The University of Mississippi Athletics
Mike Bianco Baseball Media Day Press Conference
1/27/2023 | Baseball
National Champions Open Spring Practice With Annual Media Day Press Conference
OXFORD, Miss. โ Ole Miss Baseball head coach Mike Bianco met with the media Fridayย to preview the 2032 Ole Miss baseball season. The Rebels will host two intrasquad scrimmages this weekend. Ole Miss opens the season Feb. 17-19 against Delaware at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field.
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Opening Statementโฆ
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"Probably the most asked question since last June 26 especially getting past the summer has been 'How do you put the championship behind you?' You know the truth of the matter is it hasn't been that difficult and it has been pretty easy when you walk into the first team meeting and you have 40 players and 20 of them weren't here last year. It is a quick reminder of how college athletics work. You know there is not free agency contrary to popular belief with the portal and all of that. There is a lot of attrition. Guys graduate, they get drafted, guys move on and new recruits come in. When I look back at this past fall one of the things we talked about as a staff early on before the players showed up is how do we use this? How do we use this championship to better the program now that it has happened and how do we guard against it being one of those things when you look back and make things difficult?
ย
"I think it is a juggle but when I look back at the fall I think baseball is pretty normal. If you came out in the fall to watch the intrasquads it seemed to at least us that it was pretty normal. It is about the same now, maybe a couple more fans in the stand for intrasquads and bunt defenses were the same, the pickoffs were the same. Probably the difference you can imagine is outside when you got off the field and that was the juggle. I appreciate Keith Carter our athletic director, Kyle Campbell my sports administrator. It was a big juggle in the fall to give the championship its right due. One of the things I realized, and I think I always realized but didn't particularly realize it until you win it, is how quickly it all ends in baseball. Our season ends when school is out so as soon as you get back usually it's a loss right. Your season ends with a loss somewhere and you get back, you try to hold the players for 36 hours and have exit meetings, and then they are gone. They get ready for the draft, or they are going home for a couple weeks to get back before summer school or they are going to summer baseball. When you win a championship, we were fortunate enough to throw together the parade and the celebration afterward but then boom its over then guys go their separate ways. We wanted to make sure this fall we were able to juggle, juggle the new team and also juggle some of the ceremonies, some of the celebrations that take place to again give it it's right due. I think we did a great job with that, and the administration did a great job. So, it was a busier fall off the field a lot more speaking engagements and even leading up to the season but a good busy. I think we all take that busyness for granted every single year. But I think I speak for the coaches and for the players when I say that we have been waiting for today. We have been waiting for the start of spring practice, the start to really officially flip that page and we are three weeks from opening day so we can just talk about 2023 and move forward."
ย
On the new look Rebelsโฆ
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"With that you know I will talk about the players here in a second but one of the things that I think when I think of this 2023 version of Ole Miss baseball is that it is a great mix, a little different mix than last year. Last year we were an older team as many of you know but this team is a great mix. Contrary to popular belief I don't think we are super young, we lost some really great players but we also returned some really great players. I think it is a great mix of returners, transfers, and first year guys, freshman. One of the things I had Chris Goudoras our director of analytics look up. I said 'You know we talk about we returned five of the starting nine and we returned these pitchers but what does that look like statistically?' It is exactly 50 percent of the College World Series innings that were thrown guys returned. So our returning pitchers threw half the innings in the College World Series last year. 53 percent of the at bats from the College World Series returned. So not a super old team but certainly not a team that the postseason is foreign to them. Guys who have been in Omaha, guys that have been in the postseason, and guys that have had success."
ย
On the returning position playersโฆ
ย
"We start intrasquads today and we will intrasquad for the next three weeks and this is where we start to figure out the starting lineup. This is where we try to figure out the starting rotation. For Parrish and Chase and guys that have been here for so long and have covered us for so long, we used to have this media day the week leading up to the season but things change and the way you cover sports change. To me it got to the point where they already know what the rotation is, they already know who the starters are when we're four days from opening day and so I thought it wasn't the right time to have this meeting I thought it was better to have it know to give you as much information so you can write your stories over the next three weeks about the team.
ย
"With that as you know Jacob Gonzalez, preseason All-American one of the most highly ranked players in the country returns at shortstop and he had a good fall up until he got injured as many of you know he injured his knee, his PCL with a sprain and missed the rest of the fall but was full speed before Christmas time so there are no worries about that, there's no limitations as to what he can do on the field. Can he run? Can he go full speed? He is a full go. Of course Kemp Alderman returns. Kemp will do kind of double duty for us. He has caught a lot this fall of course behind the plate to back up Calvin Harris but certainly will play corner outfield either left or right field and one of those presences in the middle of the lineup that we are excited to watch Kemp grow as a player, as a hitter, it is really cool. It is why you get into sport and coach for to watch guys that are super talented guys that continue to get better and better every year.
Peyton Chatagnier returns in his fourth year as one of the team leaders a guy that has played terrific for us, especially down the stretch last year in post season. Maybe one of the unsung heroes of the post season especially early on. He played great in Miami to get us through that regional and again another great leader for us.
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"TJ McCants who returns, played center field may play some right field as well. One of those ultra-talented guys that can do a lot of things. He can play infield; he can play outfield. He has put on significant weight that I think he looks different in a uniform, and it is good weight. A guy that is about 200 pounds now but still runs very well, our best base stealer. But a guy who is ready to have one of those years that I think we kind of have been waiting for TJ to have. He had a terrific year as a freshman and a lot of expectations, and it happens a lot of times your sophomore year where he didn't reach some of those expectations statistically. But I think when we look at it TJ is one of those main stays in the lineup and who is going to help us out a lot.
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"Calvin Harris, a lot of people didn't notice Calvin until the College World Series last year and he had a terrific series in Omaha. A kid that grew up in Iowa so what a neat thing to do it so close and have so many parents, friends, and family there. But the good news for Calvin is that he moves back behind the plate to his natural position. Truth be known we had a great catcher as you know in Hayden Dunhurst and if we didn't have Hayden, Calvin would have started at least last year. A guy who is one of the most highly ranked catchers in the country. Garrett Wood returns and got elected as team captain by his teammates. A guy that gives us a lot of depth and versatility in the infield. He can play any four of the positions including first base which he will do so I think throughout the year and jump from third base to second base. I think relieve Gonzo a little but at shortstop at times and play some first base for us. And then one of the last returning plates as you know, Reagan Burford. Who got a lot of at-bats early in the season until we settled on a lineup. For a sophomore he got a lot of at bats on that national championship teams."
ย
On the new position playersโฆ
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"But with that the other side the new guys they have come to add some depth to the position player group. Everybody talks about the portal, the transfers, but we got three transfers that I think will impact our program this year.
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"Ethan Groff is from Tulane University, he is a kid that I think is kind of what the portal us all about. He was a kid who was having a great year at Tulane, got injured, probably would have got drafted last year very high and left. But because of an injury, did not get drafted and gives us some depth in the outfield. A guy that can certainly play center field. We feel he is a top of the lineup bat. He will bring some speed to the bases that is needed and so he is a good addition by our staff. Ethan Lege is a transfer from Delgado Community College via Nicholls State. He played at Nicholls State then transferred to Delgado and is now here. Infielder, mostly played third base in the fall but I think could short could play second base but I think is ready to play immediately.
"Anthony Calarco is a transfer from Northwestern in Chicago. He was an all-Big 10 player, double digit home runs, good batting average from the left-handed side. He is certainly going to give us another good edition in the middle of the lineup. Some freshmen that I think you will see and certainly impact this team. Will Furniss at first base. Will is a highly touted freshman infielder, big left-handed bat. Many of you know his father held a record for almost 20 years with most hits in the Southeastern Conference. Great hitter in his own right in the mid-90's. Someone that I was fortunate enough to coach. Will is a lot like him, he has got that kind of power and that kind of ability with the bat. Mason Morris from Tupelo High School, local product that I think you will see as a position player and as a pitcher on our staff. And Judd Utermark from North Carolina, Judd is coming of a surgery of his non-throwing shoulder so he missed most of the fall but a highly touted freshman himself and should see the field this spring."
ย
On the returning pitchersโฆ
ย
"On the pitching side we talked about returners, we talked about 50 percent of the innings in the World Series and none bigger than the innings pitched by Jack Dougherty. Big right hander, Jack last year started and relieved and did that in post season as well. A guy that I think can do both don't be surprised especially with the injury to Josh Mallitz that you don't see him in the bullpen. I don't want to box ourselves in and say that he is certainly going to start there but a guy we feel comfortable with out of the bullpen he feels comfortable, and we know he can start as well. That is part of what we need to figure out of the next three weeks is the rotation and who is going to the bullpen. He is one of the guys who is kind of a wild card for us and would be great as starter and great out of the bullpen.
ย
"Hunter Elliott, what a tremendous freshman year, preseason All-American from down the street in Tupelo again. Just a guy that when you look back at last year there are so many bright moments and so many great things that happened to us. And some of the guys had terrific years but as good as a freshman year on the mound as we have had in quite some time and that is including some good freshman even recently. And a guy who pitched in post season and pitched a tough spot, he pitched on day two where if you look at our post season run last year that was the tough day to pitch. That was the second day in a regional against a host national seed, Miami, against their ace to match up in a Super Regional against Southern Miss' ace, pitched a couple times in Omaha and pitched in the championship game that we clinched.
Also, Mason Nichols, a Team USA guy along with Hunter Elliott, another great freshman for us last year down the road. Mitch Murrell and Jackson Kimbrell two older guys in the program that have seen a little action, but both had really good falls and guys that we think are ready to take that next step and guys that I think we will count on out of the bullpen. And then Brayden Jones from Madison-Ridgeland down in the Jackson area that we think is ready to take the next step and help us on the mound."
ย
On the new pitchersโฆ
ย
"The new guys, a couple transfers, Xavier Rivas from the University of Indianapolis, division two, a left-handed guy so obviously that is welcomed, he was very dominant this fall and certainly showed he is one of those candidates to be a weekend starter for us. Also, another transfer Tommy Henninger from junior college that I think will start off in the bullpen. Tommy has a little different arm slot right hander that I think is a little different look for the hitters and someone that could help us and freshman. I think the freshman class that Carl Lafferty our recruiting coordinator and Mike Clement brought in was ranked number 2 in the country this past fall led by an outstanding freshman from Collierville High School, Grayson Saunier. Grayson probably had as good a Fall as any freshman I remember that stepped on the field and not just statistically but stuff wise and sometimes in the Fall and in the intrasquads you have to weigh that. You know the stats don't necessarily match up to the ability or the raw talent that you see. It certainly did with him and he had a terrific Fall and a guy we think has put himself in a position to be a possible weekend starter as a true freshman.
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"JT Quinn another super talented kid from Tampa, Florida. He is a big 6'6"-6'7" right hander that will run the ball up in the mid to upper 90's. He has a shot as both a starter and a reliever, we will have to see where that fits. Sam Tookoian, Sam is another big physical right hander from California that I think again like JT we will have to see where he fits on this staff. But I think certainly he is going log innings as a freshman either out of the bullpen or as a starter.
And then Cole Ketchum, a Mississippi product. A guy that throws three pitches in the strike zone and I think is another freshman that has a bright future."
ย
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Baseball on Twitter atย @OleMissBSB, on Facebook atย Facebook.com/OleMissBaseball, and on Instagram atย Instagram.com/officialolemissbsb. Also, follow head coachย Mike Biancoย on Twitter atย @CoachMikeBianco.
ย
Opening Statementโฆ
ย
"Probably the most asked question since last June 26 especially getting past the summer has been 'How do you put the championship behind you?' You know the truth of the matter is it hasn't been that difficult and it has been pretty easy when you walk into the first team meeting and you have 40 players and 20 of them weren't here last year. It is a quick reminder of how college athletics work. You know there is not free agency contrary to popular belief with the portal and all of that. There is a lot of attrition. Guys graduate, they get drafted, guys move on and new recruits come in. When I look back at this past fall one of the things we talked about as a staff early on before the players showed up is how do we use this? How do we use this championship to better the program now that it has happened and how do we guard against it being one of those things when you look back and make things difficult?
ย
"I think it is a juggle but when I look back at the fall I think baseball is pretty normal. If you came out in the fall to watch the intrasquads it seemed to at least us that it was pretty normal. It is about the same now, maybe a couple more fans in the stand for intrasquads and bunt defenses were the same, the pickoffs were the same. Probably the difference you can imagine is outside when you got off the field and that was the juggle. I appreciate Keith Carter our athletic director, Kyle Campbell my sports administrator. It was a big juggle in the fall to give the championship its right due. One of the things I realized, and I think I always realized but didn't particularly realize it until you win it, is how quickly it all ends in baseball. Our season ends when school is out so as soon as you get back usually it's a loss right. Your season ends with a loss somewhere and you get back, you try to hold the players for 36 hours and have exit meetings, and then they are gone. They get ready for the draft, or they are going home for a couple weeks to get back before summer school or they are going to summer baseball. When you win a championship, we were fortunate enough to throw together the parade and the celebration afterward but then boom its over then guys go their separate ways. We wanted to make sure this fall we were able to juggle, juggle the new team and also juggle some of the ceremonies, some of the celebrations that take place to again give it it's right due. I think we did a great job with that, and the administration did a great job. So, it was a busier fall off the field a lot more speaking engagements and even leading up to the season but a good busy. I think we all take that busyness for granted every single year. But I think I speak for the coaches and for the players when I say that we have been waiting for today. We have been waiting for the start of spring practice, the start to really officially flip that page and we are three weeks from opening day so we can just talk about 2023 and move forward."
ย
On the new look Rebelsโฆ
ย
"With that you know I will talk about the players here in a second but one of the things that I think when I think of this 2023 version of Ole Miss baseball is that it is a great mix, a little different mix than last year. Last year we were an older team as many of you know but this team is a great mix. Contrary to popular belief I don't think we are super young, we lost some really great players but we also returned some really great players. I think it is a great mix of returners, transfers, and first year guys, freshman. One of the things I had Chris Goudoras our director of analytics look up. I said 'You know we talk about we returned five of the starting nine and we returned these pitchers but what does that look like statistically?' It is exactly 50 percent of the College World Series innings that were thrown guys returned. So our returning pitchers threw half the innings in the College World Series last year. 53 percent of the at bats from the College World Series returned. So not a super old team but certainly not a team that the postseason is foreign to them. Guys who have been in Omaha, guys that have been in the postseason, and guys that have had success."
ย
On the returning position playersโฆ
ย
"We start intrasquads today and we will intrasquad for the next three weeks and this is where we start to figure out the starting lineup. This is where we try to figure out the starting rotation. For Parrish and Chase and guys that have been here for so long and have covered us for so long, we used to have this media day the week leading up to the season but things change and the way you cover sports change. To me it got to the point where they already know what the rotation is, they already know who the starters are when we're four days from opening day and so I thought it wasn't the right time to have this meeting I thought it was better to have it know to give you as much information so you can write your stories over the next three weeks about the team.
ย
"With that as you know Jacob Gonzalez, preseason All-American one of the most highly ranked players in the country returns at shortstop and he had a good fall up until he got injured as many of you know he injured his knee, his PCL with a sprain and missed the rest of the fall but was full speed before Christmas time so there are no worries about that, there's no limitations as to what he can do on the field. Can he run? Can he go full speed? He is a full go. Of course Kemp Alderman returns. Kemp will do kind of double duty for us. He has caught a lot this fall of course behind the plate to back up Calvin Harris but certainly will play corner outfield either left or right field and one of those presences in the middle of the lineup that we are excited to watch Kemp grow as a player, as a hitter, it is really cool. It is why you get into sport and coach for to watch guys that are super talented guys that continue to get better and better every year.
Peyton Chatagnier returns in his fourth year as one of the team leaders a guy that has played terrific for us, especially down the stretch last year in post season. Maybe one of the unsung heroes of the post season especially early on. He played great in Miami to get us through that regional and again another great leader for us.
ย
"TJ McCants who returns, played center field may play some right field as well. One of those ultra-talented guys that can do a lot of things. He can play infield; he can play outfield. He has put on significant weight that I think he looks different in a uniform, and it is good weight. A guy that is about 200 pounds now but still runs very well, our best base stealer. But a guy who is ready to have one of those years that I think we kind of have been waiting for TJ to have. He had a terrific year as a freshman and a lot of expectations, and it happens a lot of times your sophomore year where he didn't reach some of those expectations statistically. But I think when we look at it TJ is one of those main stays in the lineup and who is going to help us out a lot.
ย
"Calvin Harris, a lot of people didn't notice Calvin until the College World Series last year and he had a terrific series in Omaha. A kid that grew up in Iowa so what a neat thing to do it so close and have so many parents, friends, and family there. But the good news for Calvin is that he moves back behind the plate to his natural position. Truth be known we had a great catcher as you know in Hayden Dunhurst and if we didn't have Hayden, Calvin would have started at least last year. A guy who is one of the most highly ranked catchers in the country. Garrett Wood returns and got elected as team captain by his teammates. A guy that gives us a lot of depth and versatility in the infield. He can play any four of the positions including first base which he will do so I think throughout the year and jump from third base to second base. I think relieve Gonzo a little but at shortstop at times and play some first base for us. And then one of the last returning plates as you know, Reagan Burford. Who got a lot of at-bats early in the season until we settled on a lineup. For a sophomore he got a lot of at bats on that national championship teams."
ย
On the new position playersโฆ
ย
"But with that the other side the new guys they have come to add some depth to the position player group. Everybody talks about the portal, the transfers, but we got three transfers that I think will impact our program this year.
ย
"Ethan Groff is from Tulane University, he is a kid that I think is kind of what the portal us all about. He was a kid who was having a great year at Tulane, got injured, probably would have got drafted last year very high and left. But because of an injury, did not get drafted and gives us some depth in the outfield. A guy that can certainly play center field. We feel he is a top of the lineup bat. He will bring some speed to the bases that is needed and so he is a good addition by our staff. Ethan Lege is a transfer from Delgado Community College via Nicholls State. He played at Nicholls State then transferred to Delgado and is now here. Infielder, mostly played third base in the fall but I think could short could play second base but I think is ready to play immediately.
"Anthony Calarco is a transfer from Northwestern in Chicago. He was an all-Big 10 player, double digit home runs, good batting average from the left-handed side. He is certainly going to give us another good edition in the middle of the lineup. Some freshmen that I think you will see and certainly impact this team. Will Furniss at first base. Will is a highly touted freshman infielder, big left-handed bat. Many of you know his father held a record for almost 20 years with most hits in the Southeastern Conference. Great hitter in his own right in the mid-90's. Someone that I was fortunate enough to coach. Will is a lot like him, he has got that kind of power and that kind of ability with the bat. Mason Morris from Tupelo High School, local product that I think you will see as a position player and as a pitcher on our staff. And Judd Utermark from North Carolina, Judd is coming of a surgery of his non-throwing shoulder so he missed most of the fall but a highly touted freshman himself and should see the field this spring."
ย
On the returning pitchersโฆ
ย
"On the pitching side we talked about returners, we talked about 50 percent of the innings in the World Series and none bigger than the innings pitched by Jack Dougherty. Big right hander, Jack last year started and relieved and did that in post season as well. A guy that I think can do both don't be surprised especially with the injury to Josh Mallitz that you don't see him in the bullpen. I don't want to box ourselves in and say that he is certainly going to start there but a guy we feel comfortable with out of the bullpen he feels comfortable, and we know he can start as well. That is part of what we need to figure out of the next three weeks is the rotation and who is going to the bullpen. He is one of the guys who is kind of a wild card for us and would be great as starter and great out of the bullpen.
ย
"Hunter Elliott, what a tremendous freshman year, preseason All-American from down the street in Tupelo again. Just a guy that when you look back at last year there are so many bright moments and so many great things that happened to us. And some of the guys had terrific years but as good as a freshman year on the mound as we have had in quite some time and that is including some good freshman even recently. And a guy who pitched in post season and pitched a tough spot, he pitched on day two where if you look at our post season run last year that was the tough day to pitch. That was the second day in a regional against a host national seed, Miami, against their ace to match up in a Super Regional against Southern Miss' ace, pitched a couple times in Omaha and pitched in the championship game that we clinched.
Also, Mason Nichols, a Team USA guy along with Hunter Elliott, another great freshman for us last year down the road. Mitch Murrell and Jackson Kimbrell two older guys in the program that have seen a little action, but both had really good falls and guys that we think are ready to take that next step and guys that I think we will count on out of the bullpen. And then Brayden Jones from Madison-Ridgeland down in the Jackson area that we think is ready to take the next step and help us on the mound."
ย
On the new pitchersโฆ
ย
"The new guys, a couple transfers, Xavier Rivas from the University of Indianapolis, division two, a left-handed guy so obviously that is welcomed, he was very dominant this fall and certainly showed he is one of those candidates to be a weekend starter for us. Also, another transfer Tommy Henninger from junior college that I think will start off in the bullpen. Tommy has a little different arm slot right hander that I think is a little different look for the hitters and someone that could help us and freshman. I think the freshman class that Carl Lafferty our recruiting coordinator and Mike Clement brought in was ranked number 2 in the country this past fall led by an outstanding freshman from Collierville High School, Grayson Saunier. Grayson probably had as good a Fall as any freshman I remember that stepped on the field and not just statistically but stuff wise and sometimes in the Fall and in the intrasquads you have to weigh that. You know the stats don't necessarily match up to the ability or the raw talent that you see. It certainly did with him and he had a terrific Fall and a guy we think has put himself in a position to be a possible weekend starter as a true freshman.
ย
"JT Quinn another super talented kid from Tampa, Florida. He is a big 6'6"-6'7" right hander that will run the ball up in the mid to upper 90's. He has a shot as both a starter and a reliever, we will have to see where that fits. Sam Tookoian, Sam is another big physical right hander from California that I think again like JT we will have to see where he fits on this staff. But I think certainly he is going log innings as a freshman either out of the bullpen or as a starter.
And then Cole Ketchum, a Mississippi product. A guy that throws three pitches in the strike zone and I think is another freshman that has a bright future."
ย
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss Baseball on Twitter atย @OleMissBSB, on Facebook atย Facebook.com/OleMissBaseball, and on Instagram atย Instagram.com/officialolemissbsb. Also, follow head coachย Mike Biancoย on Twitter atย @CoachMikeBianco.
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