Trojans, Rebels Set for Midweek Clash at Swayze Field

OXFORD, Miss. (Interstat) — The Mississippi Rebels, looking to rebound from a series sweep, host the Arkansas-Little Rock Trojans in a nonconference baseball game Tuesday evening at Swayze Field.

First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. under cloudy skies with a temperature near 69 degrees.

Mississippi (19-10) enters having dropped three straight to in-state rival Mississippi State, including a 7-1 loss Sunday. The Rebels’ bullpen was a bright spot in the defeat, with reliever Walker Hooks throwing three scoreless innings, allowing one hit and striking out four.

Hooks, a key arm for Ole Miss, has been effective lately, posting a 0.00 ERA over his last three appearances spanning 8 2/3 innings with 10 strikeouts.

Arkansas-Little Rock (17-11) arrives having taken two of three from Southern Indiana, capped by a 9-4 victory Sunday. Trojans left fielder Kade Smith drove in three runs in that win.

Smith is a central figure in the UALR lineup, showing power recently with two home runs and nine RBIs over his last 10 games.

The Rebels hold the historical edge in the series and are a significant favorite according to analytics. Interstat’s ELO rating system gives Mississippi an 80.9% probability to win. However, the same service’s game simulator projects an 8-3 victory for the visiting Trojans.

This game serves as a final tune-up before both teams dive into conference play this weekend. Mississippi opens a three-game Southeastern Conference series at Florida on Thursday. Arkansas-Little Rock begins a three-game set at Western Illinois on Thursday.

Probable starting pitchers were not announced.