OXFORD | Doug Nikhazy will move back into his No. 1 starter role, and there’s quite the opponent waiting on the other side.
Nikhazy, who spent the non-conference portion of the schedule as the Rebels’ Friday option before switching to the Saturday spot following some chest discomfort, gets the ball opposite Vanderbilt and expected top-five draft pick Kumar Rocker.
The series begins Friday at 6 p.m. on SEC Network. The Rebels, fresh off a 9-4 win over Little Rock, are trying to solidify a host spot while the Commodores are safely in line for a top-8 seed.
However, the reason for Nikhazy’s switch and the storyline of the week in the SEC is Gunnar Hoglund’s UCL injury that ends his season.
Hoglund, who is second in the SEC in strikeouts and has been an anchor in the Ole Miss rotation for three seasons, will undergo elbow surgery Tuesday in Birmingham, Alabama. Noted Tommy John specialist James Andrews will perform the procedure.
“Everybody knows how big of a part he is to this team physically, but what a great kid he is and what a devastating blow that is for any kid,” Bianco said. “His teammates felt just as devastated for him. Their hearts were broken for the kid.
“But as far as the team’s concerned, this team has always seemed to have that resolve to bounce back (and) be able to handle bad things. This team seems to be able to have the toughness to embrace the kick in the gut and be able to show up the next day and play. That’s one of the reasons I love this team. We continue to play, we continue to play at a very high level and we continue to show up with a lot of energy.”
Hoglund left Friday’s game against Texas A&M after just 18 pitches. He was scratched from his start against LSU two weeks before that with bicep soreness and in the middle of those two weekends, the right-hander threw six shutout innings against South Carolina but left after only 73 pitches.
Derek Diamond and Drew McDaniel will start on Saturday and Sunday, respectively, for the Rebels.
Ole Miss (34-14, 14-10 SEC) has dealt with a flurry of injuries this season including season-defining ones to arguably its best pitcher, best hitter and best reliever. Tim Elko tore his ACL on April 5. He was leading the SEC in RBIs at the time. He’s since returned to the active roster but is only able to pinch hit at this point in the season.
Bullpen veteran Max Cioffi pitched the opening weekend in Texas for his only appearance this season but and Tommy John surgery last month.
Nikhazy, second baseman Peyton Chatagnier, first baseman Cael Baker and others have also missed notable time.
“We all feel really bad for Gunnar and hope for a speedy recovery,” Ole Miss shortstop Jacob Gonzalez said. “But the mindset in this locker room is we’re going to win anyway. No matter who’s pitching, we’re going to win ballgames.”
Hoglund closes his season and Ole Miss career with a 0.91 WHIP, 2.87 ERA and .178 batting average against in 62.2 innings. He has 96 strikeouts and 17 walks.
