Friday, June 20, 2014

These Rebels Won't Back Down

This team doesn't know how to back down.

Ole Miss exploded from its College World Series hitting funk and beat TCU 6-4, advancing to a Friday night rematch with Virginia (7 p.m., ESPN). The Rebels are among the last four teams still standing in college baseball.

It's further than Ole Miss has advanced in any major men's sport in my lifetime. I'm middle aged. This... is.... special.

Speaking of special:
Whatever it takes, Rebs. Whatever it takes.

Soon after the ninja turtles appeared in the Ole Miss dugout during the top of the 7th inning Will Allen hit an RBI-single that would score Auston Bousfield and give the Rebels a 5-4 lead they wouldn't relinquish.

I think it's safe to say the turtles are staying.
It's easy to understand why Sikes Orvis believes in turtle power.

Orvis sealed the victory in the 9th with a two-out double hit deep into the darkest corner of left field to score Allen. Orvis (3 hits, 2 RBI) was spectacular. Allen was spectacular (3 hits, 3 RBI).

Orvis and Allen.

The two stalwarts in the Ole Miss offense, hitless through the first two games of the College World Series, made up for lost time, going 6 of 10 at the plate with 2 doubles and 5 RBI. They nearly accounted for all 6 runs.

And once again when Ole Miss had its back to the wall and needed a victory, Rebel heroes answered the call.

"This off season we really worked hard, just on and off the field on being tough,” said Allen. “It’s something that team has taken to just the mindset of 1-9 throughout the lineup. We have guys that can step up and be the hero on any given day. It’s something with the team when our backs are against the wall, we play really good baseball. We’re just a tough team, a very confident team, and we’ve continued to do it throughout the whole season."

TCU didn't go down without a fight. Everytime the Rebels scored, the Horned Frogs answered, including a monster home run by monster first baseman Kevin Cron that tied the game at 4 in the 5th. Some teams might have gotten discouraged. 

Not Ole Miss. 

"It just shows how tough this team is, man," said Orvis. "It's hard to keep us down. We keep coming. Like Coach B. and Will were saying, it could be any team any given night. That's what makes this team special. The guys are confident 1 through 9 in the lineup. We have confidence that whoever comes in can throw strikes and get the job done for us."

Among the tough were the Ole Miss pitching staff. 

Sam Smith, Josh Laxer, Wyatt Short and Aaron Greenwood combined to get the job done. One of the finer moments was Short's strikeout of Cron - hitter of TCU's monster home run in the 5th. Short looked like David facing Goliath, and Goliath went down swinging. It was beautiful. 

Ole Miss is beautiful. 

Life is beautiful.

I know I sound like I'm getting carried away here, but Ole Miss is among the last four teams in the College World Series. The Rebels have taken up residence in Omaha. 

It's too sweet not to enjoy.

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