1. There's not much I can write here in this space to add to our coverage of Ole Miss' Oxford Regional championship over the weekend.
The Rebels were dominant in three games, cruising to a title with precious little drama, a far cry from the Black Monday doubleheader nightmare in the same tournament a year ago.
Bottom line: It was redemption for the Rebels' veterans. It officially made the season a success, no matter what happens in Fayetteville this weekend.
This season wasn't ever really easy. Ole Miss, saddled with high expectations and the remnants of heartbreak, struggled in the non-league portion of the schedule, gave away winnable Southeastern Conference games, was swept by Mississippi State and then lost the first two games to Tennessee before salvaging the series finale against the Vols.
Whatever happened in Knoxville changed everything. Ole Miss played well in Hoover, losing the SEC championship by one run to Vanderbilt, earning a home regional and then partying through it without breaking a sweat.
There's something to be said for finding your swagger and playing your best baseball in the postseason, and Ole Miss has done it. No matter what happens in Fayetteville _ and possibly beyond _ this group will leave Oxford remembered fondly. It's proof that few things are more compelling than sports, for few saw this coming just two weeks ago.
Yet, here this team is, two wins from the College World Series, suddenly looking like a team poised to make damage in Omaha if it can get past an equally talented, dangerous Arkansas team.
2. Ole Miss and Arkansas play this weekend in Fayetteville for the right to go to the College World Series in Omaha.
The Rebels and Razorbacks have met five times this season, with Ole Miss winning three and Arkansas winning twice. Four of the games have been undecided until the final innings. Ole Miss won two of three at Baum Stadium earlier this season.
Neither team is intimidated of the other. There will be no surprises. I anticipate a dramatic, highly competitive series. My pick: Ole Miss in three.
3. Tyrus Wheat had never been to Ole Miss prior to Friday. He liked what he saw.
“I’m impressed,” Wheat said. “I didn’t think it was going to be like this. The community, everybody I get around, they’re family. Coach (Tyrone) Nix has been talking to me a lot, like every other day. The campus is really beautiful. It’s the best I’ve ever seen.”
Wheat, a 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker from Copiah-Lincoln (Miss.) Community College, has already visited Auburn and Mississippi State. He plans to visit South Carolina on June 7. He said Friday the Rebels, Bulldogs and Gamecocks stand out at this point.
Ole Miss’ message over the weekend resonated.
“They said everything here involves family,” Wheat said. “They said I could have an immediate impact if I come here. It matters because I’m coming out of (junior college) and I only have two years left.”
Wheat is a December graduate.
4. Memphis (Kirby), Tennessee, defensive end Corbet Mims said he was close to committing to Arkansas State earlier this year.
Instead, Mims said, he slowed the process down and gave it more thought.
“I wanted to take everything in and make sure I choose wisely and make sure my decision is what I really want for the four years I play for anybody, no matter who it is and no matter what the conference is,” Mims said. "I want to show people I’m the person they should’ve had on their team and let people know I’m the one they’ll remember.
“My mom said take it all in before you commit to anything and see what’s going to happen. That’s what I’m doing right now.”
Mims visited Ole Miss over the weekend.
Ole Miss is “real strong, but I believe there are more schools just like them. Like Tennessee and Kentucky, they’re the same as Ole Miss. They came 100 percent and I feel like it’s going to be a hard decision to come to.”
The difference, Mims said, won’t be words.
“I don’t like all talk,” Mims said. "I really want to see it. Actions show more than words.”
5. Nashville (Overton), Tennessee, offensive tackle Chris Washington picked up an offer from Ole Miss in mid-May.
The 6-foot-6, 275-pounder decided to check out the Rebels over the weekend. The visit could prove critical, as Washington said he hopes to make a decision sooner rather than later.
“I’m thinking about making a decision at the end of June,” Washington said.
Ole Miss, Indiana, Western Kentucky and Wake Forest are the schools most on Washington’s mind with just a few weeks left before his self-imposed deadline. The Rebels’ membership in the SEC could push them over the top.
“That’s pretty high up there with the competition over here in the Southeast,” Washington said. “It’s going to be pretty fun.”
6. Dietrick Pennington has more time than Washington to make a decision. The 6-foot-5, 310-pound rising junior from Cordova (Evangelical Christian), Tennessee, is in no hurry to choose his college home.
He has plenty of choices. Georgia, Clemson, Tennessee, Arkansas and Ole Miss, among others, have offered. Pennington was back in Oxford over the weekend, checking out what is now a familiar locale. Pennington visited Ole Miss twice last season and the Rebels figure to be a factor in the race for his signature next fall.
“This is a pretty good school,” Pennington said. “I love the facilities.”
Ole Miss defensive coordinator Mike MacIntyre is recruiting Pennington for the Rebels. Pennington, like a lot of high-profile recruits, wants to see what the Rebels look like on the field this fall. Again, he’s in no rush, and that could work to Ole Miss’ benefit.
“I’m not that close,” Pennington said. “I’m going to wait until my senior year.”
7. Pennington’s ECS teammate and classmate, running back Jaylen Greenwood, was also in Oxford over the weekend. He’s picked up several Group of 5 offers recently, and several Power 5 programs, including Ole Miss, have been flirting.
“I had to open my mind up to thinking I have to start getting serious and make sure I pay attention to all things,” Greenwood said.
The 5-foot-8, 175-pound Greenwood could be a fit in Rich Rodriguez’s offense. His speed and shiftiness in the open field could be utilized in the Rebels’ system if it’s similar to the one Rodriguez employed at stops in West Virginia, Michigan and Arizona.
“I think it’s very interesting to my ability because I’m a speed back,” Greenwood said. “I like to juke and I’m very mobile. I’m very interested in it.
“I’m looking for what’s going to have the best interest for me, what’s going to help me out in the long run. If it’s not going to give me the best fit or help me out for where my goals are _ I want to be an NFL running back _ so I’ve got to be at the best college that had the right mindset for me.”
8. Former Ole Miss guard Terence Davis has had a spectacular offseason, climbing draft charts for the past several weeks.
Davis' game has questions marks. There's no denying that. His defensive awareness has been called into question, as has his consistency on the offensive end.
However, he's been dialed in since the end of the Ole Miss season, and his athleticism and playmaking abilities have NBA teams thinking he might be a three-and-D guy off an NBA bench, a defender capable of locking down opposing guards and becoming the type of shooter that can give a team points in spurts.
Personally, I find it hard to believe Davis goes in the first round of the NBA draft later this month, but crazier things have happened. I think he goes in the second round, plays in the G League and gets time to prove himself.
I will say this: I think Ole Miss is an NCAA tournament team again next March, but make no mistake; replacing Davis is going to be tougher than some are giving it credit for being. He was a playmaker in Oxford and he came up big on several occasions. He will be missed, and replacing him could include some growing pains.
9. Jonathan Howard is back this week with the drink of the week. Here’s Jonathan:
The Rebs walked though the Oxford Regional setting up a clash with the Arkansas Razorbacks in Fayetteville. Given our struggles in the regional as of late, I felt this performance is something to celebrate. And, in typical Swayze fashion, lets celebrate with beer instead of the typical champagne. So a shandy style cocktail of my own creation, Mellow Yellow, is your drink of the week.
The Shandy is as simple a drink as they come. Mainly imbibed in Western Europe, the drink consists of equal parts beer to soda, lemonade or fruit juice. Now the type of beer and accompanying soda or juice opens up a plethora of opportunities, especially with the amount of beer at our disposal. I also tend to add spirit to the mix, cause why the hell not?
You can add gin to a mixture of lemonade and witte beer, or apple brandy to a mixture of limeade and pear cider. All very simple and really tasty. At Henley, we currently have a variation on a Shandy called Mellow Yellow. The drink starts with Roca Patron Tequila. Roca Patron is different than its namesake, in that the agave are crushed by a large wheel made of volcanic rock rather than the machine-crushing process typical in modern tequila-making. To that, we add fresh lemon, agave nectar and salt. We then add fresh juiced yellow bell pepper for its natural sweetness and it's very cool vegetal quality. Then we give it a quick shake and top it with Mantra Saffron IPA for a refreshing bitterness.
The drink is savory, fresh and a perfect Shandy variation for a beautiful fall day!
Mellow Yellow
1.5 oz. Patron Roca Blanco
.5 oz. Lemon Juice
.5 oz Agave Nectar (cut in half with water)
.75 oz Yellow Bell Pepper Juice
Dash Salt
Top Mantra Saffron IPA
Directions: In a mixing tin, add salt, tequila, Agave and juices. Ice up the tin and shake briefly. Fine strain into a pilsner glass, add ice and top with IPA. Give it a quick stir, and if you must, garnish with a bell pepper slice but it isn't needed.
Cheers!
10. We’ll have coverage of Ole Miss baseball, football recruiting, baseball draft developments and whatever else comes up this week on RebelGrove.com. Until then, here are some links of interest to me _ and hopefully, to you _ for your reading pleasure:
“The Bane of My Existence”: U.K. Sportswriting’s Access Crisis - The Ringer
Pelinka saddened and disheartened by Magic's comments (1:26)
Big Ten will reveal its new commissioner Tuesday; Northwestern's Jim Phillips seen as the favorite
James Holzhauer on Losing Jeopardy: 'It's Been a Great Ride' | The Action Network
