OXFORD | The 15 minutes before the game began and the initial two innings of 2023 provided the satisfactory sights and experiences for opening day.

Former Rebel Tim Elko threw out the ceremonial first pitch to fellow program alumnus Hayden Dunhurst with teammates Derek Diamond, Hayden Leatherwood and Ben Cleve flanked to his left and right. Multiple videos commemorated last season’s national title team and welcomed fans to the new season.

The national championship logo debuted on the left-center wall, and fans lined up early for the replica trophies given to the earliest of those in attendance.

Ole Miss dominated Delaware, 11-2, on Friday, looking back and then surging ahead when Peyton Chatagnier put the Rebels up four runs in the second inning with a 399-foot, three-run home run to center field. Ole Miss put up six in the inning and coasted from there to start the season.

[Box Score: Ole Miss 11, Delaware 2]

“We challenged them to not watch the first five innings,” Bianco said. “Don’t miss the first five innings because you’re just taking it in. Be aggressive. Don’t be nervous or try to be perfect. Just play and get it going. They certainly did tonight.”

The series continues at 12 p.m. Saturday. Ole Miss freshman right-hander Grayson Saunier will make his collegiate debut.

Ole Miss didn’t score for four straight innings starting in the fourth but then the Rebels exploded against the Blue Hens, hitting three home runs in the eighth inning. TJ McCants and Will Furniss went back to back, and then Ethan Groff hit a two-run homer for Ole Miss’ final tally.

Furniss, son of LSU great Eddy Furniss, hit the 371-foot shot out of right field in his first collegiate at-bat. McCants’ home run went 402 feet. Groff, a transfer from Tulane, also hit his 371 feet.

“Furniss is a hitter; his dad was one of the all-time greats,” Bianco said. “It’s tough to do what he did and sit on the bench on a cold night and put that at-bat together.”

Bianco was an assistant coach at LSU during Eddy Furniss’ career.

Chatagnier, McCants, Kemp Alderman and Northwestern transfer Anthony Calarco all picked up two hits apiece. The Rebels had 13 for the game. One of Calarco’s hits had a game-high 113 MPH exit speed.

Ole Miss, as a team, struck out five times and walked six times.

“We’ve watched it all spring, one through nine we’re solid,” Bianco said.

Hunter Elliott retired the first nine hitters he faced and gave up two runs in five innings on three hits. The sophomore struck out nine, including three straight in the first inning, and walked one on 90 pitches.

Bryce Greenly hit a solo home run to start the fourth, and Delaware had three straight reach with a single, a walk and another single later in the frame.

“Probably just missed a couple pitches in the fourth against a veteran lineup,” Bianco said. “This was a day that if you got up in the air, it had a shot. Then he left a breaking ball out over the plate. Besides that, he was really sharp.”

Elliott struck out the side again in the fifth to close his day.

Freshman JT Quinn made his debut with a scoreless inning, Mitch Murrell threw two innings, and Matt Parenteau closed out the ninth. All three relievers walked a leadoff batter during their outings but worked out of it.

The Rebels rushed Parenteau into the game once Ole Miss scored four runs in the eighth inning. Without the extra insurance, Mason Nichols would have pitched the ninth.

“I was really happy with all those guys,” Bianco said. “With Murrell and Parenteau, I don’t know if they get out of it last year. But they showed maturity and handled it. Those are building blocks for us.”

The paid crowd of 11,242 watched the teams score 13 combined runs in 2 hours, 43 minutes. The pitch clock sped up play, though Bianco said several times the clock operator put 20 seconds on the clock between hitters instead of the 30 seconds that’s supposed to be the rule for between batters.

The Rebels thought it affected them on offense more than on the mound.