ARLINGTON | Mike Bianco told his team after the run-rule loss to Texas on Saturday to shower well before they got on the bus for Sunday’s weekend finale versus Clemson.
The symbolism being to wash all of it away and get ready for a new opportunity. Baseball is like that – momentum is short-lived and chances come with each game. Ole Miss didn’t hit, pitch or catch effectively against the Longhorns, but it didn’t linger at all.
The Rebels, armed with a new lineup from the one used against a different lefty the day prior, battered Clemson with 13 hits and four home runs on the way to the 15-5 seven-inning, run-rule victory that secured two out of three wins in the Shriner’s College Classic. It was the first loss of the season for the Tigers, who had beaten Oklahoma State and Arizona in consecutive days.
“The biggest takeaway is we showed up today,” Mike Bianco said. “They beat us up yesterday, and here we responded. We hadn’t done that much the last couple years. We beat a good team and played very well.”
Ole Miss (2-1) scored three runs in the first, four in the second, third and seventh innings to separate and build as much as an eight-run lead by the fourth and put it away three innings later. Eight of the nine spots in the order had at least two quality at-bats.
The Rebels went 2-for-21 against Texas lefty Luke Harrison on Saturday, prompting a major lineup adjustment. Three new players entered – freshman Hayden Federico and transfers Collin Reuter and Luke Cheng – and none of the other six were in the same spot as the day before.
Ole Miss tagged sidearm lefty Luke LeGuernic for six hits, seven run, two home runs and three total extra base hits in 1.2 innings. He threw 31 of 49 pitches for strikes, but some strikes left the bat in the triple digits.
“We got some really good swings and didn’t chase pitches,” Bianco said. “We got walks and focused on balls in the zone and didn’t miss them.”
Luke Hill hit two home runs, a triple and had five RBIs and four runs scored. He reached base five times. Ryan Moerman hit a three-run homer in the first, and Judd Utermark’s second-inning two-run shot went 449 feet at 116 MPH.
“We came out with a little swag and confidence,” Hill said. “We struck to our approach. Yesterday we allowed the starter to play his own game, but today we dictated things.”
The new additions all contributed, as well. Federico, hitting leadoff in his first collegiate action, went 3-for-5 with a double, Reuter had two hits, and Cheng was productive in the nine-hole with a sacrifice bunt, walk, sacrifice fly and hit by pitch.
Friday’s win over Arizona featured the perfect pitching script with Ole Miss getting Hunter Elliott, Mason Morris and Connor Spencer all involved in the low-scoring victory. Today was about the offense and it would look in a textbook about the season.
Ole Miss hopes it built a deep, diverse roster that can find gaps and bleachers while moving runners in the back half of the order. The first four in the lineup had 12 RBIs and six extra base hits, and the bottom three combined for three hits, two walks, two sacrifices and a hit by pitch.
“I’m proud of all the guys who got in for the first time today,” Bianco said. “That’s so many productive at-bats throughout the order. Everyone gave us something.”
The Rebels’ 2-1 tournament record ties for the best of the weekend with Louisville and Clemson. Arizona went 0-3, and Texas and Oklahoma State are both 1-1 heading into the last game of the day.
Ole Miss hit .444 with runners on and .500 with runners in scoring position. The lead off batter reached in five of the first seven innings.
The Rebels were 10-for-21 against lefties. The perfect bounce back that secured a successful weekend.
“We fought and really showed up with a great mindset,” Bianco said. “I’m really proud of them for today.”
