Ole Miss Baseball Opens Spring Practice with Pair of Intrasquads

Ole Miss baseball officially kicked off spring practice over the weekend, showcasing the 2022 Rebel squad in front of fans for the first time with a pair of intrasquad scrimmages at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field.

The Rebels competed in intrasquads on both Friday and Saturday afternoon and will compete in multiple scrimmages for the next three weekends, all open to fans wishing to attend. With under three weeks remaining before the season opener, the Rebels look to get into full swing before welcoming Charleston Southern to Oxford on Feb. 18.

The scrimmages also marked the return of the prolific Rebel offense. Ole Miss led the SEC with a .288 team batting average in 2021, spanking 203 extra base hits, including 85 home runs. The Rebs put their opponents under constant pressure, ranking second in the league with 478 runs scored.

“You feel good when you return an offense that’s really good,” head coach Mike Bianco said. “They’ve got to go do it again. There are ebbs and flows. The goal for them is to be really consistent, and I think they can.”

Among those returners is captain Tim Elko, who caught the eye of the nation last season after closing out the campaign on one attached ACL, clobbering seven homers upon his return and providing an inspirational boost to the team. Following surgery, the Lutz, Florida, native is back healthy in the lineup.

“That guy’s amazing,” junior Peyton Chatagnier said. “It’s crazy what he can do. He’s going to be Elko. He’ll be just fine.”

One thing fans will look for during spring scrimmages will be the arms on the mound following the departures of Major League Baseball draft picks Gunnar Hoglund, Doug Nikhazy and Taylor Broadway. In addition to  proven returners like Derek Diamond, Drew McDaniel and Jack Dougherty, the Rebels also brought in a talented group of freshmen and junior college products as well as transfers John Gaddis and Jack Washburn.

“I think we have more options than we did last year,” Bianco said. “We were so top-heavy, and when (Nikhazy and Hoglund) were out there, we were really good. Trying to be more consistent, but we feel good about it.”

Hitting the field at Swayze Field in competitive games for the first time since winning the 2021 NCAA Oxford Regional Championship, the energy and excitement around the park was palpable as Ole Miss looks to make another postseason run in 2022.

“There’s a lot of excitement around here,” Van Cleve said. “I’m sure everybody has seen the preseason polls, but we don’t really look much into that. We’re just happy with what we have, and we’re excited to work this spring. There’s nothing more I want to do than make it to Omaha.”

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports