NOTES: Ole Miss opens SEC Tournament with Georgia

HOOVER | Ole Miss is handing the ball to its ace to start the SEC Tournament.

Brady Bramlett, who has opened all 14 weekend series for the No. 7 seed Rebels (40-16, 18-12) this season, will start against No. 10 seed Georgia Tuesday at 1 p.m. at Hoover-Metropolitan Stadium.

The winner faces No. 2 seed South Carolina Wednesday, while the loser is eliminated.

Bramlett is starting two days short of full rest. Tuesday would typically be his midweek bullpen session before a Friday start.

"I feel good and my body feels good," Bramlett said. "It is kind of going back to high school ball. Coach (Mike Bianco) approached me (Sunday) and asked how I felt and if I was ready to go. I told him of course and I'd compete for us no matter what."

Bramlett threw a short work session under pitching coach Carl Lafferty's supervision on Sunday. It was a light workout with an emphasis on command.

"(Bianco) told me to go as far as I can go and as much as you can go," said Bramlett, who admitted he was a little surprised. "He said we'll work from there."

Georgia is No. 34 in the RPI but struggled to an 11-19 SEC record. The Bulldogs got an unlucky SEC West draw, missing Arkansas and Auburn, who combined for a 15-45 league record while finishing last and next to last in the conference.

Ole Miss took two of three from the Bulldogs in Athens. The Rebels won 6-4 and 7-3 the first two days, respectively, before Georgia claimed the finale, 13-2.

Bramlett (7-3, 3.19) allowed four runs on eight hits in four innings against Georgia. He struck out five and walked two.

"They are an aggressive ball club," Bramlett said. "It was a game where I struggled with location which is odd for me. I feel confident going tomorrow and I'm pitching well. I'm back to my old self again. It'll be a normal start for me."

Georgia's starter is senior right-hander Heath Holder (4-4, 3.34). He was the winning pitcher of the Bulldogs' victory against the Rebels. Holder allowed one run on three hits in seven innings. He had seven strikeouts and four walks.

Catcher JB Woodman and Henri Lartigue were named All-SEC First Team selections on Monday by the league office.

Tate Blackman was named Second Team All-SEC and Woodman also made the All-Defensive Team.

Woodman leads the SEC with 13 home runs and is ninth with 49 RBIs. He also has nine outfield assists which are good for second nationally. He's eighth in the SEC with 117 total bases. Against LSU, Woodman threw three runners out at the plate and hit .500 to claim the title of National Hitter of the Week by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association.

Lartigue is hitting .371 in league play and leads all SEC catchers with a .348 overall batting average.

He's Ole Miss' third All-SEC catcher in the past four seasons. Will Allen was a Second Team selection in 2014, and Johnny Bench winner Stuart Turner was an All-SEC First Team member in 2013.

Blackman, who leads the SEC with seven sacrifice flies, has a team-high 68 hits a year after struggling with a .197 batting average. He's second on the team with a .328 SEC average. He reached base in 52 of Ole Miss' 56 games.