Printer-Friendly Format     E-mail this article     Brett Basham is playing along with Rebel teammates Cody Overbeck and Zach Miller for the Thomasville HiToms this summer.
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Trio Of Rebels Part Of Title Race In Coastal Plains League

Basham, Miller and Overbeck

July 25, 2006

OXFORD, Miss. - Summer ball is a time for players to go out and hone their skills. It's an off-season workout that keeps a player mentally and physically locked in on the game of baseball, while keeping the athlete focused and competitive as a part of a team.

Three Rebels are making the most of that opportunity as Brett Basham, Zach Miller and Cody Overbeck are a part of something special with the Thomasville HiToms in the Coastal Plains League (CPL).

Hot on the heels of a Super Regional appearance and a Southeastern Conference Tournament title, the trio finds itself playing for another team in the thick of a title hunt as the HiToms sit atop the Western Division standings of the CPL by one game.

All three Rebels look to that run in the SEC Tournament and coming within a game of the College World Series as experience to keep them focused on bringing a title to Thomasville.

"It's kind of similar to what we did at Ole Miss," said Overbeck, who was recently named as a Hitter of the Week by the CPL. "You want to win and play good and make the playoffs. We want to make the playoffs and win the division."

Despite the opportunity to win another championship, it's a chance to stay in playing form and none of the three have lost sight of what staying in a rhythm can mean when returning to campus in the fall.

"It's nice to win games, but the real reason we're here is to improve our game," said Basham. "It would be great to win and make the playoffs, but the focus is on becoming better so we can come back to Ole Miss and contribute to another great run and hopefully get to Omaha. We lost some leadership with the guys we had drafted this past season, but we have a great roster coming back. We all want to be able to contribute to that."

So far, that experience has paid off. Heading into Tuesday's game with the Martinsville Mustangs. Two of the three Rebels are hitting above the .300 mark as Basham is hitting .316 and Overbeck sits at .304 for the season.

Miller, who red-shirted during the 2006 season for the Rebels has started 26 of 33 games played at second base. He is hitting .222 for the season as he's driven in 12 runs, including what proved to be the game-winning run in the top of the ninth against the Carolina Blowfish, the team sitting right behind the HiToms in the standings. He's also only tallied six errors while recording 72 assists and 53 putouts.

"It's helped me a lot because I've seen more pitches and gotten back in the groove of things," said Miller. "I've gotten more ground balls and opportunities to see the game live. This summer has been great and hopefully it will pay off when I return to Oxford this fall."

Basham has seen more time behind the plate and feels that the experience can only be a good one for both himself and Ole Miss as the Rebels look to replace Justin Brashear behind the plate.

The sophomore catcher has made the most of his opportunities at the plate, converting at a .316 clip and he has settled in behind the plate, growing more comfortable after playing as a freshman behind the departed Brashear last season.

"I think the big part for me is getting the repetitions at the plate and behind the plate," Basham said. "I think being out there every day and getting at bats is going to help me a lot down the road when I get back to playing for the Rebels. The experience can only serve to make our team deeper and better."

Overbeck has displayed both power and average at the plate for the HiToms this season. The outfielder has turned in five home runs, second most on the team, and has notched a .594 slugging percentage.

"I started off slow and now you could say I'm getting the swing of things," Overbeck said. "I'm making solid contact and it's paying off."

All three Rebels agree that a large part of the fun is continuing to play the game with teammates from college. It makes the transition to a new place easier and adds to the excitement on the field and in the dugout.

"It's a lot of fun," Miller said of the experience. "It has made the transition easier to have two guys from Ole Miss. It's been great traveling around and playing and watching them play. Just being together has been a great part of the experience."

"It's always good when you can play with someone from your own team," Overbeck said. "I know it's made it a lot easier of an adjustment for me."

Basham agreed.

"There are a lot of good guys on the team, but it's great for the comfort level having some people you know going into the experience," Basham said. "I know that it is something I'll carry with me the rest of my life."