2019 Preseason Top 25 Preview: No. 13 Mississippi

Image credit: Anthony Servideo (Photo by Bob McDuffie/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Last Year: 48-17 (18-12 SEC); reached regional final.
Final Ranking: No. 15.
Head Coach (record at school): Mike Bianco (710-312-1, 18 years).
Top 100 Draft Prospects: None.

The Good News: For a team that won the SEC West and was the No. 4 national seed a season ago, Ole Miss returns a wealth of experience among its position players, including senior outfielder and leading hitter Ryan Olenek, as well as All-American closer Parker Caracci. The Rebels last season hit 79 home runs, which was good enough for 12th most in the nation, and with sluggers Chase Cockrell, Thomas Dillard, Tyler Keenan and Cole Zabowski returning, they figure to again have a powerful lineup. Ole Miss last year also ranked in the top 20 in the country in fielding percentage and should again be strong defensively, with shortstop Grae Kessinger and catcher Cooper Johnson leading the way. Sophomore outfielder Carl Gindl is ready to take on a larger role after a breakout summer performance.

The Bad News: Ole Miss must replace its entire weekend rotation of Ryan Rolison—the 22nd overall pick in the draft—Brady Feigl and James McArthur. The Rebels have several options, but it will be up to Bianco to line them up. Highly regarded junior righthander Will Ethridge will likely be asked to take on the Friday night role after mostly pitching out of the bullpen in his first two seasons. Freshman Gunnar Hoglund was drafted 36th overall by the Pirates, but he chose not to sign and figures to make an immediate impact. Other options for the rotation include junior righthander Houston Roth, sophomore lefthander Jordan Fowler and freshman lefthander Doug Nikhazy. The depth of the Rebels’ bullpen will help their inexperienced starters, but finding a trio that can withstand the rigors of SEC play will be critical to their success.

Player To Know: Ryan Olenek, OF.

The Rebels’ leading hitter, Olenek last season hit .350/.388/.464 with 18 doubles. He’ll again play a critical role for Ole Miss, which will need a big senior year from Olenek. While he’ll see most of his action in right field, he has the versatility to play nearly anywhere on the diamond and could see time in center field, second base or third base. He may also get on the mound. He came to Ole Miss as a two-way player but has made just one pitching appearance in three years. The 6-foot-5 righthander may be called on to pitch out of the bullpen, further adding to Ole Miss’ depth and his own versatility.

Path To Omaha: The Rebels had the look of an Omaha team a year ago and started the postseason strong, winning the SEC Tournament and the first two games of the Oxford Regional. But Ole Miss was unable to close out a regional championship, as Tennessee Tech pulled off the upset. With much of its offense back and so much talent on the mound, the Rebels can get back to that level—if they can sort out their rotation.

2019 Lineup

 

Pos.	Name	Year	AVG	OBP	SLG	HR	RBI	AB
C	Cooper Johnson	Jr.	.235	.329	.324	2	11	68
1B	Cole Zabowski	Jr.	.300	.370	.481	10	44	210
2B	Anthony Serviedo	So.	.226	.314	.306	1	7	62
3B	Tyler Keenan	So.	.301	.391	.520	9	38	173
SS	Grae Kessinger	Jr.	.300	.389	.473	8	37	243
LF	Thomas Dillard	Jr.	.310	.439	.563	13	59	229
CF	Carl Gindl	So.	.000	.300	000	0	2	6
RF	Ryan Olenek	Sr.	.350	.388	.464	3	29	237
DH	Chase Cockrell	Sr.	.317	.376	.539	9	38	180
	PITCHING	Year	W	L	ERA	IP	SO	SV
RHP	Will Ethridge	Jr.	3	1	3.91	51	53	3
LHP	Jordan Fowler	So.	7	0	3.20	45	34	0
RHP	Gunnar Hoglund	Fr. HS — Marianna, Fla.
RP	Parker Caracci	R-Jr.	5	2	2.25	48	73	10
RP	Greer Holston	Jr.	2	1	3.27	33	35	0