Feb. 18, 2013

OXFORD, Miss. - Coming off a 10-2 victory Sunday over Jackson State in the Mardi Gras Invitational, Ole Miss returns home to Oxford to face Southern Miss in a doubleheader Wednesday at 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. CT.

Ole Miss leads the all-time series with Southern Miss 13-9. The Rebels beat the Golden Eagles last year in Ridgeland, Miss., by a score of 5-3.

"I'm expecting our team to continue to mature," Ole Miss softball head coach Windy Thees said. "With my new players just having our first two weekends under our belt, now we can go into week three and nothing is new. Nothing is shocking. We are just starting to get comfortable with how we all hit, how we all run and how the players understand what we are expecting out of them. I'm just looking for us to really try to hit our stride this week."

The Rebels will have Dollar Wednesday at the doubleheader against Southern Miss, with hotdogs and popcorn each being sold for $1.

The Rebels went 2-2 in Mobile, Ala., at the Mardi Gras Invitational last week, defeating Lamar and Jackson State and losing to Central Arkansas and South Alabama. Allison Brown and RT Cantillo were each named to the Mardi Gras Invitational All-Tournament team for their performances. In 14 at-bats, Brown hit .500 with five doubles, a triple and five RBI. Cantillo, in 12 at-bats, hit .583, with six runs scored and three RBI.

Cantillo and Brown currently have the top two batting averages on the season for Ole Miss, hitting .440 and .394, respectively. Brown's nine doubles this season are a team high and are just one shy of her 2012 season total. Brown also leads the team with 10 RBI, while Cantillo has batted in eight runs.

The Ole Miss football equipment truck will be parked in the outfield driveway at the Ole Miss Softball Complex during the Rebels' game against Southern Miss. The Rebels are looking to fill the truck with the most-needed supplies for those affected by the tornado in Hattiesburg, Miss.

The most-needed nonperishable food items include canned fruit and vegetables, canned tuna, canned chili/ravioli, soup, peanut butter, jelly, canned macaroni and cheese, spaghetti, spaghetti sauce, rice, oatmeal, crackers and granola bars. The most-needed hygiene items are bars of soap, deodorant, shampoo, razors, washcloths, toothbrushes and toothpaste. In addition, student supplies such as workbooks, flash cards, construction paper, books (K-8), paint, pencils, pens and markers are needed.

For all Ole Miss softball news and information, including live stats and a recap Wednesday's games, go to OleMissSports.com. Follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball and on Facebook at Ole Miss Softball.