Four benefits of Ole Miss starting the season in the State Farm Showdown

The field for the State Farm College Baseball Showdown was announced on Thursday, as Ole Miss joins five other top-10 teams at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, to start the season.

It's a little less than a month away, but with the announcement fresh and official practice a few days away, here are a few thoughts on what Ole Miss can take from playing in the event.

A SENSE OF NORMALCY

The Texas Rangers announced 14,000-15,000 fans will be allowed inside the stadium for each game of the event. That would likely be a high enough cap even without a pandemic ongoing, so the teams can play in front of good crowds and start the season with some semblance of normalcy.

Ole Miss announced its season attendance plan a few days ago, and Swayze Field will be at 25 percent capacity to start the season, per state and conference guidelines. That maxes attendance for home games at between 2,000 and 3,000, so this opening round-robin event is likely the largest crowds the Rebels will see for a while.

Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco likes to do a nonconference road trip each season, and, if anything, this one will simulate things in a way that won't be duplicated during league play.

THE ABILITY TO SEE WHERE THEY ARE COMPETITIVELY

Playing three top-10 teams over a weekend is only a good thing, no matter the result. It's an RPI boost and a series to self-analyze and see what works and what doesn't -- especially this early in the season.

From a talent standpoint, it's the most difficult weekend of the year except for maybe the Vanderbilt and Florida series. In 2017, Ole Miss was No. 11 nationally when it went to Minute Maid Park and lost three times to Big 12 teams (Texas and TCU included). It was a clear sign that the reload would take another season, as that group failed to make the postseason -- the first time for the Rebels since 2011.

That team four years ago was made up of freshmen under the lights for the first time, while Ole Miss features depth and experience that has been here before. Seven position starters and all three weekend rotation arms return from last season when the Rebels took two of three from No. 1 Louisville and swept a weekend tournament at East Carolina.

A little adversity is a good thing, and some will occur in Texas. Ole Miss will be the better for it as the season moves along.

A LOOK AT THE EVERYDAY LEADERS

Doug Nikhazy is certainly Ole Miss' emotional spark plug, but it's hard sometimes for a pitcher to be the preeminent leader when he plays six to eight of the 27 innings in a weekend. While Ole Miss has a wealth of experience returning, Tyler Kennan and Anthony Servideo were the top influences in 2020. Keenan was a steadying presence who had the most experience on the roster, and Servideo was an Energizer bunny, setting the tone with his hustle and play while also being the vocal leader.

There are some candidates but no obvious roles to fill those voids this season. Tim Elko and Kevin Graham are the only projected position starters with multiple years of significant experience, and six of the nine projected starters have never played in an SEC game.

Peyton Chatagnier and Justin Bench are expected to fill leadership roles in different ways, but it'll be significant to see who they players look to as the season progresses. There will be glimpse of that in Arlington.

A CHANCE TO SEE HOW ROLES MAY SHAKE OUT

Playing inferior competition can bloat records and confidence in the pre-SEC part of the season, and it can also supply a false sense of security. While Ole Miss is immensely talented and returns the bulk of that team that started 16-1 last year, there are some questions that need answers quickly.

The Rebels will likely turn the shortstop spot over to true freshman Jacob Gonzalez, so he'll see upper-level opposition quickly, which is good. Ole Miss has to find the right mix with its lineup without Servideo and Keenan, and the first chances come against two elite hard-throwers and then likely a top-100 prospect from Texas.

At some point in the weekend it will also be a big opportunity for Greer Holston. He has a chance to be one of the best comeback stories we've all seen, as he seems poised to return to form after two difficult seasons. He led Ole Miss in the fall in fastball velocity at 96.4 MPH, a great sign following a long struggle to regain velocity.

Holston is a candidate for several roles, and Bianco will choose one against top competition in Arlington. Also, while all systems are go and he's looked good in individual work, projected Sunday starter Derek Diamond will be live in a game for the first time since a forearm strain kept him from fall practice.