Ole Miss hits the road for the first time this season, following a 7-1 record during the eight-game opening homestand. It’s a couple early games in the Eastern time zone wrapped around the marquee game of the tournament against host No. 21 East Carolina at 3:30 p.m. (CT) on Saturday.

The No. 15 Rebels open against High Point at 11 a.m. (CT) on Friday and close versus Indiana at 10 a.m. (CT) Sunday.

Derek Diamond has been the steady, consistent presence Ole Miss hoped for on Sundays so far this season, giving up only four earned runs in 10.2 combined innings with seven strikeouts and a walk. The Rebels are 2-0 in his starts, including the series clincher against then-No. 1 Louisville two weeks ago.

A Perfect Game top 50 prospect out of Ramona, California, Diamond shows the poise of an upperclassman and hasn’t been rattled when in trouble to this point, pumping the strike zone with a fastball in the low 90s that can max in the mid 90s.

“He’s been terrific,” Mike Bianco said.

Diamond gave up an unearned run in his first collegiate inning after a botched rundown but ended the inning a batter later and threw up three straight zeroes following that to keep Ole Miss within range. Then, following back-to-back home runs on elevated pitches to start the fifth inning, Diamond retired three straight hitters to not let the situation compound.

He needed 70 pitches for five innings against Xavier last week. The only blemish was a solo home run.

The right-hander is a future Friday night starter, but he’s positioned well for his freshman season behind Doug Nikhazy and Gunnar Hoglund. His command in the strike zone is a key, and the second pitches are progressing well. But, to this point, it’s his ability to have a short memory and escape spiraling situations that has been most impressive.

It’s also the key for any Sunday starter. He’s not only keeping the Rebels in games but dictating them at times. This is a nice test against Indiana which has won four straight since opening the season with two losses to LSU. The Hoosiers did beat the Tigers, on Sunday, in Baton Rouge, scoring seven runs.

Ole Miss has a lot of outfield options this season, but through two weeks, there aren’t a lot of answers. The Rebels are using left-right matchups as a way to get more players in the lineup and figure out the best group as SEC play inches closer.

Hayden Leatherwood has been the most consistent option in limited opportunities thus far, with an OPS of 1.734 in 11 at-bats as well as three walks. He’s started four games but only hitting against right-handers to this point. That could change, Bianco admits. Leatherwood said he struggled against lefties as a freshman at Northwest Mississippi Community College but has improved since then.

“It’s unfair to think the left-handers can’t hit left-handers and right-handers can’t hit right-handers,” Bianco said. “But I think this early when we’re trying so many different lineups and so many different guys, you try to put them in the spot to succeed best. Sometimes you want to see them against left-handers and sometimes you have to win the game and put your beset option there.

“It’s still early and we’re far from a finished product and what the lineup is going to look like.”

Outside of Leatherwood, no outfielder has consistently flashed with the bat. Tim Elko is 5-for-19 with an .807 OPS, but he’s also Ole Miss’ best defensive first baseman. Otherwise, all outfielders are hitting .200 or worse in this small sample size.

Kevin Graham and Justin Bench have the most at-bats in that group thus far and are 4-fo-20 and 4-for-22 respectively. Cade Sammons is 2-for-14 and Jerrion Ealy is 1-for-8. John Rhys Plumleee and Trey LaFleur are hitless in seven and four at-bats, respectively.

Doug Nikhazy will, of course, go for the Rebels this morning against High Point, and the Panthers counter with right-hander Harrison Smith.

Smith is 2-0 with a 1.46 ERA, 14 strikeouts and three walks. The 5-foot-10 redshirt senior went 5.1 innings of three-hit, two-earned-run work against Lafayette and followed it with seven shutout innings with two hits against Towson.

He's given up only two extra base hits this season, while the Rebels lead the nation with 17 home runs.