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Ole Miss announces starting pitcher for opening game of Oxford Regional vs. Murray State
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Ole Miss will turn to Riley Maddox to start its opening game of the Oxford Regional on Friday against No. 4-seeded Murray State.
The Rebels announced that decision on Thursday afternoon, one day ahead of the opening game. That means Ole Miss is saving ace Hunter Elliot for a potential winner’s bracket matchup with either Georgia Tech or Western Kentucky in the next round.
It’s a bold move considering the quality of Murray State’s lineup. The Racers enter the NCAA Tournament with a slugging percentage of .496, which ranks in the top-50 nationally.
Maddox has thrown 65 innings this season, which is second on the team behind Elliot. He owns a 5.26 ERA across 15 starts. However, Maddox has been solid over his last 3 starts against Mississippi State, Auburn and Arkansas. He allowed just 6 earned runs across 15.1 innings of work against those 3 SEC programs. His season-long ERA is a bit inflated due to poor outings against Missouri and Texas earlier this year.
The decision means Elliot is likely to get the nod in Game 2 regardless of if the Rebels win or lose the opener to Murray State. Elliot has a 3.09 ERA in 78.2 innings and has been one of the SEC’s best pitchers all year long. He’s also struck out 94 batters across his 15 appearances.
Ole Miss is a narrow -105 favorite to win this regional, according to the latest odds from bet365. First pitch is set for 7 p.m. local time on Friday night.
Spenser is a news editor for Saturday Down South and covers college football across all Saturday Football brands.
