The Ole Miss Rebels 2022 baseball season was something of a dream.
With so many other powerhouses on the rise, Ole Miss winning the NCAA National Championship seemed like an impossible task.
Yet, they didn’t back down. It was an amazing year by head coach Mike Bianco’s guys, and what better way to relive it than with a documentary in its honor
“Belief: The Season – Ole Miss Baseball” is a beautifully shot documentary that fully encapsulates the wonder that was the Rebels championship season.
The film, produced by Ole Miss Sports Productions, provides a first-person perspective into the minds of the players and coaches throughout the season, from preseason practices to the end of their postseason journey in Omaha.
Through a well-edited combination of memorable interviews and behind-the-scenes footage, “Belief…” demonstrates just how steep the climb was for the struggling Rebels, both on the field and in the dugout.
Throughout its 103 minute run time, directors Merrick McCool and Scott Wyant capture the true determination of Bianco. Despite his job constantly being in jeopardy, he kept his spirits high, continuing to tell his players to fight for what they so desperately wanted.
“Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were better,” Bianco says during a pivotal team meeting. “Don’t wish it was easier, wish you were tougher.”
“Belief…” is filmed to make the audience feel as if they are directly with the team: in the locker room, in the dugout, on the field and beyond.
Narrator David Delluci does a fantastic job of keeping the audience engaged as they walk hand-in-hand through the trials and tribulations the Rebels faced. Viewers are presented with ups and downs, hopes and relief, and pure bliss as they experience this journey with the Rebels once again.
“So many emotions hit me,” pitching coach Carl Lafferty says toward the film’s conclusion. “I remember thinking about so many different people and then thinking in my head, ‘Don’t ever forget this.’”
“Belief: The Season – Ole Miss Baseball” premiered at the Malco Oxford Commons Cinema in November 2022 but will return to the big screen as one of the headlining films of the Oxford Film Festival.
It will screen Saturday, March 4 at noon at the Malco Oxford Commons Cinema in Auditorium 1.
For those unable to attend the screening, the film is available on the Ole Miss Rebels YouTube Channel as well as ESPNU.
More information, including tickets, can be found on the Oxford Film Festival website.
