Ole Miss is a week away from packing the bus, hopping on a plane and spending four days in Arlington, Texas to open the season.

The Rebels begin 2025 at Globe Life Field, facing No. 21 Arizona at 3 p.m. on February 14, No. 19 Texas at 7 p.m. on February 15 and No. 15 Clemson on February 16 at 2:30 p.m. UM and Texas don’t play a regular season conference series.

The Ole Miss game will be Clemson coach Erik Bakich’s first of the season because of a two-game suspension that was handed down last year after an ejection in the super regional loss to Florida.

SEC coaches picked the Rebels to finish 15th in the SEC, and Hunter Elliott received second team preseason honors, the league announced on Wednesday.

“I think (the coaches in the tournament) probably all have a little bit of angst opening it up with this type of caliber weekend,” said Mike Bianco, who begins his 25th season leading the Rebels. “On the road, I think we would all love to do this two or three weeks into the season, but the truth of the matter is everybody is in the same boat. I know our guys are super excited.”

Ole Miss played in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown once before, in 2021. The Rebels won the event that season, going 3-0 with wins against Texas, Texas Tech and TCU. All three were in the top 10 to open that season. Ole Miss lost to Arizona in the Tucson Super Regional to close the year.

The Rebels always play one nonconference weekend away from Swayze Field, and while some of the reasons are different, the need to travel and do a dress rehearsal on the road before SEC play is needed.

Ole Miss hired Joel Mangrum, formerly the Cleveland Guardians Minor League Pitching Coordinator, last summer, and it’s the first time in Bianco’s tenure that someone else will call pitches and primarily handle the pitching staff.

Mangrum will use the opening weekend at the Texas Rangers’ stadium to fine tune his schedule for the five other weekends during the season.

Ole Miss has an experienced team, but with transfers making up a considerable part of the roster that’s likely to play meaningful innings, the road trip is valuable to get the newness of how the Rebels travel out of the way.

“We got a lot of new faces,” Bianco said. “It doesn't matter if you've been an experienced guy, you probably did it at another program.

"We have some returners… but the other thing that's probably been as much of an education is Joel Mangrum and trying to figure out when he's going to have his meetings. Things he feels that are important and the itinerary. That's been a learning experience, as well.”