SEC: Ole Miss, SEC Champions!

By Jessica Garrison - May 28, 2006


Ole Miss has its first SEC tournament title since 1977, thanks to the offensive firepower that sent them straight to the top of the tournament and a bit of clutch pitching from closer Will Kline, with a 9-3 victory over Vanderbilt...The Rebels are on the field, in a dogpile on the mound, blue hats scattered everywhere and the "Hotty Toddy" chant booming from the stands.

So "the biggest tournament for the biggest conference in the nation" according to Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco goes to his Rebels, and they're doing their victory lap around the field.

The ACTUAL All-Tournament Team:
P: Wade LeBlanc, Alabama
P: Mike Cisco, South Carolina
C: Jason Jacobs, Georgia
1B: C.J. Ketchum, Ole Miss
2B: Justin Henry, Ole Miss
3B: Pedro Alvarez, Vanderbilt
SS: Ryan Flaherty, Vanderbilt
OF: Dominic de la Osa, Vanderbilt
OF: Mark Wright, Ole Miss
OF: Alex Presley, Ole Miss
DH: Shea Robin, Vanderbilt

MVP: Mark Wright, Ole Miss

"We played well all week," Bianco said in the postgame press conference. "For the third game in a row we pitched well and put runs on. To win the biggest tournament besides the College World Series is a great accomplishment."

Bianco had special praise for Kline, who stymied a Commodore rally, with two hits, no runs and no walks in the final 1.2 innings. For Kline, though, the last out was the sweetest.

"Things like this are what you dream about as a kid," Kline said. "Being a pitcher about to win the game and having everyeone run at you and dogpile is incredible. That's what college baseball is all about -- emotion and leaving it on the field.

From the looks of that dogpile and the enthusiasm in it, Kline might've left a few teeth on the field, too. But he looked no worse for the wear, grinning in the postgame pressconference and patting his teammates on the shoulders.

Earlier today the Rebels officially were awarded an NCAA tournament regional for the third year in a row, so they will return home and hope this tournament run has earned them a top seed in the national tournament. Last year, a much-hyped Ole Miss squad lost a heartbreaker to Texas one stop short of Omaha, but ths team seems to have the momentum to barrel its way Midwest.

Tournament MVP Mark Wright has plenty of perspective: "Especially coming out here last year [Ole Miss lost to Mississippi State in the SEC tourney final a year ago.] it teaches you not to take anything for granted. We're peaking at the right point. We're doing everything good right now."

And when you do everything good, Wright knows, the wins feel pretty good too.

Posted by Jessica Garrison at 07:26 PM on May 28, 2006
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Doing things good is great!

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