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1. If you'd written this season in script form, Hollywood would've turned it down.
It simply wouldn't read all that realistic.
In a season where the coach was on the hot seat, Ole Miss soared to No. 1 in the rankings, cratered in the middle of the season, closed with a flourish, was seemingly one win short of the postseason, got the last at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament and cruised through Coral Gables and Hattiesburg on its way to Omaha.
I mean, come on.
Yet, that's exactly what happened. Ole Miss finished a spectacular two weekends of baseball with a 10-0 win Saturday and a 5-0 win on Sunday in Hattiesburg to clinch its first College World Series appearance since 2014. The Rebels will face Oregon State or Auburn, depending on who wins Game 3 of that NCAA Super Regional Monday night in Corvallis.
Ole Miss was 7-14 in the Southeastern Conference after consecutive series losses to Mississippi State and Arkansas. The Rebels knew they needed seven wins in their last nine SEC games and they did it, sweeping Missouri and LSU and getting one from Texas A&M.
Still, after a first-round loss to Vanderbilt in Hoover, the Rebels sweated it out for five days, watching bid stealer after bid stealer win all over the country. When this site broke the news that Ole Miss was in the NCAA Tournament hours before the field was announced, players didn't know what to believe.
When they saw that report come to fruition, they didn't just exhale. They also knew they'd been given another life. They were determined to make the most of it. The Rebels have done just that, adding an unpredictable chapter to a wild story, one that's not over yet.
2. By winning over the weekend, we can finally put the Mike Bianco hot seat discussion on ice -- likely for good.
Again, the story is incredible. If Ole Miss had not closed strong and made the tournament, Bianco's tenure would've been over a week ago. Ole Miss would be in coach-search mode as I type this.
That is obviously no longer the case. Instead, Bianco will get a raise, a full extension and the invitation to stay at Ole Miss as long as he'd like. Sometimes, the margin between winning big and losing big is incredibly narrow, and that's the case here.
People love to do the 22-year thing, and I get it. However, the sport has changed a lot since Bianco took over in Oxford. These days, damn near every program in the Power-5 is invested in baseball, and it's harder than ever to get to Omaha. Bianco has now gone twice in the last eight season (2020 was halted due to a panicked pandemic response), and he's taken Ole Miss to the last three Super Regionals, something only Arkansas, East Carolina and Stanford can also claim.
No matter what happens in Nebraska this month, Bianco has silenced the doubters. He's serving heaping helpings of crow at this point, and I suspect the fan base is consuming their share with joy.
3. As I said, this team's story isn't written yet.
Look, either Ole Miss, Oregon State, Auburn, Arkansas, Stanford or Connecticut is going to be in the College World Series finals later this month. Two of those teams are going to be eliminated Monday night.
Those are all talented teams. Oregon State has some front-level pitching talent that gives the Beavers a chance any night. Auburn has had a special season. Arkansas, much like Ole Miss, has found new life in the NCAA Tournament. Stanford is a perennial contender. UConn is Cinderella.
But none of those teams are as scorching hot as Ole Miss is right now. The Rebels have two dominant starters, a veteran lineup that is producing and a defense that has become tolerable.
Ole Miss shouldn't and won't be just happy to be there. The Rebels have a very real shot at staying in Omaha for an extended period of time. Sure, the other teams there will be capable of beating Ole Miss. There's no doubt. However, Ole Miss feels like a team with some destiny on its side. If it can get off to a good start in the CWS, Ole Miss can fast become a major factor.
4. Speaking of Ole Miss, Arkansas, Texas A&M and possibly Auburn, I have to eat my own share of crow in this space.
I didn't think the league was up to its usual standards. I thought Tennessee (more on the Volunteers) in a bit was dominant, but after that, I just didn't see it. I thought I saw a lot of mediocrity. Instead, it seems, I saw a lot of good teams beating each other up.
Once freed from that burden, the league basically thrived. LSU scared Southern Miss. Vanderbilt pushed Oregon State to the brink. Texas A&M has rolled to a berth in Omaha. Auburn is, as mentioned, a win away. Arkansas won at Oklahoma State and at North Carolina to earn a spot in the Omaha field.
Throw in soon-to-be SEC brethren Oklahoma and Texas, both already in the Omaha field, and the SEC is simply loaded. I'll try to never make that mistake again.
Frankly, it's a reminder of the consistency Bianco has brought to Ole Miss. Think about it, if Auburn wins one more in Corvallis, four SEC West teams are in the College World Series. And that number doesn't include last year's national champion nor does it include arguably the most celebrated program in college baseball history. With that level of competition omnipresent, Bianco's teams have always been competitive. I understand that to fans, that's not enough, and I'm not arguing it should be, but what's not really debatable is how difficult it is to win consistently in this league.
5. Now, let's talk about Tennessee.
First, kudos to Notre Dame. The Irish, playing the role of America's team this past weekend, played a remarkable series, knocking off the Vols in Knoxville. Link Jarrett is about to become a wealthy man, likely at Florida State, after Notre Dame's time in Omaha comes to an end.
But the story was Tennessee's loss. Personally, I thought it was karma.
I don't want to come across as the old man yelling at clouds or anything, and frankly, I'm far from that guy. I like players having emotion. I enjoy the celebrations, the dugout antics after home runs and such, etc. I'm not wild about bat flips, but I know I'm in the minority, so I just shrug my shoulders at them and accept others love bat flips -- the crazier, the better.
But Tennessee was over the top. Running the bases flipping off the other team, constantly playing the role of bully, getting offended in the other team fought back, etc. It was too much. In the end, it put a giant target on the Vols' back, and Tennessee couldn't handle the heat.
I suspect Tony Vitello and Co. will only double down, and the Vols' roster is loaded enough to do just that. Tennessee isn't going away. Vitello is excellent. He's turning Tennessee into a national power. A loss to Notre Dame doesn't change that. However, the antics and the bravado are a distraction, at least in my opinion. They take away from the talent and from the kind of dominant baseball Tennessee is capable of.
If the Vols would just show up and play, it would likely be enough. However, they add the burden of being the bad guy, the foil, the Evil Empire, whatever, and that's a heavy load to carry. On Sunday, at least in my opinion, they collapsed under all of that weight.
6. I like to make predictions here, in large part because I enjoy seeing just how wrong I can get. But I've never shied away from making fun of myself, so here are my sure-to-go-wrong predictions for the first four days at the College World Series:
Friday:
Texas over Notre Dame
Oklahoma over Texas A&M
Saturday:
Arkansas over UConn/Stanford
Ole Miss over Oregon State/Auburn
Sunday:
Texas over Oklahoma
Notre Dame over Texas A&M
Monday:
Ole Miss over Arkansas
Auburn/Oregon State over UConn/Stanford
It's difficult to predict much past there, but I'll say Oklahoma eliminates Notre Dame and Arkansas moves out of the losers' bracket to get another shot at Ole Miss. That would be one hell of a final four.
7. My colleague, Chase Parham, who covers college baseball pretty religiously, said Sunday night there are rumblings the scholarship limitations on the sport could be lifted very soon.
If that's true, if college baseball goes from a maximum of 11.7 scholarships to the rumored 25, programs like Ole Miss are about to become powerhouses. Frankly, schools that invest heavily in college baseball -- Ole Miss, Mississippi State, LSU, Arkansas, Texas, Texas A&M all come to mind immediately -- are going to become behemoths.
It's bad news for Vanderbilt, I'd guess, as the Commodores' advantage would disappear and the NIL investment there is limited. Programs in the league that aren't as interested -- hello, Missouri -- likely just fall off the map.
Recruiting, by the way, has never been an issue for Bianco. I do think the scholarship limitations have been an issue in certain seasons, but that's another discussion for another day. If it's true that those limitations are going away, Bianco's program-building prowess could go to another level.
8. Jaden Rashada is set to announce his college decision on Saturday.
The four-star (maybe soon-to-be-five-star) quarterback has a final seven of Cal, Florida, LSU, Miami, Ole Miss, Oregon and Texas A&M. Four of those schools -- LSU, Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Florida -- received official visits.
Rashada's brother, defensive back Roman Rashada, enrolled at Ole Miss earlier this month, and while that helps, I suspect this decision is about NIL. I've said for a while that I view Rashada's recruitment as an early litmus test on where Ole Miss stands vis-a-vis high profile high school recruits. I still think that.
I think Ole Miss is in it, and even if Saturday goes badly, the Rebels will be in the mix, but I think he's going to announce for Florida on Saturday. If you told me I was wrong, my second guess would be Texas A&M with Ole Miss in third.
9. It’s time to eat. Here’s our resident Parisian chef, Burton Webb, with Taste of the Place, Lesson 139 — Fish and Potato Hush Puppies.
Summer is almost in full swing and why not incorporate this specialty from Portugal into your repertoire.
Tidbit #1: Any white fish will do for this hush puppy. I would adapt catfish and it will be mighty fine.
Tidbit #2: The look for these comes from spooning the batter out on parchment paper and then placing it in the freezer to freeze. After, you just place them in the hot oil and cook until dark brown.
Tidbit #3: With this dish, I would recommend getting some remoulade sauce to dip in.
Things you will need:
4/6 People
Preparation time - 20 Minutes
Freezing time - 30 Minutes
Cook time - 5 Minutes
A glass of sweet tea
Utensils needed:
Worksurface and chef’s knife
Stovetop
Sauce pot and strainer
2 spoons
Freezer and baking tray
Parchment paper
Side plate
Paper towels
Ingredients needed:
2 Catfish fillets
2 Potatoes diced
1 Garlic clove smashed
1 Small onion diced
Pinch Chili Powder
1 Egg
2 Tsp chopped parsley
Salt and pepper
Mise en Plac
Step 1: Take all of your ingredients minus the parsley and egg and place them into your sauce pot. Add enough water to cover and then salt. Bring to a slow boil and cook until the potatoes are soft. About 8 minutes.
Step 1.2: Strain the ingredients and slightly mash using the spoons. Add in the egg and parsley at this moment. Mix.
Step 2: Begin using the two spoons to make the shape of the hush puppies with the batter and place them on your baking tray with parchment paper. Place in the freezer to set.
Final
Step 3: Get your oil to 350°F and then fry the hushpuppies until they float. Take them out and set them on your paper towel. Salt. Then serve up with that remoulade sauce and a few lemon slices. Divine.
From the Mississippian in Paris, Bon Appétit!
10. We'll have coverage of Ole Miss baseball, football recruiting and whatever else may come up this week on RebelGrove.com. Until then, here are some links of interest to me -- and hopefully, to you -- for your reading pleasure:
10 SEC football rivalries that must be retained after Texas, Oklahoma join
Carousel crystal ball: Which coaches might rise and fall into new jobs in ’22? - The Athletic
How Matt Ryan is reminding the Colts of Andrew Luck and Peyton Manning
NBA scouts evaluate Knicks’ draft targets, question marks, upside and fit - The Athletic
Braves' Dansby Swanson is no Chipper Jones at the plate, but the two share similarities
Cubs aim to go from sellers to contenders: How long will it take?
Joe Maddon never found his footing with Angels: Roundtable
Why don't Canadian teams ever win the Stanley Cup? Exploring eight theories.
