down, but that's on Coach Bianco, not an assistant because Coach is pretty much the pitching coach. We need a dedicated pitching coach, but that's just my humble opinion and obviously I'm not a coach.

I still think recruiting is strong. It's really, really hard to recruit baseball. The NCAA makes it just about impossible with such strict scholarship limits. I firmly believe Ole Miss does as good a job in recruiting as any of the top programs in the nation. The numbers may not always show it (recruiting rankings), but we fill the needs we have well.

But getting back to my original point, I've said it plenty the past couple of days and I'll say it again now, I really think we're getting worked up over 3 games. We're gonna have to give it more time. Like Chuck said in another thread, I have a feeling we'll look up at the end of the season and see a pretty good club who's pulled it together, made some noise, and is ready for post-season action.

Exactly...in baseball and basketball, these early season games really seem like NFL exhibition games to me. They only matter if you are on the bubble in basketball and in baseball they might matter, but as far as hosting, etc. all that seems to matter is the ability to host and put butts in the seats.

[oxfordrebel]

That seems a bit harsh. I, too, am starting to wonder a bit about Bianco and his possibly becomming complacent, maybe his lack of estimating his staff's talent, his declining recruiting, etc., dating back to last season. I am unsure as to what the problem is.

However, the Rebels were the doormat of the SEC before he came to Oxford. If this team ends up at least mediocre this season, I believe he has earned at least one more go of it.

But, that's just me.

I think it's more his coaching staff. I still have some faith in them for now, but each aspect has gone downhill under the current asst. coach as compared to the previous asst. coach in that area. Hitting and fielding especially. Pitching is the exception. Not that it hasn't gone down, but that's on Coach Bianco, not an assistant because Coach is pretty much the pitching coach. We need a dedicated pitching coach, but that's just my humble opinion and obviously I'm not a coach.

I still think recruiting is strong. It's really, really hard to recruit baseball. The NCAA makes it just about impossible with such strict scholarship limits. I firmly believe Ole Miss does as good a job in recruiting as any of the top programs in the nation. The numbers may not always show it (recruiting rankings), but we fill the needs we have well.

But getting back to my original point, I've said it plenty the past couple of days and I'll say it again now, I really think we're getting worked up over 3 games. We're gonna have to give it more time. Like Chuck said in another thread, I have a feeling we'll look up at the end of the season and see a pretty good club who's pulled it together, made some noise, and is ready for post-season action.

Exactly...in baseball and basketball, these early season games really seem like NFL exhibition games to me. They only matter if you are on the bubble in basketball and in baseball they might matter, but as far as hosting, etc. all that seems to matter is the ability to host and put butts in the seats.

Ole Miss gets some leeway as far as hosting goes because when we have hosted we have consistently been one of the top attended Regionals and Super Regionals in the nation those years. The NCAA wants money and Boone has always turned in a really good bid because he knows people will come. Especially now with the stadium renovations. That helps make up for when the selection committee sees a loss to Mercer on the record. Record is still a big deal, but not as big a deal as for a Southern Miss for instance.