Baseball Takes on Xavier in Second Weekend of 2020 Season

			#15 OLE MISS (3-1, 0-0 SEC) vs. XAVIER (2-1, 0-0 BIG EAST) February 21-23 Oxford, Miss. Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field (11,477)
Ole Miss Notes • SEC Notes

Friday, Feb. 20 4 p.m.	Saturday, Feb. 21 1:30 p.m.	Sunday, Feb. 22 Noon
PROJECTED STARTERS Ole Miss: LHP Doug Nikhazy 0-1, 6.75 ERA, 5 K, 3 BB Xavier: RHP Lane Flamm 0-1, 3.00 ERA, 8 K, 2 BB	PROJECTED STARTERS Ole Miss: RHP Gunnar Hoglund 0-0, 5.06 ERA, 7 K, 1 BB Xavier: LHP Nick Zwack 1-0, 1.59, 9 K, 1 BB	PROJECTED STARTERS Ole Miss: RHP Derek Diamond 0-0, 4.76 ERA, 1 K, 1 BB Xavier: RHP Griffin Lanoue 0-0, 27.00 ERA, 3 K, 2 BB
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Games 5-7
Dates: February 21-23
First Pitch: 4 p.m. | 1:30 p.m. | Noon
Location: Oxford, Miss.
Venue: Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field
Dimensions: LF-330, CF-390, RF-330 (11,477)
TV: SEC Network+
Play by Play: Seth Austin
Analyst: Matt Mossberg
Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play by Play: David Kellum
Analyst: Brad Henderson
Series History: First Meeting
Ole Miss vs. Current Big East: 1-1 (vs. St. John's)

Leading Off
• Ole Miss enters the weekend at 3-1 after knocking off No. 1 Louisville in one of the most thrilling opening-weekend series in the nation. The Rebels avoided upset Wednesday, notching a 9-8 walk-off win in extras against Alcorn State.
• The Rebels rose to No. 15 in the Baseball America rankings this week after carrying a highest ranking of No. 18 (Perfect Game) into Week 1.
• Junior 1B/DH Cael Baker was named SEC Co-Player of the Week on Monday and earned Golden Spikes Award Performance of the Week on Tuesday after hitting .417 over the weekend with a double, two home runs and five RBI.
• Baker became the first Rebel since at least 1997 to have a multi-HR game within his first two games on campus and the first Rebel since Cody Overbeck (2008) to have a multi-HR outing within the first two games of a season.
• With the series win over Louisville, Ole Miss improved to 5-0 in the Bianco era in series against No. 1-ranked teams at Swayze Field (Florida, 2012 & 2015; South Carolina, 2011; Georgia, 2009).
• Ole Miss scored 7 of its 17 runs last weekend in the 7th inning thanks to a pair of key game-deciding rallies in the 7th inning of Game 2 and Game 3. The Rebels scored as many runs in the 7th as any other two innings combined.
• Ole Miss signed the No. 2 recruiting class in the country for 2019. The Rebels are the only team in the country to enroll four top-50 prospects in this class, led by the highest-rated incoming freshman in the nation, Jerrion Ealy.
• Ole Miss has two Preseason All-Americans going into the 2020 season. Doug Nikhazy landed on the Collegiate Baseball and NCBWA teams. Tyler Keenan was tabbed by D1 Baseball and Collegiate Baseball. Keenan is also the Rebels' lone preseason All-SEC selection, earning a spot on the second team for the second straight season.
• Ole Miss will play Xavier for the first time on Friday. The Rebels are 1-1 all-time vs. the Big East with both wins coming against St. John's in 2010.

Beating the Best

Ole Miss opened the 2020 season with a series win over No. 1 Lousiville, overcoming a 7-2 Friday night defeat with an 8-6 win on Saturday and 7-6 triumph on Sunday. The Rebels improved to 5-0 in series against top-ranked teams at Swayze Field in the Mike Bianco era, also having beaten Florida in 2012 and 2015, South Carolina in 2011 and Georgia in 2009.

Rising in the Rankings

The Rebels opened the season in the top 25 for the sixth straight year, and the win over No. 1 Louisville only created more believers. Ole Miss was ranked in four of the six major polls in the preseason, with a highest ranking of No. 18 by Perfect Game. After the Week 1 win over the top-ranked Cardinals, the Rebels now hold real estate in all six polls with a high of No. 15 by Baseball America, which left Ole Miss off its preseason top 25.

Bianco's 20th Season

As Ole Miss begins the 2020 season, Mike Bianco begins his 20th as the Rebel skipper. Bianco is the longest-tenured head coach in the SEC among the big three men's sports: baseball, football and men's basketball. Over 19 seasons in Oxford, Bianco's record stands at 754-440-1, making him the third all-time winningest coach in SEC history and the winningest in the history of Rebel baseball. His 19-year tenure has included 310 wins in SEC play, 16 NCAA Tournament berths, seven SEC titles, six NCAA Regional titles and has produced 17 All-Americans, 62 All-SEC selections and 114 MLB Draft selections.

Incoming!

Most of the nation's No. 1 class from 2016 has made its way through the Ole Miss baseball program and on to the professional ranks, but Bianco's Rebels have reloaded with 2019's No. 2 class according to Baseball America. The class includes four incoming freshmen—Derek Diamond, Hayden Dunhurst, Jerrion Ealy and Trey LaFleur—who were selected in the 2019 MLB Draft. Ealy comes to Oxford as the highest-rated prospect (12th) in the 2019 Perfect Game high school rankings to choose college over the MLB Draft. Ole Miss is the only program in the country to enroll four top-50 prospects for the 2019 class in both the Perfect Game and Baseball America rankings: Ealy, Connor Walsh, Derek Diamond and Hayden Dunhurst. There are a total of 20 newcomers on the Rebel roster, including six junior college transfers. That list includes the NJCAA Player of the Year Cael Baker, NJCAA Second Team All-American Ben Van Cleve and NJCAA All-Region outfielder Hayden Leatherwood.

Tough Slate

The tough schedule for Ole Miss won't end after taking on the nation's top team on opening weekend. This season, the Rebels will play 29 games against teams ranked in the preseason top 25, 15 of which will be played at Swayze Field. Nine SEC teams are ranked going into the season, and all eight of the other ranked teams appear on Ole Miss' schedule.

Preseason Honors

Ole Miss has two Preseason All-Americans going into the 2020 season. Tyler Keenan was named a Preseason All-American by D1 Baseball (3rd Team) and Collegiate Baseball (3rd Team). Doug Nikhazy landed on the Collegiate Baseball (2nd Team) and NCBWA (3rd Team) lists. Meanwhile, Austin Miller was named to the Preseason Watch List for the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Award, given annually to college baseball's top reliever.

SEC Forecast

Tyler Keenan was the lone Rebel named to the Preseason All-SEC teams, landing on the second team for the second straight season. Ole Miss has had at least one Preseason All-SEC selection in each of the last five seasons. Ole Miss was picked to finish sixth in the SEC West by the league coaches. The Rebels were picked to finish second in the West last season, third in 2018, third in 2017, fifth in 2016 and sixth in 2015 and 2014.

All-Time Hits Leader Henderson Joins Kellum in Booth

David Kellum enters his 42nd season in the Ole Miss radio booth, keeping him in a tie for second on the list of longest-tenured play-by-play announcers in college baseball. Only Louisiana Tech's Dave Nitz (45 years) has been on the call longer. This season, DK will be joined in the booth by Brad Henderson. Henderson is Ole Miss' all-time leader in hits, doubles, total bases and runs scored. He takes the place of Keith Kessinger, who is stepping away from the radio booth to watch his son, Chase, a sophomore right-handed pitcher at Northeast Mississippi CC. Kessinger will be an analyst for select Ole Miss games early this season on SEC Network+.

Servideo Walks it Off

Ole Miss faced a mighty challenge from underdog Alcorn State in the midweek after the Braves jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first inning. The Rebels chipped their way back and claimed the lead, but the scrappy Braves kept battling ultimately tying the game at eight to force extra innings. However, in the bottom of the 10th, the top of the Rebel lineup took to the plate, and it didn't take long for the lead red and blue bats to end it. Servideo took the third pitch he saw in the inning and lofted it high over the right field wall for the walk-off home run, his second of homer of the season. It was the first walk-off win for Ole Miss since April 27, 2019, against Texas A&M and the first walk-off homer since March 2, 2019, against Long Beach State—both coming off the bat of Thomas Dillard. It was also the Rebels' first extra-inning affair since their wild 19-15 series-clinching win at LSU on May 5, 2019.

Lucky 7th

Both of Ole Miss' game-winning rallies over the weekend came in the seventh inning. The Rebels scored three in the seventh on Saturday when Cael Baker broke a 5-5 tie with a two-run home run of Ole Miss 8-6 win. On Sunday, the rally started when Peyton Chatagnier was hit by a pitch, and it was sparked by a pinch-hit double off the bat of Ben Van Cleve. An Anthony Servideo walk loaded the bases, and Justin Bench drew an HBP after a gritty at-bat to notch the first run of the frame. Tyler Keenan and Cael Baker then came through with back-to-back RBI singles to make it a four-run outburst, turning a 4-3 deficit into a 7-4 lead, just enough to ensure a 7-6 Rebel victory. Ole Miss scored seven of its 17 runs on the weekend in the seventh inning, as many as any two other innings combined.

Year 2 for 2 Aces

Last season, Ole Miss didn't return any weekend starters. This season, the Rebels return two as Doug Nikhazy and Gunnar Hoglund are back after combining for 37 appearances, 30 starts and 157.2 innings pitched a season ago. Hoglund opened the 2019 season as the Sunday starter, and he held that role all the way through the Fayetteville Super Regional. Nikhazy began the season in the bullpen but pitched his way to a starting role, beginning with midweek starts against ECU and Louisville before claiming the Saturday starter role during the second week of SEC play. He went on to earn First Team Freshman All-America honors. Nikhazy will run out on Friday nights with Hoglund getting the ball on Saturdays.

Diamonds are for Sunday

For the second straight season, Ole Miss started a true freshman on Sunday of opening weekend. Last season it was Gunnar Hoglund, this season it's Derek Diamond. Both Hoglund and Diamond were taken in the MLB Draft but decided instead to come to Oxford. Diamond was strong in his collegiate debut, going toe-to-toe with Louisville senior Luke Smith, earning a no-decision in Sunday's win after allowing tossing 5.2 innings with just three earned runs allowed.

Veteran Bullpen

Ole Miss returns several key veterans on its pitching staff for the 2020 season, led by Stopper of the Year Award Watch Lister Austin Miller. The senior out of North Liberty, Iowa, starts the season at No. 32 on the D1Baseball relief pitcher power rankings after breaking a program record with 32 appearances last season. He's joined by senior Taylor Broadway (23 K, 3 BB in 15 APP) in 2019, Max Cioffi (38 K, 9 BB in 16 APP) and Greer Holston, who has made 42 career appearances, including closing out Ole Miss' 2018 SEC Tournament Championship victory against LSU.

Myers out for Season

Ole Miss thought it would have one more key veteran arm on the staff this season in Tyler Myers, but the senior out of Houston, Texas, sustained a UCL injury in the spring and will miss the 2020 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery. Myers was 2-0 last season with a 4.97 ERA with 34 strikeouts and just nine walks in 38.0 innings. The Paris JC transfer made the third-most relief appearances on the team last season and the second-most among returning players.

Young Guns

The Rebel bullpen veterans will be joined by a strong cast of newcomers. Ole Miss brought in one junior college transfer, sophomore Braden Forsyth. Forsyth was one of several impressive new arms on the Rebel staff during fall and spring practices. Wes Burton missed much of the but came on incredibly strong late in the spring to earn consideration for a major bullpen role. Left-handers Benji Gilbert and Jackson Kimbrell could each be key bullpen pieces, as well as highly touted right-hander Drew McDaniel.

Pitchers to the Pros

Ole Miss must replace four MLB Draft picks on its pitching staff. Will Ethridge was taken in the fifth round by the Colorado Rockies after filling the Friday night starter role for the Rebels last year, finishing with a 7-7 record and 3.39 ERA over a team-high 93.0 innings pitched. Parker Caracci, a 2018 All-American, was taken in the 21st Round by the Toronto Blue Jays after climbing to fifth on the Rebels' career saves chart in less than two full seasons as the team's closer. Zack Phillips opened the 2019 season as the Saturday starter before being usurped by Doug Nikhazy. He totaled 13 starts and 19 appearances, finishing with a 4.99 ERA before being drafted in the 27th Round by the Kansas City Royals. Houston Roth overcame an early-season injury in 2019 to finish strong, posting a 3.67 ERA over 21 appearances. The Baltimore Orioles took the Oxford native in the 29th Round. In total, Ole Miss must replace 290.2 innings pitched.

Cael Yeah Damn Right

Cael Baker wasted little time making his name known among Rebel fans. The 2019 NJCAA Player of the Year and triple crown winner added to his list of accolades, earning SEC Co-Player of the Week and Golden Spikes Award Performance of the Week honors after going 5-for-12 (.417) over the weekend with a double, two home runs, five RBI and an even 1.000 slugging percentage to lead Ole Miss to a series win over No. 1 Louisville. He became the first Rebel since Cody Overbeck in 2008 to have a multi-homer outing within the first two games of the season. He's also the only player since at least 1997 to have a multi-homer game within his first two games of wearing a Rebel uniform.

Servideo Starts Hot

Just as the Rebel coaching staff hoped, Anthony Servideo was the primary catalyst for Ole Miss at the top of the lineup. The junior shortstop showed why he's one of the best leadoff hitters in college baseball, setting the tone for Ole Miss with a .643 on-base percentage and .500 batting average over opening weekend. Servideo did a little bit of everything—he notched five hits, including a double and a home run, scored three runs, drove in another three, walked three times and stole one base, all while flashing his outstanding defensive talents.

Big Spikes to Fill

With Grae Kessinger, Ryan Olenek, Cole Zabowski, Thomas Dillard, Cooper Johnson, Jacob Adams and others all gone from the Ole Miss offense, the newcomers on the 2020 squad will have some big shoes to fill. The Rebels must replace 67.6% of their at-bats, 68.2% of their runs scored, 69.6% of their hits, 74.5% of their doubles, 59.5% of their home runs, 64.7% of their RBI and 71.0% of their stolen bases. The departed Rebels combined to hit .290, including four players who hit over .300.

Junior Duo

While the Rebels will have several slots to fill, the left side of the infield is set. Preseason All-American Tyler Keenan will start at third base for the third straight year. The junior out of Clayton, North Carolina, finished second at the 2019 College Home Run Derby and hit .285 a year ago with 15 home runs and 66 RBI. Anthony Servideo has dyed his hair blonde to carry on the Ole Miss shortstop tradition, passed down by Grae Kessinger and originated and popularized by the likes of Matt Tolbert and Zack Cozart. Servideo was a Freshman All-SEC second baseman in 2018 and spent time most of his time in right field in 2019. The junior out of Jupiter, Florida, hit .287 with 10 doubles and was 24-for-26 stealing bases.

JUCO Trio

Three outstanding junior college bats have stepped in to replace some of that departed firepower. Cael Baker (Wabash Valley Coll.) comes to Ole Miss as the NJCAA Player of the Year and junior college triple crown winner. Ben Van Cleve (Northwest Miss. CC) was a Second Team NJCAA All-American, while Hayden Leatherwood (Northwest Miss. CC) was All-MACJC and All-Region 23.

Dual-Sport Stars

John Rhys Plumlee and Jerrion Ealy have already made their names known in college athletics after outstanding freshman seasons on the football field. Plumlee won the starting quarterback job for and set Ole Miss single-season marks for rushing yards by a quarterback, rushing yards by a freshman and rushing TD by a freshman. He led the SEC in rushing yards per game and was named a Freshman All-American. Plumlee also brings an excellent baseball pedigree. He was named All-State by the Clarion Ledger and All-Southeast Region Second Team by Perfect Game in 2019 and was the No. 11 baseball prospect in the state of Mississippi. Ealy, meanwhile, is the highest ranked prospect (12th) in the 2019 Perfect Game rankings to make it to campus. The Walnut Grove, Mississippi, native was drafted in the 31st Round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. Ealy was is also one of only four players to earn Under Armour All-American honors in both baseball and football. The others are Rebel great and current Tennessee Titans receiver A.J. Brown, Heisman Trophy winner Kyler Murray and LSU two-sport freshman Maurice Hampton. Ealy was excellent on the football field this year, earning Freshman All-America honors after leading the SEC in kick return average and finishing second in the conference in all-purpose yardage.

Catcher U

Projected to start on opening day behind the dish, Hayden Dunhurst is poised to be the next in a great line of catchers under Mike Bianco and Co. The rookie out of Carriere, Mississippi, is one of just three freshmen to start at catcher on opening day in the Mike Bianco era alongside Taylor Hightower and Dunhurst's predecessor, Cooper Johnson. Over the past five seasons, has allowed the third-fewest stolen bases in the SEC while catching the sixth-most would-be base stealers in the league. Dunhurst will be tasked with replacing one of the best defensive catchers in the nation from a year ago. Johnson finished second in the SEC defending against the steal. Ole Miss allowed just a 61.1 percent stolen base success rate. Dunhurst spurned MLB Draft overtures to come to Oxford. Perfect Game rated him the No. 1 catcher and No. 44 overall prosepct in the nation. He was a Perfect Game All-American and Prep Baseball Report's Mississippi Player of the Year.

SEC Speed

Ole Miss boasts a wealth of team speed this season. Anthony Servideo returns after swiping 24 bags in 26 attempts a year ago. This fall, three Rebels freshmen a 60-yard dash in the 6.5-range or better. Cade Sammons clocked in at 6.56 seconds, Trey LaFleur at 6.53 seconds and Connor Walsh at a program-record 6.28 seconds. They were joined in the spring by two of the fastest players in college football in John Rhys Plumlee and Jerrion Ealy. The duo combined for 1,745 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns as freshmen and finished one-two on Ole Miss' single-season freshman rushing charts.

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Players Mentioned

Jacob Adams

Cael Baker

Justin Bench

Taylor Broadway

Wes Burton

Parker Caracci

Peyton Chatagnier

Max Cioffi

Derek Diamond

Thomas Dillard

Hayden Dunhurst

Jerrion Ealy

Will Ethridge

Braden Forsyth

Benji Gilbert

Gunnar Hoglund

Greer Holston

Cooper Johnson

Tyler Keenan

Grae Kessinger

Jackson Kimbrell

Trey LaFleur

Hayden Leatherwood

Drew McDaniel

Austin Miller

Tyler Myers

Doug Nikhazy

Ryan Olenek

Zack Phillips

John Rhys Plumlee

Houston Roth

Cade Sammons

Anthony Servideo

Ben Van Cleve

Connor Walsh

Cole Zabowski

The University of Mississippi Athletics