Fast Five: Ole Miss in first weekend of fall ball

Ole Miss baseball is in its first week of fall ball and will mix in normal practices and intrasquads until the Pizza Bowl on October 30 -- a final even where captains pick teams and play for the right to eat pizza following the scrimmage. The annual Omaha Challenge is the first week of November.

All Ole Miss baseball practices are closed to fans and media due to COVID-19 concerns but intrasquads will be broadcast live on Facebook.

Here are five things to watch for this fall.

The fall is typically about rest and load management for many of the team's top arms. In normal years, starting pitchers would be coming off a healthy number of innings in the spring and potentially more innings in the summer, but this is far from a normal year. Many pitchers haven't thrown live innings since that March rout of Princeton and even those who played summer ball didn't see a normal workload as the leagues were scattered and delayed.

Ole Miss has its three weekend starters back for 2021 in Doug Nikhazy, Gunnar Hoglund and Derek Diamond, but those three only pitched 20 innings, 23.1 innings and 20.2 innings, respectively. Ole Miss will increase pitch counts more than normal this fall and get many of its top arms back into a routine.

The NCAA mandates a 4-hour maximum for intrasquads, but Kendall Rogers reported this week conferences can request a waiver to have two untimed days of practice. That's a beneficial addition, as teams could pile more pitchers into those days and run through innings for some of its players who struggle to find time on the mound.

Ole Miss has been blessed at shortstop for a while now. This hasn't been a question since 2013, as Errol Robinson and Grae Kessinger both spent three seasons there without much doubt as who would play the premium infield position, and Anthony Servideo was Kessinger's obvious replacement this past season.

It's a heavy loss in all ways, as Servideo was on pace for an All-America season in 2019, obliterating pitching and handling his glove duties superbly. The Orioles took Servideo in the third round and signed him for $950,000.

Justin Bench is likely the favorite for the 2021 season, as the sophomore (everyone got 2020 back eligibility-wise; we might start referring to players by their year in the program) can play anywhere. In the effort to get the best nine on the field, shortstop or centerfield as likely destinations. He was cementing his spot in the outfield in 2020 when the season was canceled. He reached base in 16 of 17 games on the season. He is, however, recovering from a broken wrist he suffered in summer ball so others will get more innings for now.

Peyton Chatagnier could also factor in there, but he was solid to superb at second base as a freshman, so that seems to be the likely landing spot again.

TJ McCants, who was rated No. 139 in his class, per Perfect Game, will get a lot of looks to see how he can transition as a true freshman. His ability to see the field could impact other players' eventual roles.

This is an easy one since Ole Miss is going to play itself all fall and two catchers will start every intrasquad. Ole Miss, the last couple years, has been allowed to play other teams twice during the fall season. That provision was removed this year, but it's kind of a good thing. With all the lost games from the season, it's more at-bats and more innings to distribute among the Rebels.

That plays in well for Ole Miss at catcher, as Hayden Dunhurst and Knox Loposer are the only healthy catchers on the roster other than Cael Baker who is primarily a first baseman or designated hitter. Heralded freshman Calvin Harris' 2021 season is in jeopardy due to Tommy John rehabilitation.

Loposer played sparingly in 2020, and while Dunhurst is the unquestioned starter and an All-SEC candidate, injuries happen and long seasons can beat catchers up physically. Loposer has some experience, and he's an important safety valve this spring. He can also situationally help Ole Miss offensively.

The starters are known and bullpen roles are ever-changing and will evolve into and throughout the season, but Ole Miss, frankly, has a lot of capable arms and it's important to gets some categorical structure by the end of the fall.

Ole Miss benefits from the extra year of eligibility, as the Rebels return Austin Miller and Taylor Broadway to the bullpen as seniors again. And Tyler Myers should be 100 percent by the spring.

Ole Miss had several late-game options last spring with Braden Forsyth, Max Cioffi, Miller, Broadway and others. And this fall gives a chance for a more extended look at Drew McDaniel, Wes Burton, Jackson Kimbrell and others -- as well as where Greer Holston is in his hopeful return to previous form.

That also doesn't factor in getting first looks at the incoming pitchers. It's a good problem to have, and Bianco should be able to manage more situationally than in some past seasons if he chooses.

We're not going to put that burden on one person, as Keenan's career is one of the most complete offensive tenures of the Bianco era. Newcomers such as Jacob Gonzales and Garrett Wood could see time there, and Ole Miss has third base options with Kevin Graham, Tim Elko and others, but the bigger question is on offense. Losing Servideo and Keenan in the lineup is massive, and Ole Miss needs a group effort to replace those contributions.

Elko was in the middle of a breakthrough season offensively, and most expect Hayden Leatherwood to play every day and be in the middle of the lineup. Dunhurst will take a step with the bat, and it's year two for Baker and Ben Van Cleve which is typically a big deal for JUCO transfers. Can Graham hit pitchers from both side somewhat evenly?

There are pieces and plenty to put together a productive offense, but lineup construction one of the few question marks with what should be a loaded contender in a few months.