The 2020 Ole Miss baseball season will go down as one of the bigger unanswered questions in recent memory concerning Rebel athletics. Ole Miss was 16-1 when the season ended because of COVID-19, a day away from the Rebels and LSU opening SEC play.

The MLB Draft did the expected damage, as the Orioles and Mariners selected Anthony Servideo and Tyler Keenan, respectively, forcing the Rebels to replace the left side of the infield. Otherwise, Ole Miss is in good shape with a decent amount of offense returning and all three members of a weekend rotation that enters the season as one of the top three units along with Vanderbilt and Florida.

The incoming class is smaller than last year, but a couple newcomers have the chance to play into early roles.

I use slashes to highlight a position battle or to make sure to mention a specific player.

The true freshman last season established himself immediately as one of the best catch-and-throw receivers in the country, as he neutralized running games and impressed defensively from day one. The bat was starting to come around as the season ended, and it's fair to expect a jump there in year two. Dunhurst should challenge for All-SEC honors during his sophomore campaign, and his defense immensely helps the Ole Miss pitching staff.

Ole Miss may be Catcher U at this point, and it's worth mentioning Calvin Harris, a top-100 prospect out of Dubuque, Iowa, who can give Dunhurst a breather back there and also give a lot of competition. He has a combine pop time of 1.85 and is another in a line of dominant run-stopping defensive catchers. He's going to play some, and he's going to be very good.

Cael Baker flashed big power potential during his four weeks as a Rebel in year one, and it should be enough experience to get him more comfortable for year two. There's still a lot of swing-and-miss, but he grabbed National Player of the Week honors in 2020 and will be in the mix to occupy first base in 2021.

His main competition, like Dunhurst's at catcher, likely comes with a true freshman. Kemp Alderman, Ole Miss' highest rated signee at 47 nationally, is a 6-foot-5, 240-pounder who can really hit. He turned down sizable potential signing bonuses to be in Oxford. He can catch in a pinch and has been up to 94 MPH off the mound, but the hit tool is his present weapon. He's going to play somewhere because he's going to hit.

Peyton Chatagnier played well from his first step on campus, starring during fall ball and working his way into the top part of the lineup when the season ended. He has excellent hands and solid range at second base, and he's an energy player who lifts up his teammates. Chatagnier's personality and energy are important in Servideo's absence moving forward. He was hitting .311 with a 1.023 OPS through 17 games.

The Ole Miss shortstop position has seemingly been handed done for quite a while, as Errol Robinson, Grae Kessinger and Servideo have been the lineage since 2014, with Robinson playing short as a true freshman on the College World Series team, Kessinger winning the Brooks Wallace award in 2019 and Servideo leading the country in WAR after four weeks.

There will be a bit of a competition here this time, but I expect Justin Bench to win the job and do a good job at the high-profile spot. He won't be as flashy as some other occupants, but he's athletic, quick side to side and has enough arm. He and Chatagnier competed for the second base job through much of the preseason. Bench reached base in 16 of 17 games, including first 15 games of the season.

A year ago, Connor Walsh would have seemed obvious as the next in line, but he redshirted and then transferred to Rice.

The true freshman from California is listed as a shortstop but possibly slides over to replace Keenan. A top-150 national prospect, Gonzalez at 6-foot-2 has the frame to put weight on his 180-pound frame, and he's an all-fields hitter who hits a lot of line drives and doesn't strike out often. Power should come with time, and he has one of the higher ceilings on the roster as he gets comfortable and adds strength. He could also play second base if there was a need, but the good hands should translate well to third in this scenario.

Tim Elko was Ole Miss' top signee as a true freshman and flashed at times but struggled to be consistent during his first two seasons. But among the biggest frustrations with the cut-short 2020, Elko had figured things out. He was hitting .354 with seven extra base hits including one of the longest home runs in Swayze Field history to dead center.

With Servideo and Keenan gone, Elko needs to hit in the middle of the order and generate power alongside teammates in some new roles -- albeit with positions, responsibilities or expectations. He's the most important piece to the Ole Miss offense next season.

Jerrion Ealy has all the tools in the world, but it's impossible to know what to do with him in this article for next season. He has a football seasons between now and then, as he should excel at running back in year two for the Rebels. Also, his sample size is small when it comes to baseball. He made some improvements mechanically and despite hitting only 4-for-22 he walked four times and was playing better when things ended. We'll see what happens, but he has a shot.

Hudson Sapp is a true freshman from Georgia whom I think will hit immediately. If the bat transitions, he has a chance to take this spot. The left-hander has enough speed and reads things well and should turn into a premium bat at the position.

Ole Miss is really deep in the outfield with athletes. Cade Sammons will also get a shot for playing time. He was excellent in the fall before. knee injury slowed him down the rest of the way.

The question here is if Kevin Graham hits left-handed pitching. If he does, then it's his spot every day, but that's been a struggle at times, so there's the chance for a platoon. Trey LaFleur was hitless in eight at-bats as. freshman, but that sample size isn't enough to focus on. If you're buying stock, LeFleur would be a good bet. He can play first base or corner outfield and likely hits well enough to jump in the DH conversation if the need arises.

Speaking of, there are a lot of expectations for Hayden Leatherwood, and he could easily supplant one of the above options in the outfield or stay here all season. He hit .361 with an 1.116 OPS in 36 at-bats. The JUCO transfer had 23 total bases and walked eight times. Originally a Vanderbilt signee, Leatherwood was making a move toward everyday playing time when the season ended. It's easy to see him joining Elko in the middle of the order.

Ben Van Cleve could easily be listed as a platoon or other option here. He had a .529 on-base percentage in 26 at-bats.

Doug Nikhazy had a 2.35 ERA and 0.78 WHIP in 23 innings spread among four starts. He struck out 31 and walked nine on the season. Louisville and Reid Detmers beat Nikhazy on opening day, but he was terrific the four weeks and brings a mentality that's incredibly suited for Friday nights in the SEC. Nikhazy is a gamer who continues to develop his secondary pitches and gives Ole Miss a chance each time out. Opponents hit just .120 off Nikhazy.

Gunnar Hoglund, a former first round pick, is arguably Ole Miss' best starter even though he pitches on Saturdays. It's a co-ace situation, as Hoglund matured a lot from year one to year two and was excellent in his 23.1 innings with a 1.16 ERA and 0.95 WHIP. He struck out 37 with four walks. There's still another development level regarding his pitchability, so he may be scary in 2021. He had a .205 BAA in 2020.

Derek Diamond did exactly what was required of a Sunday starter as a true freshman, keeping Ole Miss in games and limiting damage in innings that got a little sideways. He held opponents to a .231 BAA and had a 1.09 WHIP with 15 strikeouts and four walks in 20.2 innings. The former top-50 prospect held Louisville to three runs in 5.2 innings and then gave up five in his final 15 innings of the season. There's the potential for him to greatly improve in year two, and Diamond's floor is very high, giving the Rebels a complete and top-tier rotation.