April 16, 2008

University, MS (UWIRE) -- A local product will draw the start on the mound Tuesday when Ole Miss travels to Pearl to take on Mississippi State in the second annual Governor's Cup.

Left-hander Brett Bukvich will get a chance to show his stuff to the hometown crowd when he takes the hill at TrustMark Park for the first pitch at 6:30 p.m.

Bukvich, a native of nearby Brandon, will make his second start this season.

"He's a Mississippi kid that deserves it," Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco said. "A kid from that area. He's a guy that has been a weekend starter for us in the past, and we're trying to get him out there and get some innings in a big game against Mississippi State."

Bukvich has battled several nagging injuries this season that have limited him to just four appearances this year.

He had a minor elbow surgery in August to repair lingering effects of Tommy-John surgery earlier in his career, and then he suffered a finger injury prior to a game against Texas Christian.

Bukvich said he has felt "great" in recent weeks and is looking forward to the start against the Bulldogs.

"I can't wait," Bukvich said. "I'm looking forward to pitching in front of the hometown crowd and just getting after it. It's big, especially to get us back on the right track after a tough loss (Sunday)."

Ole Miss (24-12) has several other players from the greater Jackson area that have been looking forward to the non-conference date against Mississippi State.

Outfielder Logan Power said his mother gave him a list for tickets that was 25 names long.

"It's going to be fun; there's going to be a lot of family members," Power said. "Being our instate rival, it just means so much more."

Mississippi State (14-21) will start sophomore Tyler Whitney on the mound.

Whitney was the winning pitcher in last year's inaugural Governor's Cup, despite giving up seven runs (five earned) in 4.0 innings pitched.

Injury update

Ole Miss has been saddled with an unusual amount of injuries this season, and the bad news continued to roll in over the weekend.

Starting center fielder Michael Guerrero did not play Sunday against LSU because of a foot problem.

"He's got a lot of pain in his foot and they're going to get some tests done (Tuesday) morning," Bianco said.

Power moved from his normal position in left field to center in Guerrero's absence Sunday.

Power played the majority of last season as Ole Miss' starting center fielder.

"It was a little different getting back in center," Power said. "I looked around, and there was a little more ground to cover out there, so I had to be on my toes."

Power has shown the flexibility and athleticism to play in a number of different spots for the Rebels, and has now played all three outfield positions this season.

Cody Overbeck has continued to battle a problem with shin splints, but is expected to play against Mississippi State Tuesday.

Overbeck did not start either of the midweek games against South Alabama last week, but did play all three games against LSU.

The cooler temperatures Sunday caused more pain than normal for Overbeck, but his condition has been improving daily.

"We've been very cautious with him and are still cautious," Bianco said. "You kind of have to go with his pain tolerance and what he can handle."

Backup catcher Kyle Henson continues to battle an injury to his throwing arm, and has still not seen live game action since being reinstated by the NCAA April 2.

The NCAA Amateurism Clearinghouse ruled Henson ineligible for the first 28 games of the season for a violation of representation for future negotiations.

"He's getting better every day, but I don't see him playing this week," Bianco said. "We have to make a decision Wednesday as to who's going to dress because we're leaving early Thursday morning, and it's not likely that we'll be able to have a thumbs-up by then."

Lastly, it looks like a timetable for Evan Button's return has been set for early May.

Button was recently diagnosed with a stress fracture in his back and was expected to miss four to six weeks.

Bianco said the team hopes to get the junior shortstop back by the first week in May.

Lynn honored

Ole Miss junior right-hander Lance Lynn was named the SEC pitcher of the week Monday, as announced by the league office.

Lynn pitched Ole Miss to a 2-1 victory last Friday against Louisiana State and tied a career-high with 12 strikeouts. He did not walk a batter in the contest and retired 15 consecutive batters during one stretch.

Lynn worked a season-long 8.0 innings against the Tigers, and only allowed one run on two hits.

The SEC Pitcher of the Week award was the second such honor Lynn has received this season.

(C) 2008 Daily Mississippian via UWIRE