The 2022 National Champions had high spirits coming into the 2023 baseball season, but Ole Miss ultimately ended with one of its most disappointing seasons in recent memory.
Having won only one SEC series, the Ole Miss Rebels finished 25-29 with an embarrassing 6-24 record in conference play.
The Rebels not only failed to make it to the NCAA tournament, they also missed the SEC tournament for the first time since 2011. This is only the second time Ole Miss has done this under Coach Mike Bianco.
Let’s look back on last season and dissect the good, the bad and the ugly of Ole Miss’ fall from glory.
With the loss of 2022 team players Tim Elko and Dylan DeLucia to the draft, there was already a skeptical attitude toward the new season. Once it was announced that Rebel ace Hunter Elliot would miss the season due to Tommy John surgery, things started looking worse for the Rebels.
With key pitchers not able to return to the bump, pitching plagued the Rebels all season long. The total ERA for Ole Miss was 6.40, which clocked in at third to last in the SEC, edging out Georgia and Mississippi State. On top of the high ERA, Ole Miss also had the highest opposing batting average in the SEC with .272 against all opponents.
To make matters worse, hitting was a struggle as well.
Ole Miss was last in the SEC in on-base percentage, walks and strikeouts. The former champions also sat in the bottom three in runs scored, hits, RBIs and total bases compared to the rest of the SEC.
If it was not already clear, the Rebels did not have a good season last year.
However, the future does not look completely bleak for Ole Miss baseball. Recruiting out of high school continues to stay strong from Bianco and the staff. They are expecting at least two five-stars: a right-handed pitcher filling some much-needed spaces and a catcher to replace the now former Rebel star Calvin Harris.
Bianco has also added two studs from the transfer portal. Arizona State shortstop Luke Hill and Florida Atlantic third baseman Jackson Ross will be joining the Rebels in the fall to prepare for the upcoming season. The two will be filling some important voids on the roster.
Despite losing former starting second baseman Peyton Chatagnier and right fielder TJ McCants to the transfer portal, as well as notable starters Jacob Gonzales and Calvin Harris to the draft, the future is starting to look brighter for Ole Miss baseball.
With some key starters returning and new talent coming in, expect Bianco to work his magic with a fresh roster in the 2024 season to bring the Rebels back into the spotlight.
