Rebels Have Bright Outlook For 2009 Season

When Ole Miss takes the field in 2009 it will be with arguably the most athletic and experienced squad of the Mike Bianco era. The Rebels return 7-of-9 starters in the field along with a stable of pitchers in the bullpen. The mix of veteran players in the field and on the mound give the Rebels reason for high expectations this season as Ole Miss looks to make its seventh-straight appearance in the post-season and push towards a berth in the College World Series.

Among those returning for the 2009 season are a trio of Rebels who were drafted last season as Ole Miss welcomes back more than 20 letter winners from a year ago and an incoming class of 12 fresh faces. Returning for their senior season after being drafted are senior catcher Brett Basham, right-hander Scott Bittle and outfielder Logan Power - all of whom were critical to the Rebels' success a season ago and look to be just as important this season.

"When you look at this team we had three seniors that were drafted come back to play for their senior season," said Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco. "You are lucky if you get one, and we had three come back. This is an older, more experienced group.

"Leadership is certainly hard to judge in the preseason, but you hope that because you return so many experienced players that they have seen just about anything. When adversity hits, that should help you. Certainly, when I look at this team, we probably have the most experience of any team that I have had in my nine years here."

That depth and experience isn't limited to one position, as a wealth of Rebels return, but one of the key places for that depth is the Ole Miss pitching staff.

Pitching Staff

The Rebel bullpen returns the conference's top pitcher from 2008 in Scott Bittle - a first team All-America selection a year ago and preseason All-America in 2009. Bittle led the Southeastern Conference in strikeouts with 130 as he posted a 7-1 record on the season to go along with eight saves.

"When I look at this staff, it is one of the deepest we've had in a while," Bianco said. "We have several different options, so we will have to see how that plays out heading into the season. I think that even with the loss of Lance Lynn, Cody Satterwhite and Justin Cryer, this staff has a chance to be a better as a whole compared to last season."

Returning in the bullpen with Bittle are sophomore Jake Morgan and junior Rory McKean. Morgan posted a 5-0 record with a save last season, coming on strong down the stretch as he picked up a pair of wins in relief in the SEC Tournament. McKean went 4-1 on the season to help the Rebels secure an SEC Tournament berth and advance to the Championship game for the third time in four years.

Also returning a mix of players who have demonstrated the ability to come out of the bullpen or fill the starting role for the Rebels. That versatility will prove invaluable to Ole Miss as it looks to build on the success of recent successes. One of those arms is fifth-year senior Brett Bukvich - a strong southpaw who has seen success in both roles throughout his career - as well as junior right-hander Phillip Irwin.

The 2009 season is the first in several years that sees the Rebels without at least one two-year starter returning to anchor the weekend rotation. But, that's not to say Ole Miss doesn't return some experienced starting arms.

Sophomore Drew Pomeranz and junior Nathan Baker - both left-handers - return as options in the starting lineup for the Rebels. A year ago, Pomeranz emerged as a force on the mound in his freshman season, earning Freshman of the Week honors after a shutout victory over sixth-ranked Vanderbilt that kicked off three straight wins over the Commodores, LSU and at No. 10 South Carolina. The southpaw tied the school record for strikeouts in a season by a freshman with 81, a mark not matched by a freshman since Jeff Calhoun set the record in 1977.

Baker has demonstrated the ability to both start and come out of the pen as the junior earned Freshman All-America honors in 2007 as a weekend starter and spent time in both roles. Baker made 10 starts as a sophomore while also making three relief appearances.

Not only do the Rebels return a strong bullpen, but Ole Miss boasts a veteran lineup in the field as 7-of-9 starters from the 2008 season return. That's good news for the Rebels both defensively and when it comes to the offensive line up.

Infield

The starting infield returns nearly intact with only the loss of Cody Overbeck at third base. Returning to the field in 2009 are juniors Evan Button at third and Zach Miller at second base, while sophomore Matt Smith returns at first base.

The return of Button to the infield is expected to provide the Rebels with a big boost defensively as the athletic shortstop missed a bulk of the 2008 season due to injury. Button started all 13 games played at shortstop last season before being sidelined.

"We're fortunate to have Evan back this season," Bianco said. "It's unfortunate we had to lose him last year. You could tell when the season ended, what a big gap [Button's injury created] defensively and offensively when he went out. Not only was he the starting shortstop, but he was batting fourth in the lineup."

Battling at short with Button is junior college transfer Kevin Mort who comes to the Rebels from Rio Hondo Community College where he was a two-time All-Conference selection.

"Kevin had a tremendous fall and is a solid shortstop," Bianco said. "He was brought in to play defense, but has the ability offensively to bring some small-ball characteristics to our lineup. It was neat to watch him compete at shortstop this fall."

Miller returns for a third season at second base after exploding on the scene in 2007, earning Freshman All-America honors in his first year with the Rebels. A year ago, Miller continued to play well defensively, leading the Rebels in assists with 130 and posting a .980 fielding percentage, committing only five errors through 63 games.

"Zach had a tremendous year last season and had the fewest errors of any starting second baseman I've coached here," Bianco said. "We look for him to not only repeat that type of year defensively, but to have an offensive year close to what his freshman season produced."

Also battling with Miller for the position at second is sophomore Tim Ferguson, who played shortstop last season following the injury to Button. Ferguson could also see time at third base as the sophomore has worked at both positions in the preseason.

Smith, who is also serving as co-captain this season with catcher Brett Basham, returns to anchor first base in his sophomore season. A year ago, Smith suffered a torn UCL in the first game of the season, but returned to the lineup a week later and played the rest of the season at first. Smith tallied a .986 fielding percentage, the second best on the infield behind Basham at catcher.

"Matt had a tremendous year defensively last season and only mishandled one ground ball the entire season," Bianco said. "He worked real hard in the off-season with the other first basemen (Cullan Kight and Matt Snyder). Matt is super athletic and one of the best defensive first basemen we have ever had here."

Competing for playing time at first base are also junior Cullan Kight and freshman Matt Snyder. Kight saw action in 28 games and drew 10 starts last season, turning in a perfect fielding percentage on the year. Snyder comes to the Rebels after a heralded high-school career that saw him garner All-State honors in Virginia.

Third base is the position with the biggest question mark after losing junior Cody Overbeck to the draft. Looking to slide in and take over that spot are three players who have all demonstrated the ability to handle the position in the preseason as Ferguson has battled for third with sophomore Logan Williams and freshman Mike Snyder.

"Tim played some third in the fall and looks to have the upper hand there," Bianco said. "Mike had a very good fall offensively and Logan Williams returns for his sophomore season after putting in some time at third. It's neat to see so much depth in the infield."

Outfield

The Rebel outfield could be one of the most experienced in the Bianco era as the Rebels return several players who have drawn the starting nod. Two of the most experienced returnees are senior Logan Power and junior Jordan Henry. Power returns to the Rebels after being drafted in the 25th round of the 2008 MLB Draft by the San Diego Padres. Power paced the defense with a .982 fielding percentage with only two errors on the season while adding six assists from the outfield and will likely anchor right field for the Rebels.

At center field, the Rebels will likely see Jordan Henry shift to that position after playing right field as a sophomore. The 2007 SEC Freshman of the Year, Henry played 63 games for the Rebels a year ago and drew the start in 43 of those games. Like Power, Henry was nearly flawless defensively in the field with a .992 fielding percentage in 2008.

Looking to get the starting nod in left field is senior Michael Hubbard who split time in center field last season with Michael Guerrero, who battled injury for much of the season and departed after being drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 2008 Draft.

Also competing for time in the outfield are senior Jeremy Travis and newcomers Taylor Hashman and David Phillips. Travis started 18-of-30 games for the Rebels last season in right field and has proven to be a solid leader for the Rebels.

Phillips and Hashman both turned in successful junior college careers as Hashman was named Suncoast Conference Player of the Year and Florida Community College Athletics Association Player of the Year in 2008. Phillips helped Texarkana College to the conference title as a freshman and a Regional Final appearance as a sophomore.

"The outfield is where we have the most depth since we return so many people," Bianco said. "I think with the depth we have, we will rotate players a lot. We run well and are good defensively, which is right next to power and speed."

Catcher

The Rebels also return a wealth of experience behind the plate with Brett Basham entering his third year as a starter. The senior caught 97 percent of innings pitched last season and was named to the Southeastern Conference's All-Defensive team after leading the league in runners caught stealing and all catchers in runners picked off. He also led the league in fewest amount of balls passed (passed balls and wild pitches).

"When you're writing up a defense, the first position you write is catcher," Bianco said. "We're excited to have Basham back at one of the most important defensive positions. So, I'm not only excited that we have Basham back, but Kyle Henson is finally healthy and ready to play along with one of our prized recruits in Taylor Hightower. It's hard to be better at catcher than we were last year, but I think we are."

Along with Basham behind the plate, Henson and Hightower look to provide the depth that the Rebels needed considering how many innings of action saw Basham behind the plate. Henson did not see action last season but was a two-time All-Conference selection at San Jacinto College. Hightower was rated as one of the top players in the nation last season by Baseball America.

Offensive Philosophy

The Rebel offense has seen a focus in the off-season on pushing more runs across the plate and Bianco expects fans to see an aggressive team that resembles the 2006 edition of the Rebels - a team that stole 95 bases. The team belted out 74 home runs a year ago, second most in a season ever under Bianco, but he wants his team to be more aggressive on the base path.

"This year's goal is to push across more runs, be better with scorers in running position and be able to understand it's not about how many hits you get, but how many runs you drive in and how many runs you score," Bianco said. "I think we will be able to steal some bases, look more athletic and do more with the bat. This club seems to have more of a knack for pushing runs across and scoring or putting together a big inning."

Two of the returning bats that will be expected to provide big things will be Logan Power and Matt Smith - the top returning home run hitters from a year ago. Power hit .329 on the season with 11 home runs and tallied 51 RBI, while Smith set the freshman record for home runs with 14 and tallied 40 RBI.

Expected to continue to set the tone for the Rebels on the base path will be junior Jordan Henry. Henry led the team in steals last season with 14 and was only caught stealing three times. Henry went 12-for-13 as a freshman and is the most prolific base stealers in the offense.

Schedule

The Rebels open on the road in 2009 for the first time in many years with a tournament at South Alabama, but it's not necessarily a bad thing as renovations are being completed at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field.

Following the weekend on the road, the Rebels return home to host Central Arkansas in a pair of games that kick-off a stretch that will see Ole Miss play 10-of-11 games in Oxford. All told the Rebels will play 33 home dates in the regular season, in addition to serving as the home team in Jackson for the annual Governor's Cup Game against Mississippi State. Ole Miss will also play Southern Miss at Trustmark Park.

"We're excited for our opening home weekend to have TCU - a ranked team - coming in for our first weekend and to open up the new stadium," Bianco said. "It's going to be exciting. I always think putting a quality schedule together prepares us for the SEC schedule. I'm excited about it and ready for the fans to see the stadium."

The Southeastern Conference slate guarantees the Rebels will see some of the nation's top competition each season. This year the Rebels will not face the Tennessee Volunteers in the regular season, but have home dates with Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia, Kentucky and Mississippi State. On the road, the Rebels will tangle with Arkansas, Auburn, Florida, LSU and Vanderbilt.

And as in years past, Bianco expects the SEC race to be up in the air.

"The neat thing about our league is it's up for grabs every year," Bianco said. "There never really is a favorite. There might be a preseason favorite because a team returns a few players, but the turnover is so great in college baseball and all 12 programs in the SEC put such an emphasis on baseball, that it's interesting to see how the season unfolds every year."

The University of Mississippi Athletics

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