The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss Baseball Season Preview
2/13/2019 | Baseball
Bianco Outlines Starting Nine for Opening Day
The countdown is finally over, and the next time the Rebels take the field at Swayze, they will be joined by thousands of raucous fans and the comfort of battling against fresh and welcomed opponents. The 2019 season officially kicks off on Friday at 4 p.m. CT when Wright State, the unanimous preseason pick to win their Horizon Conference league, is welcomed to Oxford for the first of many entertaining weekend slates.
Ole Miss wrapped up their final intrasquad scrimmage on Sunday, completing their third weekend of spring training in preparation for the impending season opener. The Rebels saw 24 live-action games this offseason, including two fall scrimmages against Little Rock and Delta State. The slew of returning batters made for an exciting year at the plate, while a mix of newcomers and veterans on the mound created much competition for the three weekend positions left vacant from last year.
After a long offseason of improvement and competition, the opening weekend lineup and rotation are set, as announced by head coach Mike Bianco at Tuesday's media day.
Will Ethridge has locked up the Friday night starting position with a dynamic offseason on the mound that saw him lead all pitchers in ERA over the busy fall. The junior righty had a team-low 0.60 ERA and a team-high 4.50 K/BB over seven starts in the fall, and he also topped the stat sheet with 18 strikeouts in just 15 innings pitched.
"Will and I talked over the summer. He really is the guy that should be that person. He knew he had to go out and earn it, and Will, I don't want to say arguably, left no doubt," Bianco said. "I don't think there is an argument. He pitched better than anybody on our staff from the first intrasquad until last weekend."
Junior College transfer Zack Phillips found his groove after returning from winter break, and made a strong play at a weekend starting position. Opposing hitters mustered a measly .138 batting average against Phillips over the three weekends of scrimmaging, and he was also able to record 11 strikeouts in ten innings, second on the team. After spinning five scoreless innings in his final intrasquad outing, he earned the Saturday role for opening weekend.
"Zack is a junior college transfer who has electric stuff," Bianco said. "We knew that from the fall, but he has really pitched well the last couple of weeks of intrasquads and has really pitched as well as anybody on the staff and has looked really dominant. He gives us a little different look with a left-hander sandwiched in between Will and our Sunday starter in Gunnar Hoglund."
Freshman Gunnar Hoglund entered the fray as a viable candidate for a late-weekend or midweek starter with a 1.23 ERA in the fall, which was second to only Ethridge. Hoglund allowed just two runs all fall in seven appearances on the mound, affirming the reputation he brought to campus as a first-round MLB Draft pick who turned down the Pittsburgh Pirates in favor of a collegiate career in Oxford.
"It's not really this spring, it's since he walked on campus. As mentioned about Will having the best fall and spring of any pitcher, and the second without a doubt would be Gunnar," Bianco said. "He's been really dominant in our intrasquad games. He's a guy who possesses a big-time fastball but a good breaking ball and changeup, excellent command. He really can throw the ball on both sides of the plate. For a true freshman, he has a lot of poise."
Fellow junior Houston Roth made a strong case for one of the two slots behind Ethridge as well. Roth led the pitching staff with 13 strikeouts in the abbreviated winter season, and finished the fall with an even 3.00 ERA. However, despite not holding a rotational role for the opening weekend, Bianco anticipates Roth being the first arm out of the bullpen Friday night, as well as the likely Tuesday starter against Arkansas State.
"Roth is certainly a guy who we knew would be an option and still may be," Bianco said. "It's the first weekend. Last year, we kept all three guys starting all year, but I can't remember a time where we kept all three guys all season. We're just trying to get through the first weekend."
Another freshman in Doug Nikhazy also made an immediate impact in his first offseason donning the Rebel uniform. The freshman out of Windermere, Fla. rung up 28 opposing hitters composing a daunting lineup throughout the offseason, which was topped by just Ethridge and Phillips.
"He's been terrific," Bianco said. "I wouldn't discount that he might not find himself as a Tuesday starter or even on the weekend at some point, because the stuff is really that good. But it gives us another left-handed option out of the bullpen, which we haven't had a ton of over the years. He's a strike thrower. He's a great competitor, and there's no doubt in my mind he's going to pitch the first weekend."
While the three weekend starters on the pitching staff may have departed in the 2018 MLB Draft, the Rebels actually returned a number of valuable veterans that will be tasked with manning the bullpen in late-inning scenarios this year.
At the plate, sophomore Tim Elko has made a strong push for offseason MVP with an electric year in the Rebel lineup. After a tremendous Freshman All-American season by Tyler Keenan at the hot corner, Elko made a move to the outfield in the offseason. The sophomore from Lutz, Fla. was one of just three Rebels to eclipse the .400 mark over 15 fall scrimmages (Keenan, Carl Gindl), and again topped the stat sheet with a .387/.457/.677 clip in the winter. With that production at the plate, he was announced Tuesday as the starting right fielder for opening day.
Keenan was awarded the club's offseason home-run leader with nine long balls, eight of which came in the fall, but sluggers Thomas Dillard and Chase Cockrell didn't find the homers hard to come by, either. Cockrell led all Rebel hitters in the winter with 13 hits, seven of which went for extra bases, good for a .743 slugging percentage, bested only by Dillard's .750 mark.
"Both Cockrell and Elko have moved as corner infielders to the outfield," Bianco said. "And really, it's a move I think they wanted as much as we did. They wanted to get on the field. When you look at as talented of a team as we return, they knew that maybe the best opportunity was to move to the outfield. Both of them can play the infield and may play the infield at some point, maybe even as early as this weekend."
Rebel fans will be comforted by Cooper Johnson's strong performance at the plate over the offseason, which saw the Ole Miss catcher eclipse the .300 mark at the plate in both the fall and winter scrimmage seasons. Johnson, who is expected to begin the season as the primary catching option, hit for .313 in the fall and .345 in the winter.
"Cooper has played really well. We all know about his throwing prowess, but he has received well, he has blocked the ball well and he has swung it well. He had a really good fall and early spring. He has always brought a lot of energy, but we've seen even more leadership out of him, as we thought we would with him being in his third year."
Anthony Servideo and Jacob Adams, both middle infielders who each spent considerable time at second base in 2018, haven't made the 2019 choice particularly easy for Bianco with two solid offseason performances. Servideo grabbed the opening day second base spot, but both are expected to see sizeable innings recorded around the diamond this season, be it across the infield or even in the outfield.
Keenan, shortstop Grae Kessinger, and first baseman Cole Zabowski are all locks to reprise their roles across the infield this year. Zabowski, one of four Rebels selected to the preseason All-SEC team along with Cockrell, Keenan, and closer Parker Caracci, placed fourth amongst Rebel hitters with a .367 fall batting average.
With a talented veteran lineup, it has been a smooth spring for the Rebels—one thing Bianco doesn't take for granted.
"This year, when you go over things like bunt defenses and first-and-third offense and first-and-third defense and things of that nature, guys like Grae Kessinger and Thomas Dillard and Ryan Olenek, they've been through it so many times," Bianco said. "You don't take it for granted, but it's much easier. You love when you have older guys like that, great leadership. You have many coaches out on the field."
With the lineup on the field set, Ole Miss also knows it'll have plenty of support in the stands. The Rebels announced Tuesday that more fans than ever will fill Swayze Field to support the 2019 squad.
"I'm very privileged to announce today that 7,101 season tickets have been sold, which breaks 2017's record (6,275) by almost 900 tickets—not a reserved seat left in the stadium," Bianco said. "We're very fortunate—the players, the coaches—to be part of a university, an athletic department and a community that really cares about baseball."
All of these factors will culminate on the field at Oxford-University Stadium when the Rebels welcome a 2018 NCAA Tournament team in Wright State for a 4 p.m. CT first pitch Friday.
Ole Miss wrapped up their final intrasquad scrimmage on Sunday, completing their third weekend of spring training in preparation for the impending season opener. The Rebels saw 24 live-action games this offseason, including two fall scrimmages against Little Rock and Delta State. The slew of returning batters made for an exciting year at the plate, while a mix of newcomers and veterans on the mound created much competition for the three weekend positions left vacant from last year.
After a long offseason of improvement and competition, the opening weekend lineup and rotation are set, as announced by head coach Mike Bianco at Tuesday's media day.
Will Ethridge has locked up the Friday night starting position with a dynamic offseason on the mound that saw him lead all pitchers in ERA over the busy fall. The junior righty had a team-low 0.60 ERA and a team-high 4.50 K/BB over seven starts in the fall, and he also topped the stat sheet with 18 strikeouts in just 15 innings pitched.
"Will and I talked over the summer. He really is the guy that should be that person. He knew he had to go out and earn it, and Will, I don't want to say arguably, left no doubt," Bianco said. "I don't think there is an argument. He pitched better than anybody on our staff from the first intrasquad until last weekend."
Junior College transfer Zack Phillips found his groove after returning from winter break, and made a strong play at a weekend starting position. Opposing hitters mustered a measly .138 batting average against Phillips over the three weekends of scrimmaging, and he was also able to record 11 strikeouts in ten innings, second on the team. After spinning five scoreless innings in his final intrasquad outing, he earned the Saturday role for opening weekend.
"Zack is a junior college transfer who has electric stuff," Bianco said. "We knew that from the fall, but he has really pitched well the last couple of weeks of intrasquads and has really pitched as well as anybody on the staff and has looked really dominant. He gives us a little different look with a left-hander sandwiched in between Will and our Sunday starter in Gunnar Hoglund."
Freshman Gunnar Hoglund entered the fray as a viable candidate for a late-weekend or midweek starter with a 1.23 ERA in the fall, which was second to only Ethridge. Hoglund allowed just two runs all fall in seven appearances on the mound, affirming the reputation he brought to campus as a first-round MLB Draft pick who turned down the Pittsburgh Pirates in favor of a collegiate career in Oxford.
"It's not really this spring, it's since he walked on campus. As mentioned about Will having the best fall and spring of any pitcher, and the second without a doubt would be Gunnar," Bianco said. "He's been really dominant in our intrasquad games. He's a guy who possesses a big-time fastball but a good breaking ball and changeup, excellent command. He really can throw the ball on both sides of the plate. For a true freshman, he has a lot of poise."
Fellow junior Houston Roth made a strong case for one of the two slots behind Ethridge as well. Roth led the pitching staff with 13 strikeouts in the abbreviated winter season, and finished the fall with an even 3.00 ERA. However, despite not holding a rotational role for the opening weekend, Bianco anticipates Roth being the first arm out of the bullpen Friday night, as well as the likely Tuesday starter against Arkansas State.
"Roth is certainly a guy who we knew would be an option and still may be," Bianco said. "It's the first weekend. Last year, we kept all three guys starting all year, but I can't remember a time where we kept all three guys all season. We're just trying to get through the first weekend."
Another freshman in Doug Nikhazy also made an immediate impact in his first offseason donning the Rebel uniform. The freshman out of Windermere, Fla. rung up 28 opposing hitters composing a daunting lineup throughout the offseason, which was topped by just Ethridge and Phillips.
"He's been terrific," Bianco said. "I wouldn't discount that he might not find himself as a Tuesday starter or even on the weekend at some point, because the stuff is really that good. But it gives us another left-handed option out of the bullpen, which we haven't had a ton of over the years. He's a strike thrower. He's a great competitor, and there's no doubt in my mind he's going to pitch the first weekend."
While the three weekend starters on the pitching staff may have departed in the 2018 MLB Draft, the Rebels actually returned a number of valuable veterans that will be tasked with manning the bullpen in late-inning scenarios this year.
At the plate, sophomore Tim Elko has made a strong push for offseason MVP with an electric year in the Rebel lineup. After a tremendous Freshman All-American season by Tyler Keenan at the hot corner, Elko made a move to the outfield in the offseason. The sophomore from Lutz, Fla. was one of just three Rebels to eclipse the .400 mark over 15 fall scrimmages (Keenan, Carl Gindl), and again topped the stat sheet with a .387/.457/.677 clip in the winter. With that production at the plate, he was announced Tuesday as the starting right fielder for opening day.
Keenan was awarded the club's offseason home-run leader with nine long balls, eight of which came in the fall, but sluggers Thomas Dillard and Chase Cockrell didn't find the homers hard to come by, either. Cockrell led all Rebel hitters in the winter with 13 hits, seven of which went for extra bases, good for a .743 slugging percentage, bested only by Dillard's .750 mark.
"Both Cockrell and Elko have moved as corner infielders to the outfield," Bianco said. "And really, it's a move I think they wanted as much as we did. They wanted to get on the field. When you look at as talented of a team as we return, they knew that maybe the best opportunity was to move to the outfield. Both of them can play the infield and may play the infield at some point, maybe even as early as this weekend."
Rebel fans will be comforted by Cooper Johnson's strong performance at the plate over the offseason, which saw the Ole Miss catcher eclipse the .300 mark at the plate in both the fall and winter scrimmage seasons. Johnson, who is expected to begin the season as the primary catching option, hit for .313 in the fall and .345 in the winter.
"Cooper has played really well. We all know about his throwing prowess, but he has received well, he has blocked the ball well and he has swung it well. He had a really good fall and early spring. He has always brought a lot of energy, but we've seen even more leadership out of him, as we thought we would with him being in his third year."
Anthony Servideo and Jacob Adams, both middle infielders who each spent considerable time at second base in 2018, haven't made the 2019 choice particularly easy for Bianco with two solid offseason performances. Servideo grabbed the opening day second base spot, but both are expected to see sizeable innings recorded around the diamond this season, be it across the infield or even in the outfield.
Keenan, shortstop Grae Kessinger, and first baseman Cole Zabowski are all locks to reprise their roles across the infield this year. Zabowski, one of four Rebels selected to the preseason All-SEC team along with Cockrell, Keenan, and closer Parker Caracci, placed fourth amongst Rebel hitters with a .367 fall batting average.
With a talented veteran lineup, it has been a smooth spring for the Rebels—one thing Bianco doesn't take for granted.
"This year, when you go over things like bunt defenses and first-and-third offense and first-and-third defense and things of that nature, guys like Grae Kessinger and Thomas Dillard and Ryan Olenek, they've been through it so many times," Bianco said. "You don't take it for granted, but it's much easier. You love when you have older guys like that, great leadership. You have many coaches out on the field."
With the lineup on the field set, Ole Miss also knows it'll have plenty of support in the stands. The Rebels announced Tuesday that more fans than ever will fill Swayze Field to support the 2019 squad.
"I'm very privileged to announce today that 7,101 season tickets have been sold, which breaks 2017's record (6,275) by almost 900 tickets—not a reserved seat left in the stadium," Bianco said. "We're very fortunate—the players, the coaches—to be part of a university, an athletic department and a community that really cares about baseball."
All of these factors will culminate on the field at Oxford-University Stadium when the Rebels welcome a 2018 NCAA Tournament team in Wright State for a 4 p.m. CT first pitch Friday.
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/ BaseballSunday, June 14
Friday, June 12
Thursday, June 11
Tuesday, June 09