Parham: Hawaii causes Rebels to see true early reflection
Hawaii is a bit of a mirror for Ole Miss this weekend.
The Rainbow Warriors — No. 76 in the NET last season — are fundamentally sound and good enough to take advantage of miscues. They pitch it OK and hit it OK and typically field it a little better than OK. It’s a solid baseball team.
It’s not an SEC baseball team or a particularly talented team across the board, though. If you play well, you win. If you play average, it’s a fight and if you play poorly, you lose. Ole Miss has experienced all of that in just under 24 hours in Honolulu.
After a scrappy 13-inning win on Friday, Ole Miss dominated Hawaii, 5-2, in the first seven-inning game on Saturday, and the Warriors routed the Rebels in the seven-inning nightcap, 9-1.
The two teams meet at 5:05 p.m. CT on Sunday for the final game of the weekend.
Baseball seasons aren’t solved in three games. This is nothing more than the amuse bouche for whatever is to come. Knee-jerk and definitive are both to be avoided in this content. There’s a long way to go.
Now, in saying that, some things are evident. That starts with the need for better starting pitching.
JT Quinn went 3.1 innings on Friday. Gunnar Dennis danced around and gave up only two runs in four innings, but that included four hits, three walks, two hit by pitches and two double plays. Not enough strikes. Not enough getting ahead. Not enough length.
“Gunnar Dennis wasn’t sharp but hung in there and did what he needed to get off the field,” Mike Bianco said. “Strike percentage wise and command with four pitches is what he’s been about, and he didn’t do that today.”
Grayson Saunier lasted 3.2 innings and gave up four hits, three walks and five runs — four earned. He struck out five and threw 43 strikes in 69 pitches. The talent seems an eyelash from being execution, but it fell short on Saturday.
“Uncharacteristic from Grayson where he really commanded four different pitches all fall and spring and didn’t do that,” Bianco said. “He kind of settled in after that and pitched well but couldn’t get off the field at the end.”
From a starting pitching standpoint, it’s three starts and only 11 total innings pitched.
The bullpen was brilliant on Friday, and Wes Mendes followed up his terrific practices with three dominant innings on Saturday. He allowed one runner and struck out four in three scoreless innings. It’s worth remembering moving forward. Whatever the recipe is, it’s not what the starters have provided with the stats so far.
Offensively, it’s been two games of rough and one game of competent, consistent offense. On Friday, Ole Miss was 3-for-27 with runners on base. In game one Saturday, the Rebels were good, hitting two home runs and three doubles, walking a couple times and striking out only four times in seven innings.
An hour later, Ole Miss didn’t have a hit until the fifth and and finished with three hits total. The Rebels struck out 11 times. There’s not proven, returning star power with this offense. The DNA is supposed to be walks, efficiency one-through-nine and depth along with a few high-ceiling possibilities to emerge as all-league options.
“We have to compete and have better at-bats and not make it so easy on them,” Bianco said.
The truth is things could go in a number of directions offensively. Ole Miss starts two true everyday returners in Ethan Groff and Ethan Lege, and both seem to be comfortable and improved. The Rebels appear to maybe be elite defensively in the outfield.
The lineup, on paper, makes sense at the plate, but it’s a lot of new players are transitioning in different ways. The only answer here is time. Last season didn't happen by accident, and this move to repair the roster requires more than two days to see what chemistry is possible.
Ole Miss has to be better on the mound and at the plate. The starters have to give more, and the order has to be more efficient. There are also pieces I like and expect to grow into considerable weapons.
That’s the mirror. That’s what facing Hawaii has provided. Now it’s on to Sunday. Ole Miss needs one more win. That’ll make looking in in the actual mirror more manageable.