A way-too-early look at next year's Ole Miss baseball lineup

There's already been a lot of message board discussion about the topic, so I'll try to predict next season's Ole Miss baseball lineup. The Rebels return the bulk of their position players while they must replace the entire weekend rotation.

For the purpose of this, I have Ryan Olenek returning for his senior season, though an announcement hasn't been made either way. I'm also assuming Joe Gray signs with the Brewers. If he's on campus, then that will change my thoughts on center field.

It's make-or-break time for Cooper Johnson in 2019. He came in with serious expectations and has battled inconsistency in both phases during his two years in Oxford. He's shown flashes and was a good team player this past season, but Ole Miss needs him to make a considerable jump in production. ICC transfer Hunter Nabors should also see some time at the position.

Zabowski improved greatly in 2018, raising his batting average 61 points and giving Ole Miss 18 extra base hits including 10 home runs. Though there are several players who could be at that position next season, he's comfortable there, and his options are limited. Any additional productivity increase would be a bonus for the Rebels, as they need more of the same from him in his junior year.

Jacob Adams started more than three times as many games at second base this past season compared to Anthony Servideo, and the pair should compete for the spot again next year. However, Servideo performed well in late fill-in duty, and I like his range and athleticism at that spot with another year of experience. Adams will play, too, at multiple spots, potentially, but Ole Miss could be really dynamic with Servideo and Grae Kessinger in the middle of the infield.

Easily my biggest error when I did this last year, as I didn't have Tyler Keenan in the expected lineup. He beat out Tim Elko in the preseason for the third base spot and then put together a season that was one of the best rookie campaigns in the Mike Bianco era. He had a .911 OPS and 20 extra base hits while playing a solid third base. He should hit in the middle of the order and be a force in 2019.

Grae Kessinger was one of several sophomore who improved in all phases from their freshmen seasons. he made some outstanding plays at shortstop and did a much better job on the routine ones. Offensively he hit .300 and tied for the team lead with 18 doubles. He was also a spark for the Rebels when they played well. Through late April, Kessinger hit .313 in Ole Miss wins and .216 in Ole Miss losses.

As far as transformational seasons, Thomas Dillard topped the list, giving Ole Miss a power force in the middle of the lineup that opposing pitchers had to respect. He took to coaching well and altered his approach to make more consistent contact while leading the Rebels in walk percentage for the second straight season.

If Ryan Olenek returns, he's going to play somewhere obviously, and he's the only player on the roster with any experience in center at the college level. He played it the majority of 2017 which was a bit of a learning process. Olenek led the team in average and carried the Rebels during his 23-game hitting streak before slumping at the end of the year. He was one of the toughest strikeouts in the SEC but needs to improve his rate of one walk every 25 at-bats.

Elko was the top position player prospect in the freshman class but struggled some, hitting .216 in only 51 at-bats. With some experience and a year to ease the transition, I expect Elko to emerge as a legitimate bat as he gets consistent plate appearances. He's not a bad athlete, and in an effort to get as many bats as possible in the lineup, especially at the corners, Elko makes some sense in right field.

Cockrell hit .317 with 23 extra base hits during a second season that was a major improvement over his initial year. He hit mostly in the eight-hole and gave Ole Miss power bursts despite low-contact numbers at times. The lack of a position makes his spot in the lineup somewhat vulnerable, but he has tremendous raw power and has shown enough to expect some improvement and for him to occupy this spot again.

With Ethridge will get the chance to shine as the ace of the staff in his first draft-eligible season. He was Ole Miss' most reliable long-relief option out of the bullpen in 2018, and there argument could be made that he would have enhanced the staff as a starter. He has three quality pitches and usually displayed the demeanor necessary of the team ace. From a production standpoint, I don't expect a fall off here.

Jordan Fowler overcame a severe car accident last summer to take over the Ole Miss midweek role by the middle of the year. Then, the left-hander excelled in the postseason, putting together a dominant start against Texas A&M in the SEC Tournament semifinals and a quality start versus Tennessee Tech in the regional championship game. If you could buy stock in players, Fowler would be high on my list.

Houston Roth could fill multiple roles with the Rebels, but he showed a great mentality as a sophomore, and is the best option to fill this role, among the known options. The bullpen is an intriguing spot for him because he can explode the fastball and pitch off it effectively, but as he continues to get stronger and fill out his frame, starter seems like the best profile. It will be up to a newcomer to take it from him.

I was mixed here between Grayson College transfer Zack Phillips and incoming freshman lefty Kaleb Hill. Both will get ample opportunities to assist the Ole Miss pitching staff, but Phillips has more experience and advanced feel of multiple pitches. He should average a strikeout per inning from the left side. The expectation is immediate action for both him and Hill. I wouldn't rule out Greer Holston getting a chance to start somewhere, though the bullpen seems to be the likeliest option.

Caracci was the team's feel-good story of the season and also a much-needed piece, as Ole Miss' season likely goes off the rails without Caracci. He had the perfect mentality for the late-game role and can give the Rebels multiple innings to finish games. He's joining the United State Collegiate National Team this summer, so I expect Ole Miss to shut him down for the fall. However, he'll be fresh and an important piece come 2019.