The Ole Miss baseball program has received good news stemming from Matt Snyder’s visit with the esteemed Dr. James Andrews in Birmingham, Ala., on Monday.Snyder re-injured his left shoulder during last Friday’s first spring practice and was held out the remainder of the weekend.
On Monday, Snyder visited with Andrews and according to Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco, the results were positive.
“We got a positive report back from Dr. James Andrews,” Bianco said in a statement. “Matt will be fine. He needs to rehab and strengthen his shoulder, and that will be the guide before he gets back to full speed action. He feels a lot better. Our goal is to be able to have him play in the intrasquad games the weekend of February 11.”
Snyder, a left-handed hitter from Centerville, Va., missed 21 games last season due to a dislocated left shoulder.
As a sophomore, Snyder hit .347 with 12 home runs, 40 RBIs, a .653 slugging percentage and a .481 on-base percentage.
HUBER, MORGAN ADDED TO STOPPER OF THE YEAR WATCH LIST: Per a release from the university, sophomore Brett Huber and junior Jake Morgan were named to the preseason watch list for the Stopper of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association. Below is said release:
With the 2011 baseball season on the horizon, the Ole Miss Rebel baseball team expects one of its strengths to be the quality of its bullpen. Recognition of that quality translated to the national level Tuesday afternoon when Brett Huber and Jake Morgan were named to the preseason watch list for the Stopper of the Year by the National Collegiate Baseball Writer’s Association (NCBWA).
Established seven years ago, the Stopper of the Year award is presented annually to the top relief pitcher in the nation.
Ole Miss is the only school in the nation to have multiple players named to the list. Huber and Morgan comprise half of the nominees to the list from the Southeastern Conference as four players from the league made the preseason list.
Other pitchers from the league on the watch list include Matty Ott of LSU and Matt Price of South Carolina.
Huber was named an All-SEC selection and Freshman Team selection a year ago before claiming Freshman All-America honors. The right-hander posted 12 saves and a 2-0 record as he posted 54 strikeouts and walked only 19 batters on the year. He held a 3.54 ERA in 48.1 innings of work. His 12 saves came up one shy of the single-season mark at Ole Miss set by three-time All-American Stephen Head in 2003.
Jake Morgan returns to the lineup after a year on the sidelines rehabbing an elbow injury. In 2009, the right-handed hurler posted a 4-1 record with nine saves and a 3.23 ERA. Morgan struck out 55 batters and walked only seven in 41.2 innings of work as he helped the Rebels claim the 2009 Southeastern Conference championship.
Nominations for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award were made by baseball sports information/media relations contacts. The initial list will be updated with a mid-season release the week of April 18, including the national saves leaders. At the conclusion of the regular season, the Division I national saves leader and four other relief pitching standouts will be selected as finalists and released Wednesday, June 1, prior to start of NCAA regional tournament competition.
The NCBWA’s All-America Committee then will select the winner, with this year’s recipient to be announced in Omaha on the opening day of the College World Series on June 18.
Ole Miss will take the field to open the 2011 season on February 18, when the Rebels host Wright State in the first game of a three-game series. First-pitch on that Friday is set for 3 p.m. at O-U Stadium/Swayze Field.
Fans can get an earlier look at the Rebels this weekend when Ole Miss hosts its inaugural Alumni Game that will pit the current Rebel squad against former Rebels currently playing ball in the professional ranks. The game begins at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 5, at O-U Stadium. Tickets can be purchased for $5 at the gate and students are admitted for free with their ID.
(February 1, 2011)
