Ole Miss, fresh off its first SEC sweep to start league play since 2004, is on the road at Alabama after taking all three versus Auburn in Oxford last weekend. Inclement weather is expected throughout the day Thursday, but the series is scheduled to start at 6 p.m. (ESPN) and continue at 6 p.m. Friday and 2 p.m. Saturday.

Mike Bianco said Sunday is a possibility should a rainout occur, but he expects a Friday doubleheader if Thursday is postponed because of heavy storms in the area.

Alabama is 15-6 (1-2) and has lost three straight -- two to Arkansas and a midweek contest to Southern Miss.

The Rebels (17-4, 3-0) got some good news on the injury front but need to play well at a place that hasn't been kind for much of Bianco's tenure. Here are things to watch as the series gets going (hopefully) in a few hours.

Doug Nikhazy returns to the rotation after missing his last two starts with a strained chest muscle. Nikhazy threw a bullpen on Tuesday without discomfort and will occupy the middle spot on the week, sandwiched between right-handers Gunnar Hoglund and Derek Diamond, a move Bianco planned prior to Nikhazy's injury.

The junior struggled with command in the season opener against TCU but allowed a combined three earned runs in 11.1 innings after that against UCF and Belmont with 19 strikeouts and three walks.

Ole Miss may also get Max Cioffi back this weekend after a meniscus surgery 16 days ago. He hasn't appeared since the opening week of the year but would bolster the back end of the Rebels' bullpen. Cioffi traveled with the team, and Bianco said he may be able to give an inning during the series.

Connor Prielipp hasn't thrown since the opening week of the season, and he remains out with a "medical condition."

The Alabama ace was a First Team All-SEC member in the preseason and is an early candidate to be the top pick in the 2022 MLB Draft.

Prielipp threw five shutout innings and 74 pitches with eight strikeouts and no walks against McNeese on opening day before Alabama shut him down. He hasn't allowed a run in 26 career innings and has 43 strikeouts.

The Tide has done a nice job with starting pitching in his absence, but they aren't one of the deepest teams in the league, so there's opportunity for Ole Miss to capitalize on his absence.

Alabama has two right-handers and a lefty in the rotation, and the ERAs are 3.12, 2.70 and 1.52, respectively. Especially the first two days, Alabama is making opponents earn it, as Tyer Ras and Dylan Smith have strikeout/walk ratios of 22/7 and 41/6. Antoine Jean is at 21/13.

Bianco would tell me this is a media creation more than anything tangible, and he's right, but nonetheless, Ole Miss hasn't played good baseball in Tuscaloosa, relative to the Tide's success level and how the Rebels have done in other road stops.

Ole Miss has won only two series at Alabama since 2004 and were swept in Tuscaloosa in two of its more successful seasons -- 2006 and 2014. Ole Miss took of three at Alabama in 2018 and 2012 during that stretch.

The Rebels are 7-14 at Sewell-Thomas Stadium starting in 2006. In Oxford, Ole Miss has only lost a series to Alabama once since 2005 and has two sweeps.

With Nikhazy's return, Ole Miss has some flexibility with its pitching staff, mainly how to use Drew McDaniel this weekend.

The sophomore was solid against ULM two weeks ago and held Auburn to two runs in five innings this past Saturday. He can be a high-leverage arm in a situation prior to Taylor Broadway's time or give the Rebels a long outing if something goes haywire or to finish a game after a quality start.

The Rebels are loaded with right-handed options, with Nikhazy and Jackson Kimbrell the only lefties to have substantial roles, and Alabama has struggled against right-handed pitching.

The Tide hits .322 against left-handers which is third in the SEC but only .253 against right-handers, 12th in the SEC.