Rippee Writes: Wednesday Scoop
Football injury notes, baseball, MS golf update
Happy Wednesday. We’ve got a lighter newsletter today, but will ramp back up starting tomorrow with Ole Miss going to Alabama and the Rebels getting deeper into spring practice. There’s still plenty to dive into. Ole Miss won a baseball game, Chad Kelly is throwing again and Mississippians are teeing it up on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Here we go.
Lane Kiffin and the Rebels kicked off spring practice yesterday
Go check out yesterday's newsletter for some storylines to watch. The most notable thing that happened yesterday was Kiffin updating who will not participate in spring ball.
OUT:
Jerrion Ealy -- shoulder injury
John Rhys Plumlee -- piano lessons. (Plumlee is playing baseball and will show up when he can, but won't have any participation requirements). I did find it interesting that Kiffin claimed he has not spoken to Plumlee about what his role will be in the offense this fall. Apparently that conversation will happen after baseball season.
DB Demarko Williams, S Daylen Gill and TE Casey Kelly all have undisclosed injuries that will keep them out.
Speaking of spring, it is grilling season. Go check out LBs on University avenue in Oxford. Greg is running the free pound of spicy ribeye sausage through today with another special coming this weekend. Show him you’re a subscriber (the email from last week or Monday’s newsletter) and go get a kickstart to your grilling weekend.
Chad Kelly will throw at Ole Miss Pro Day
I thought this was interesting. It's not uncommon at all for former players to use their alma mater's pro day as a chance to impress NFL scouts. Kelly was oh so close to getting a chance to see the field in Denver two seasons ago with Case Keenum struggling and Broncos fans growing restless. We know what happened next, but who hasn't been beaten with a vacuum cleaner a time or two? In all seriousness, I hope Kelly catches on somewhere and gets a shot. There’s too much untapped potential to be wasted without ever taking a regular season snap in the NFL.
Ole Miss Beat Central Arkansas 5-2
There is not a ton to be made from last night, other than that it is a short turnaround before the Rebels get underway in Tuscaloosa Thursday night, but here are a couple thoughts.
- T.J. McCants is a really great athlete. He started at second base yesterday, presumably to rest Peyton Chatagnier's hamstring. McCants will likely see at least two starts this weekend in center field for the Rebels and his athleticism adds a defensive component to the outfield that they wouldn't otherwise have. I also learned yesterday that his little brother, who is one year younger and also bats left and throws right, is a Mississippi State signee. I thought it that is pretty cool that a couple Pensacola kids are going to both play SEC baseball in Mississippi.
- Yesterday was no midweek throw away day on the mound. Mike Bianco used five guys relief of Josh Mallitz. Three of those guys --Braden Forsyth, Austin Miller and Jackson Kimbrell -- are all bullpen arms Ole Miss needs to be good on the weekends. All three are currently working through some rough outings and minor hiccups. I thought the entire trio was pretty good. Forsyth pitched two scoreless. Kimbrell allowed a run that was somewhat a product of poor fortune and also poor defense on his part. Miller threw 1.1 scoreless innings as well. It was likely a bullpen day for at least one (and possibly all three) of these guys, but I found this interesting enough to point out. The other two pitchers used were Mitch Murrell and Taylor Broadway. It was definitely a pseudo bullpen day for Broadway.
-- Speaking of Broadway, he did not seem to care that the guys on Central Arkansas presumably had families that were watching. He struck out all three hitters he faced in the 9th on 12 pitches for his 4th save of the season. None of the three would've made contact with a tennis racquet.
-- Tim Elko homered again. He's got eight on the year, which is good for second in the SEC.
-Justin Bench snapped a four game hitless streak. Not worried about Bench, just had no clue he was hitless for multiple games in a row.
Magnolia State Golf Update:
No Mississippians in either of the two PGA Tour events this week. One day soon we will have more to talk about here.
The Korn Ferry Tour is in Savannah, Georgia, this week.
Five Mississippians are in the field. Here’s when the guys tee off on Thursday. A reminder that this tour is doing a wraparound season because of last spring’s COVID pause, meaning the standings in 2020 simply carry over into a normal 2021 schedule.
Ole Miss alum Jonathan Randolph tees off at 6:40 a.m. Randolph missed the cut last week in Louisiana and needs to get going if he wants to be in the mix for the 25 PGA Tour Cards given out at the end of the year. He sits at 107th in the points standings.
Mississippi State alum Chad Ramey tees off at 6:50 a.m. CT. He finished in a tie for 4th last week in Louisiana and is 10th on the points list. Go check out his string of starts over the last 14 months. He's well on his way to earning a PGA Tour card despite not having a win on this tour. That is remarkable consistency.
Ole Miss Alum Braden Thornberry tees off at 7:30 A.M. He's fresh off at third place finish in Louisiana last week and is 44th on the points list, easily within striking distance of cracking the Top 25 and earning a Tour card.
Hattiesburg native and Alabama alum Davis Riley is in the afternoon wave and tees off at 12:10. Riley is 3rd on the points list thanks to a pair of wins in 2020 and is currently in good position to graduate to the Tour in 2022.
Tupelo native and Mizzou alum Hayden Buckley is right behind Riley at 12:20. He missed the cut last week in Louisiana, which was the Korn Ferry Tour’s first event since his win in Florida in late February. Buckley is 27th on the points list.
On the Horizon
If you noticed, there was no podcast today. Collin and I are recording tonight to preview the baseball series. Get your questions in if you have them.
I may do another pod Friday but will likely just hold off and do a Mailbag Sunday.
Newsletter tomorrow and Friday
New LBs deal tomorrow? Stay tuned.
Have a great Wednesday and tell your friends to sign up. To the new subs from Tuesday, thank you and welcome.