Box Score OXFORD, Miss. -- The vicious rain storm causing havoc at home in northern Louisiana took its toll on the Grambling State University Tigers Saturday (March 12) as the baseball team's game against the University of Mississippi was postponed until Sunday.
Rain and wind pounded Swayze Field at Ole Miss Friday and Saturday, and the university's ground crew worked diligently to make the field playable for the first of a three-game series on Friday (March 11). Ole Miss beat GSU 15-2.
But with 1.33 inches of rainfall in 48 hours, the diamond was soaked from home plate to the outfield wall in center field and the game was called, pushing it into Sunday.
Several Ole Miss players took advantage of the tarp covering the infield, slipping and sliding in the rain as GSU players used the extra time for batting practice and bullpen work.
GSU and the #13 Ole Miss Rebels are scheduled to play a double header Sunday. The first game is scheduled to start at 12 noon. The second game is scheduled to start 30 minutes after the first game of the day ends. The teams will play two, seven-inning games per SEC rules.
"We'll play two sevens," said GSU baseball coach
James Cooper. "We're not against it. We have some injuries on the pitching staff, so it's probably in our best interest to play two sevens."
Cooper said this was not the game plan, but he and the team are making the most of it. "The rain out was a bit of both work and rest," he added. "We got the majority of the rest because the (Saturday) game had a late start. We had the chance to hit in the batting cages and get some guys some rest. We're treating it as both rest and extra work."
Though not previously scheduled, this will be GSU's first double header of the season. The last time GSU had a game rained out was during the 2015 Southwestern Athletic Conference tournament.
