Local high school players starring for Rebels
The Ole Miss baseball team found itself in bounceback mode after two rough weekends early in the SEC season. Luckily the roster is loaded with veterans who have been there and done that.
None higher that ace right-hander Brady Bramlett. After being roughed up by South Carolina and losing a tough-luck decision to Mississippi State, the junior from Arlington High School shut down Arkansas over seven innings tying a career high with 12 strikeouts in a 7-3 win over the Razorbacks Friday in Oxford. After a 14-9 win Saturday the Rebs (24-7, 5-6 SEC) looked to sweep the Hogs Sunday.
“I’m proud of the way we’ve competed as a team after some adversity,” said Bramlett (5-2, 2.74 ERA) of the 14th-ranked Rebels, who were swept by the Gamecocks then salvaged a Sunday win over the Bulldogs.
“It goes to show we’re a lot more mature this year.”
Bramlett maximizes a 92 mph fastball, coach Mike Bianco said, “because he has such good command on both sides of the plate, and it explodes with late movement. Sets up all his breaking pitches (curve, slider change-up).”
Bramlett, out most of 2013 and all of 2014 after shoulder surgery, is now 17-7 with 166 strikeouts in 152 innings.
“It’s an honor to have the Friday starter’s job,” Bramlett said, “And a good feeling because people weren’t sure what I would be able to do after the surgery.”
Bramlett is one of the usual boatload of Rebels from the Memphis area.
But this year, the balance has tipped with five of the nine coming from DeSoto County, led by breakout catcher Henri Lartigue.
The Southaven junior is hitting .362 with a .429 on-base percentage. He’s had six games with three or more hits, including a 4-for-4 effort against the Gamecocks and has two homers, 23 RBI and 16 runs scored. He was 5-for-9 with three runs and four RBI against Arkansas through Saturday.
“We’ve got a returning veteran at almost every position. Not many teams can do that,” Lartigue said. “Right now I’m just looking to have good at-bats and let the results take care of themselves.”
Lartigue isn’t surprised by the growing DeSotoShelby presence. “It speaks to the fact we had Snowden Grove while we were growing up and got to play top talent through those years,” he said. “You’ll see more and more guys from this area in the SEC.”
Lartigue is the fourth new catcher in as many years for the Rebels and Bianco said,“he has all the tools, is a switch hitter and is a really sharp kid with communicates well from behind the plate.”
One newcomer who has made a huge impression is former Memphis University School star Michael Fitzsimmons, who has taken hold of the DH spot in the lineup on weekends, with some midweek starts at first base thanks to a slash line of .383/.408/.660 with seven doubles, two homers and nine RBI in just 47 at-bats.
“When Michael got here we knew he had a chance to be a physical presence in our lineup,” Bianco said of the redshirt freshman. “As he got playing time he made the most of it, and has shown himself well defensively.”
“I got a home run at Tennessee off (former St. Benedict star) Andy Cox, and that gave me a lot of confidence,” said Fitzsimmons, whose father Michael was a Rebel defensive lineman.
“You don’t try to do too much, especially in this league. People make mistakes but not often. Sometimes you’ve just got to take your single. I’ve always been a .300 hitter. … I’m doing what I’m supposed to do.”
One of the pleasant surprises is the bullpen, led by returning All-SEC reliever Wyatt Short. The Southaven junior is 2-1 with five saves, a 1.90 ERA with 18 strikeouts and one walk in 20 innings.
“Wyatt has three different pitches plus a 90-92 fastball and he commands them all well,” Bianco said of Short. “You don’t usually see that at the back end of the bullpen. Usually it’s a power guy or someone with a gadget pitch.”
Freshman Dallas Woolfolk, a freshman from reigning state 6A champ DeSoto Central, is 1-0 with a save, 0.87 ERA in 11 appearances, with a mid-90s fastball that puts him on the closer track. Freshman Connor Green of St. George’s (0-0, 2.25 ERA surrendered his first earned runs in eight outings Friday, but has 12 Ks in as many innings..
Senior Holt Perdzock of MUS (.267, 12 RBI) has battled injuries but has become a valuable DHpinch hitter-outfield option. “He’s really selfless and gotten us so many big hits,” Bianco said.
Kyle Watson (.211, 11 RBI in 38 at-bats), a sophomore from DeSoto Central, is an infielder-inwaiting that BIanco has spotted in the outfield and as a pinch runner to keep him occupied. Catcher Carson Klepzig, who like Woolfolk earned a state title ring with the Jaguars last year, is being redshirted.