The first half of the 2014 baseball season is complete, and it looks nearly identical to its 2013 counterpart.
After an auspicious beginning, Rebel baseball fans seem to all ask the same questions. Will this year’s team fall flat after a roaring start and end in disappointing mediocrity? Or will it persevere through the raging storm of the conference schedule, finish atop the SEC and enter the postseason poised to claim success and host a regional event?
The Rebels have already overcome an amount of concern that circled at the beginning of the season.
They had no preseason All-Americans.
They had a questionable pitching staff.Junior Chris Ellis, who had a 1-2 record with two starts, 13 appearances and a 5.57 ERA in 2013, would replace All-American Bobby Wahl, who left Ole Miss after the Oakland Athletics drafted him in the fifth round of the 2013 MLB draft.They had not defined a closer.
Will Allen had not been behind the dish since his sophomore season in 2012.
Ole Miss got the 8th-ranked recruiting class in 2013, but would those freshmen, especially Errol Robinson at short stop, produce?
The Rebels’ performance through their first 26 games has certainly baptized any former doubters into believers.
On Feb. 10 at media day, head coach Mike Bianco said that he was not concerned about the lack of preseason All-Americans and that he felt confident in the capabilities of his team heading into the season. He said the depth of his team would prove to be a major strength because the team would be protected against injuries, players would be more focused due to the intra-squad competition and perhaps most importantly, players would have a heightened sense of confidence because they knew they could count on their teammates in dire straits.
Whether the depth should receive credit or not, Ole Miss has recorded dominating performances. Offensively, they rank second in the SEC in batting average, first in hits, third in slugging percentage and second in home runs. Defensively, Ole Miss ranks fourth in ERA and in the top third in most other categories. The Rebels rank second in the SEC West behind Auburn.
The Rebels’ individual numbers rank at the top of the SEC as well. Auston Bousfield ranks first in the SEC in hits and fourth in average. Will Allen is tied for the league lead in RBI and is tied for fourth in home runs. Sikes Orvis is second in home runs.
The pitching staff, which caused the most question marks at the beginning of the season, has shone with flying colors. Chris Ellis carries a 0.67 ERA, third in the SEC, and is perfect with a 4-0 record. The staff has yet to define a closer, but Josh Laxer has three saves and Aaron Greenwood and Wyatt Short each have one.
But will the success continue?
During media day, Bianco set toughness as a main strategy for remaining at the top through the season. He wanted to start with physical toughness, and he said mental toughness would follow. Ben Fleming, the new baseball strength coach, helped get the players in better physical condition than Bianco said he has seen in previous years. The strategy has appeared to work, as Ole Miss is now 8-1 in one-run games and has posted nine come-from-behind wins.
But in SEC play when it counts, Ole Miss has yet to prove itself.
With the cutthroat competition of the SEC, many games will be decided in the latter innings and on Sundays and will ultimately define success of the whole season, and Bianco acknowledged that victory in these games will require mental toughness.
In the SEC opener in Columbia, S.C., Ole Miss dropped the series by losing both games of a double header Saturday after winning Monday. The first game of the double header was decided in extra innings after a ninth inning USC rally. Bianco has said wins in games like these are crucial for success in the SEC.
In the second conference series, Ole Miss changed its fortune by coming behind on Sunday to clinch the victory and the sweep of Missouri. Bianco spoke of his pride in his team and his optimism in moving forward after getting this crucial win.
The Rebels have already proved they have the talent to win. They must now harness their mental toughness to surpass their SEC competition and emerge at the top of the conference in May.
They have the opportunity to show the Rebel Faithful this weekend that they have the mental skill as well as the physical skill when they take on the Crimson Tide in Tuscaloosa.
