OXFORD | Mike Bianco has caught a lot of baseballs behind the plate, but one of the most special ones happened on Sunday.

The Ole Miss coach’s father, Ron, threw out the first pitch before game three of the Delaware series at Swayze Field.

Ron Bianco was a catcher for Delaware in 1963 and 1964 and was a wide receiver on Delaware’s UPI small college national championship team in 1963. The Blue Hens that season went 8-0 and had their finale with Bucknell canceled following President John F. Kennedy’s assassination.

The Bianco-to-Bianco pitch crossed the heart of the strike zone, and they embraced in front of the mound. Ole Miss beat Delaware, 14-4, in eight innings to sweep the series. Mike Bianco is in his 23rd season as the Rebels head coach and has the third-most wins in Southeastern Conference history, 13 behind Skip Bertman for second place.

Bianco played for Bertman at LSU for two seasons in 1989 and 1990 and coached with him from 1993-1997. He’s widely known as one of Bertman’s top proteges, but he said on Sunday that his dad, who last coached him when he was 12 years old, has always been his first influence.

“Just really cool,” Mike Bianco said. “I wouldn’t be here (without him). We all have people help us throughout our lives — mentors parents, coaches. So much is said about coach Bertman which is certainly deserving, but that’s my first coach, that’s the person I learned from. It’s pretty cool.”

Bianco’s mother, Nina, passed away in 2014.

Ron Bianco was inducted in his high school hall of fame a few years ago, and Mike, who was born in Wilmington, Delaware, in 1967. wanted to take him around the Delaware campus while in town for the ceremony at Conrad High School.

He didn’t know then-Delaware baseball coach Jim Sherman, but he called him and asked if anyone could navigate them, along with Mike’s brother, Ron, around campus.

“He showed us around for about three hours and was so gracious,” Bianco saiid. “I told him that if he ever wanted to come to Oxford for three games, let us know, and he said ‘yeah I’ll come whenever.’ That’s how it all happened.”

Sherman, after coaching the Blue Hens for 22 years as head coach and 28 total years on staff, retired following the 2022 season.

Ole Miss continues its nine-game homestand with Arkansas State Tuesday at 4 p.m. The Rebels host Maryland in a three-game set beginning Friday.