Column: Ole Miss Baseball Makes School History

DeLucia and the Rebs Shutout Hogs 2-0 to Secure Spot in the College World Series Final

By Emily Cochran

elcochra@go.olemiss.edu

What a game, what a game. Of all the Ole Miss sporting events I’ve seen, this one will be ingrained in my mind forever, a kind of performance that touches the souls of Ole Miss fans from Oxford to Omaha. We are steps away from the moment we have all been waiting for, to win the Men’s College World Series and bring home a national championship trophy. If Ole Miss can pull this thing off, against all odds and everything they’ve been through this season, well then I’d say it is the Rebels who are the team of Davids, not Oklahoma. I’ve been in Omaha since Monday. I’ve seen the Sooners play. They are dang good.

My mom and grandmother flew in on Wednesday night. They planned to arrive Thursday evening but to my surprise, came knocking on my airbnb door at 2 a.m. Surprise, surprise. We stayed up talking about the previous Ole Miss games, the rollercoaster of a season, and the joyful surprise this post-season has been.

I come from a long line of Rebels. My grandmother, my uncle, and my two cousins have all been graced with the tumultuous addiction to Ole Miss sports that I have. Our connection runs deep, so in my eyes this is the biggest event of our lives, mine at least.

I’ve been on edge during this entire college world series. I love this team. I love these guys. I’ve been wrapped up in everything Ole Miss Baseball since 2017 when I attended my first game at Swayze. It took my breath away. I love the comaradarie. I love the tradition. I love the game.

To be here in the first place is a gift, one I like to think we deserve because of the position we are in now. It is a dream come true for these guys, for these coaches, for this fan base. They never gave up. Today made that even more clear. How Dylan DeLucia pulled a performance on the mound like that out of his back pocket on such little rest is beyond me, but let me tell you this, it was magic. I knew he had the stuff, but wow. What a show.

The Rebs just needed a chance and he gave us all that and more. The guy has a bright future ahead and cementing himself as a starter for this squad has brought us all the way, right here to Omaha, right into the finals.

Our hitting wasn’t exactly up to par today, much like last night. I overheard a man behind me say that defense wins ballgames sometimes. He was actually talking about Arkansas, but I was thinking about our guy on the bump.

DeLucia pitched through an entire ball game with no runs scored. The only thing Ole Miss fans and sports writers can compare it to is Drew Pomeranz’s outing in the Western Kentucky game 13 years ago. I didn’t see that game, but if today was anything like that, then no wonder DeLucia is in the Ole Miss pitching legend conversation. The man struck out 7 batters and didn’t walk a single one on four days rest against a very good Arkansas team. It was scary good.

When Tim Elko came home to score the second run in the top of the 7th, I jumped to my feet, overwhelmed with emotion and screaming through tears. I’m not embarrassed to say I simply couldn’t hold them back. Call me a big baby, I couldn’t care less. This was wild.

I cried through the bottom of the eighth and ninth innings. Pure joy is the only way I can describe it. I watched DeLucia strike out the final batter in amazement. The crowd was in awe. A high five from Elko as he entered the tunnel from the field was a privilege for me. This is bliss. Pure bliss.

The Rebels are headed to the finals and the fight is far from over. Everything is on the line this weekend and should head coach Mike Bianco call on Dylan DeLucia once again, the talented right hander who I will probably name my first born son after, says he will be ready. Even if he doesn’t take the mound again this season, I’m proud to say he put us in the position to win it all. Thank you Loosh. Rebel Nation is eternally grateful.

This weekend is for all the marbles. The Rebs are ready to bring the trophy to Oxford and stitch their name into the Ole Miss history books. I always knew they could, as if they haven’t done that already.

If you aren’t in Omaha right now, find a way. You really don’t want to miss this. See y’all at Charles Schwab on Saturday.