OXFORD | The negatives from the lost COVID season are nearly innumerable, but the aftermath of 2020 is an embarrassment of riches with the Ole Miss pitching staff.

The Rebels were already slated to have an elite stable of arms, but the extra year of eligibility kept Austin Miller and Taylor Broadway around for this year, shifting roles and giving Mike Bianco even more options aplenty through the first week of the season.

The depth was obvious during Ole Miss’ undefeated weekend in Arlington, Texas, against a trio of then-top 10 Big 12 teams, and more candidates for innings suffocated Arkansas State, 12-1, during a blowout win that looked like the top team in the country against a Sun Belt squad playing its first game.

Drew McDaniel allowed one run on two hits in 4.1 innings, and five different relievers combined to shutout the Red Wolves the rest of the way. Ole Miss struck out 18 as a staff, scattering three hits with two walks.

“You have to show out because you know there are plenty of other guys who can do the same thing as you,” McDaniel said.

Ole Miss (4-0) has thrown 15 different pitchers through four games. Two freshmen — Josh Mallitz and Cody Adock — have broken through, but the other 13 are all returners jockeying for position compared to previous seasons.

McDaniel and left-hander Jackson Kimbrell both made their second appearances of the season before Adcock, Wes Burton and Tyler Myers touched the mound for the first time.

Adcock struck out the side on 17 pitches, showing off a 93 MPH fastball, Burton struck out two with an efficient seven pitches for his three outs, and Myers returned for the first time from Tommy John surgery to get the final three outs by strikeout after a leadoff double.

“Burton just looked dominant and Tyler at the end, it’s tough off a redshirt year where you had surgery,” Bianco said. “Opening pitch is a double and then he handles it and strikes out three in a row. Really happy for those guys.”

Myers had surgery February 2020.

“Some of it is COVID but not necessarily all of it,” Bianco said about his pitching depth. “A couple classes with really good arms and we’ve pitched 15 guys. You’d have to look at the last time we’ve pitched 15 guys (in a season), and we’ve done it in four games. They’ve all pitched well. They’ve all competed and thrown it in the strike zone.

“We knew Adcock was going to be a part of it and certainly Burton and Myers.”

Ole Miss threw 14 different pitchers more than one inning during the entire 2019 season.

McDaniel struck out five through three innings and then added three straight strikeouts after Arkansas State hit a solo home run for the only blemish. He exited after 71 pitches, tiring toward the end and losing some velocity. That was the most pitches he’s thrown this calendar year, not getting to 70 in any spring intrasquad.

“He was dominant and how he was all fall and spring,” Bianco said. “It’s an explosive fastball and it’s an above average breaking ball and an above average changeup. He just ran out of juice.”

Kimbrell came in with two on and one out in the fifth and coaxed a strikeout and ground ball to strand the runners and keep McDaniel’s line intact.

“He gets the left-hander in a sticky situation, again, and gets off the field,” Bianco said.

Ole Miss’ bullpen has given up one run in 19.1 innings this season.