The University of Mississippi Athletics
#RebsBSB Season Preview: Bullpen
2/1/2018 | Baseball, Blog
The bullpen was undoubtedly the backbone of Ole Miss' 2017 team. The Rebels had arguably the strongest bullpen in the SEC, one with a variety of different arms with closer Dallas Woolfolk anchoring the back end as the team's closer.
Mike Bianco had the luxury of being able to choose from a number of different guys to go to. Here is an idea of what his options will be this season.
Will Stokes- The senior has done a little bit of a lot in his Ole Miss career, ranging from stepping in to be the team's Sunday starter in the meat of its SEC schedule as a freshman, to stints at closer his sophomore and junior year. Stokes is a three-pitch guy with a fastball in the lower 90s with a good change up and slider. When he's got command of his fastball and can keep it down in the zone he's really good. Stokes will close games in any scenario in which Woolfolk is not available and will give Bianco a reliable, veteran option as a middle innings reliever whose logged a lot of innings in his career.
Connor Green- The junior right-hander made 12 appearances out of the pen last year, compiling a 5.29 ERA and struck out 20 hitters in 17 innings. His 12 appearances were eight fewer than the 20 he made his freshman season in which he posted a 2.73 ERA and fanned 37 hitters in 33 innings. He's got the ability to eat innings in the event of an early exit from the starter and will likely see his appearances go up this season.
Houston Roth- Roth's role will be an interesting one to monitor this year because he can do a number of different things. He was good for the Rebels out of the bullpen as a freshman, logging 18 relief appearances and compiling a team-low 1.57 ERA in 28.2 innings. Roth only walked eight hitters. He's got an electric fastball and will likely take on an even bigger role this season.
Will Ethridge- Like Roth, Ethridge was another freshman that was really good for Ole Miss last year. He made 19 appearances (4 starts) and logged 41 innings in which he struck out 50 hitters. At one point, he had a string of 9 straight appearances without allowing an earned run over a span of 14 innings. Ethridge pitched in some big spots last year and never showed any signs of wavering, including getting four-straight outs in front of 10,000 at Alex Box stadium in a win over LSU last April.
Ethridge has swing-and-miss stuff. He struck out 10 hitters in each of his first two starts and should be an effective weapon again this year.
Parker Caracci- Another guy that had a good fall and is in the mix for a bullpen role this season. Caracci had a huge summer in the Cal Ripkin League. He put together a 0.70 ERA in 38.2 innings and surrendered just 16 hits. He was named the league's most outstanding pitcher.
Dallas Woolfolk- The All-American closer's performance last year spoke for itself. He led the team with 26 relief appearances and tallied 12 saves, the second most in a single season in school history. He recorded four or more outs in six of those saves and was the Rebels' biggest weapon out of the pen. Woolfolk's got an electric fastball his three-pitch mix as a closer makes him even harder for opponents to hit. The rising junior is poised for another dominant year.
Newcomers:
Jordan Fowler- The coaching staff is high on this true freshman lefty, and he'll have an opportunity to have a role this season in a right-hand heavy bullpen. Fowler went 20-2 as a starter in high school with a pair of no hitters. He had a good fall and will be a newcomer to keep an eye on this season.
Austin Miller- A sophomore out of North Liberty, Iowa, Miller pitched at Kirkwood CC last year and joins the Rebels as a sophomore. He faced 78 batters in the fall and posted a 3.54 ERA with 13 strikeouts. Miller's got good command and walked just two of the 78 batters he faced during fall ball.
Colin Coates- Coates is a junior right-hander out of DeSoto Central High School and spent the last two seasons playing for Hinds CC. He faced 75 hitters in the fall, struck out nine and walked just six.
Max Cioffi- The true freshman is a righty out of Chicago, Illinois. He faced 61 hitters in the fall and yielded just 14 hits and struck out seven.
Pierce Smith- Smith's another lefty in a righty-dominant pen and comes to Ole Miss as a junior out of Chattahoochee Valley CC where he went 2-1 in five starts and struck out 19 in 38.2 innings.
Emanuel Fernandez- A true freshman lefty from Lake Worth, Florida, Fernandez struck out 11 of the 66 hitters he faced this fall and walked only six.
Matt Myers- Myers is a Jackson, Mississippi, product and a true freshman. He was named to Mississippi's Dandy Dozen as a senior and was listed at the number one RHP in the state by Perfect Game and the no. 3 overall prospect.
