Ole Miss Baseball took the field for the first time since its College World Series run in June on Oct. 3 and 4. Judd Utermark and Will Furniss were among the players who suited up.
Despite ongoing eligibility battles for the fifth-year Rebels, they were rostered in the weekend’s fall ball scrimmages, wore their numbers and reprised their typical infield positions. However, neither player will participate in the fall ball games against Samford and Arkansas State.
While the eligibility of Utermark and Furniss remains in legal limbo because they have exhausted four years of eligibility, 12 portal additions, a top-20 recruiting class and 18 other returners are sure to grace Swayze Field this spring.
Among the 18 retained players (excluding Furniss and Utermark), Hunter Elliott, Hayden Federico and Dom Decker showed out over the weekend.
Owen Paino lined a home run off sophomore pitcher Evan Farrow. Bryden Bull, who redshirted last season, went yard against returning bullpen arm JP Robertson, who came out consistently throwing 97 mph.
“(Bull’s) gotten off to a really good start. We’ve only been at it a couple days, but just watching an individual work and sometimes as freshman or new guys it’s tough,” Bianco said in a press conference on Oct. 5. “He got behind some guys early on and got injured and it was just one of those (things) where it was best to redshirt him.”
The new faces on the roster had their first chances to step onto Swayze Field, and Christian Doty is drawing attention. The freshman batted .492 and had an on-base percentage of .600. He put his athleticism on display several times in the infield over the weekend.
The pitching staff lost major pieces to the MLB draft, like Taylor Rabe and Cade Townsend, but left-handed Mississippi State transfer Charlie Foster trotted out and casually threw nearly 100 mph, giving Rebel fans some new confidence in the pitching staff.
“(Foster’s) been terrific. … He’s gotten off to a great start,” Bianco said. “Physically, he’s bigger than I thought he was, stronger. He’s been lights out on the mound in the live (batting practices).”
Foster was in the mid to upper 90s with four or five pitches. He also features three different breaking balls.
The position players acquired in the portal impressed as well. Houston transfer Blake Fields made an athletic diving catch in center with two home runs on Sunday. Brady Dallimore, a catcher from TCU, lined a homer to left field.
Indiana transfer Caleb Koskie displayed his versatile offensive ability, putting together quality at-bats and, more importantly, making solid contact repeatedly. He is coming off a strong sophomore season in Bloomington, Ind., where he hit .372 and slugged .568. He could be a major key to reworking the offense.
Notably, fall ball started a couple weeks later than usual because Swayze Field was getting a new playing surface.
The jumbotron offered a sneak peek of the automated ball-strike system fans will see this season, alongside two unique measurements for the scrimmages, replacing standard hits and errors.
The navy and red squads focused on “combo” and “energy.” The “combo” metric awarded points to batters for quality at-bats, extra-base hits and walks, while also rewarding defense for first-pitch strikes, strikeouts, web gems (impressive defense) and double plays.
It seems head coach Mike Bianco and the staff are prioritizing defensive execution and pitchers attacking the zone early. On offense, they seem to be emphasizing slugging and competitive plate discipline.
“Energy” represents a possible shift in hustle and culture. Bianco is incentivizing factors that may seem to have no bearing on gameplay, like rapid field transitions, dugout intensity and how quickly the infield throws the ball around the horn.
Coaches are crafting a team built on mechanics, speed and intensity this season, and fans will have the opportunity to see how this coaching style comes together at upcoming fall exhibition matches.
Ole Miss will host Samford on Oct. 10 and Arkansas State on Oct. 24 for fall ball.
