Ole Miss baseball opens season with sweep of Nevada — and more

A run-rule series finale capped off a dominant weekend for Ole Miss baseball as it opened its season sweeping Nevada in Oxford.

The Rebels (3-0) smashed the Wolfpack (0-3) thoroughly in this three game series with a combined score of 29-6 including a 13-2 win on Sunday. In every phase of the game, Ole Miss took care of Nevada with new faces and returning players all contributing to get the season off to the kind of start fans expect.

STARTING PITCHERS

• Hunter Elliott – 5 IP, 1 ER, 7 K; Elliott is a quintessential Friday night starter, and he breezed through five innings of work. His total pitch count stayed under 100 as staff will ramp up as weather warms up and the season moves on.
• Cade Townsend – 4.2 IP, 1 ER, 8 K; Townsend was not expected to go deep into the game, but he threw 48 of his 54 pitches for strikes to mow down the Wolfpack in the closest game of the series.
• Wil Libbert – 5 IP, 2 ER, 7 K; Libbert impressed in his first start in red and blue after transferring in from Missouri. He brings SEC level experience to the mound and it showed on Sunday.

DAILY MVP

• Friday: Tristan Bissetta – 2/3, 4 RBI
• Saturday: Tristan Bissetta – 2/4, 1 HR, 3 RBI
• Sunday: Collin Reuter – 3/4, 3 RBI

You don’t want to take too much from the first three games of the season, but you also can’t go undefeated unless you sweep the first three. The Rebels got the job done, and the batting order seems more balanced than last year’s in the extremely early first impression category.

Next up for Ole Miss is an always pesky and dangerous Arkansas St. on Tuesday at 4 p.m. at Swayze Field.

LSU softball traveled to Clearwater, FL to play five games in five days. The No. 12 Tigers went 1-4 from Thursday to Sunday and returned to Baton Rouge with a 7-4 record.

Three of LSU's losses came against ranked opponents. It was outscored 24-4 in the four losses. Head coach Beth Torina used five different pitchers, including four in the weekend finale against No. 6 UCLA on Sunday.

In their opening game Thursday against No. 11 Nebraska, the Tigers were shut out 6-0. They got on base nine times and got runners to third base twice, but couldn't bring them home. Jayden Heavener got the start in the circle but gave up five runs on four hits. Only one of those runs was earned.

LSU got its lone win of the five-game stretch Thursday afternoon against Oklahoma State, a 9-4 decision. The Tigers scored four runs in the third and seventh innings, then weathered a final push from the Cowgirls at the end. Sierra Daniel and Tori Edwards each had three hits.

The Tigers went back and forth with Duke on Friday but ultimately fell 5-3. The Blue Devils went up by three in the second inning before LSU made it close in the fourth. For the final three frames, Heavener and Cassidy Curd were locked in a pitchers' duel.

LSU dropped the final two contests of the weekend. It fell 5-1 on Saturday to UCF, scoring its lone run in the first inning. Despite totaling eight hits, the Tigers struggled to get runners around to score. Sunday against the Bruins, LSU mustered three hits against reigning All-American pitcher Taylor Tinsley.

LSU returns to Baton Rouge to host South Alabama on Tuesday before a three-game set in Tiger Park over the weekend.

This article originally appeared on LSU Wire: LSU softball has disastrous weekend in Florida, struggles continue

On Monday morning, Borussia Dortmund confirmed that Nico Schlotterbeck and Niklas Süle will miss Tuesday’s Champions League knockout phase play-off clash with Atalanta due to injury.

With Emre Can and Filippo Mané already sidelined, the Black and Yellows have four centre-backs unavailable heading into the game, leaving them short of options at the back.

However, BVB head coach Niko Kovac is confident he can find a solution.

“It’s the coach’s job to find solutions and be creative. Our past experience shows that we always have options ready,” Kovac said at Monday’s pre-match press conference when asked about his defensive options.

“Julian [Ryerson] has played in central defence against Juventus, and Salih [Özcan] could also be deployed there. If necessary, we can even adjust the system.”

Eighteen-year-old Luca Reggiani, who came on to replace Süle at half-time in Friday’s 4-0 win over Mainz, is another alternative. However, it's doubtful if Kovac will hand the inexperienced youngster a start in what he expects to be a demanding encounter.

“Atalanta have a great team and have developed over the years. They won the Europa League two years ago,” Kovac said.

"It will be man-to-man all over the pitch and very intense. There will be moments where we can exploit space to create opportunities, but they are a very strong opponent. I see the chances as 50:50."

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4th over: Australia 38-0 (Head 23, Marsh 13) Head looks in ominous touch, he swats Theekshana wide of long on for four. Six off the over.

3rd over: Australia 32-0 (Head 19, Marsh 12) Oh no, Matheesha Pathirana - ‘Baby Malinga’ as he is nicknamed after his slingy action resembles the Sri Lankan great – pulls his hamstring in the middle of the over. It doesn’t look good for the bowler who is grimacing in pain. He has to go off mid over, sorry news for him and his side. Captain Dasun Shanaka has to step up and bowl the final two deliveries, his first is a drag down that Head whisltes through point for four. Finishes with a dot but trouble for the home side.