HOOVER | Mike Bianco said circumstances prevented Ryan Olenek from pitching often during the second half of the season.

As Ole Miss begins the postseason on Tuesday against Missouri (34-21-1, 13-16-1) at 1 p.m. in the single elimination part of the SEC Tournament, circumstances have changed.

Olenek hadn’t pitched since April 2 when he got three straight outs versus Tennessee to give Ole Miss (33-23, 16-14) a save in the final game of the regular season.

The everyday center fielder threw eight strikes out of 12 pitches, topping at 89 MPH with his fastball. He’s only thrown five innings over five appearances this season, giving up a run on two hits with five strikeouts and two walks.

“I had to psych myself out a little since I hadn’t done it in so long,” Olenek said. “I gave everything I had. All I know is I needed to throw strikes.”

The Ole Miss-Missouri winner advances to the double elimination portion of the tournament Wednesday against Arkansas at 1 p.m.

The turn to Olenek came somewhat out of necessity as season-long closer Parker Caracci has allowed 13 runs on 11 hits with five walks in his last five innings pitched — dating over five different appearances.

Austin Miller, the other often-used reliever, walked three batters in 0.2 innings his last appearance and has pitched less than one complete inning in five of his last six outings. He was good to serviceable in three of those appearances, as the situations called for shorter stints.

“At the beginning of year we ran Olenek out there a few times and he was getting better, but for several reasons that I blame myself for he didn’t pitch much.

“(For much of the season) Austin Miller had been good and Parker Caracci had been good. The numbers over that month and a half were good. And Ryan, to fit him in, he had the hip issue and the virus. It’s been tough to make that happen. And on that Saturday we really needed to throw him for all the reasons I just said. Maybe those things have changed. We need another arm.”

Houston Roth is another late-inning option, as he hasn’t given up a run in his last eight innings spread over five outings. Bianco said Olenek would pitch this week but is unsure how so can bounce back after an appearance.

Tyler Myers threw 3.1 scoreless innings over two relief opportunities against the Volunteers.

Missouri will counter Ole Miss’ Will Ethridge with sophomore right-hander Konnor Ash, who last pitched on Thursday, as well.

The Gators tagged Ash for five runs in five innings, though he struck out four with one walk. A week prior against Vanderbilt, Ash threw five shutout innings, holding the Commodores to three hits.

He has a 4.53 ERA over 22 appearances with 60 strikeouts and 27 walks in 49.2 innings. He threw two shutout innings against Ole Miss earlier this season. SEC opponents are hitting .209 off him in 2019.

Freshman Knox Loposer took batting practice in shorts on Monday at the Hoover Met.

The Jackson, Mississippi, native is on crutches to deal with a stress fracture around his left knee, but he’s slowly working back from the injury.

"They have to gauge his pain level,” Bianco said. “They don’t think it’s ready yet, but we have to make sure he can hit whenever he can to get ready. If he can get off crutches for 10 minutes, then let’s have him hit for 10 minutes. You shorten that gap and when he’s ready to play it hasn’t been four or five weeks since he’s swung."

Loposer is 9-for-41 this season but hasn’t had a plate appearance since April 27.