May 9, 2011

OXFORD, Miss. – Senior Miles Hamblin has been named the Southeastern Conference Player of the Week after helping lead Ole Miss to a 3-1 week and a series win over No. 1 South Carolina, the league office announced on Monday.

The senior catcher had a solid week for the Rebels, hitting .429 with a 1.000 slugging percentage and a .556 on base percentage to help propel Ole Miss to a midweek win over Arkansas State before helping push the team to a series win over the top-ranked Gamecocks.

Against Arkansas State on Wednesday night, Hamblin came up with a grand slam that pulled the Rebels out of a four-run deficit to tie the game at seven. Ole Miss would go on to rally and pick up an 11-9 win over the Red Wolves.

Hamblin stepped it up in the weekend series, hitting .545 against South Carolina with a 1.111 slugging percentage and a .692 on base percentage. The senior delivered a solo shot in the second inning to give the Rebels a 3-0 lead on the Gamecocks in Saturday’s 10-2 win and went 3-for-3 with three runs scored and two RBI as he reached base in all four plate appearances. He was hit by a pitch in his second at bat of the day.

In Sunday’s series clinching win, Hamblin drew a bases loaded walk with two outs in the third inning to push a run home – one of two walks on the day. He then delivered a crucial single through the right side with one out in the ninth inning to move Matt Tracy from first to third and set up the game scoring run in the 7-6 win.

Ole Miss will return to action this week with a three-game series against in-state rival Mississippi State at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field. The series will begin on Thursday as a part of the SEC’s television contract with ESPN and will start at 6:30 p.m. on ESPNU.

Friday and Saturday’s games are set for a 7 p.m. start and will both be televised by SportSouth.

Students will be admitted free to all three games of the weekend series with presentation of their student ID at the gates.