Rebels expect big test from wounded Long Beach State

OXFORD | Ole Miss and Long Beach State begin the year with the same goal, but the first few weeks have much different routes on their respective maps.

The Rebels (8-0) just finished an eight-game homestand against regional lower-level conference opponents and easily passed the weekend challenge of Big South favorite Winthrop. The Southeastern Conference is an RPI giant, so the computers and rankings tests will be in large supply soon.

The weekend visit to Long Beach State is a chance to face quality competition and let the team get a road trip of experience before the more important one to College Station in a few weeks. Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco likes to challenge his team in a different environment early in the conference, but it’s a luxury, not a necessity.

“You need to go on the road and test yourself before conference,” Bianco said. “These games count. It’s not spring training. We go through all the logistics and play a very good team.”

When Long Beach takes the field for the 6 p.m. (PT) opener on Friday, there’s more urgency. It’s a need, and so far it’s not going well.

The Dirtbags (3-6), who were one game from the College World Series last season, have dropped weekend series to St. Mary’s and at TCU and split a midweek two-game matchup with Arizona State. Now it’s the SEC portion of the schedule, with Long Beach facing Ole Miss three times, Vanderbilt once and Texas A&M three times prior to weekends with Tulane and Cal State Fullerton (there’s a conference and non conference series) before conference play.

The schedule is crazy, but for Big West teams trying to secure at-large NCAA bids, it’s just the way of life, and it has the potential of delivering a few lumps along the way. The Dirtbags went 20-4 in conference last season but saw their RPI drop from its nonconference position. The top-heavy Big West has sent a team to the College World Series four straight years, but overall it doesn’t hold up with the computers.

“The way I see it is, the only way we’re going to host again is if you play that schedule and you win at least enough in that schedule,” Long Beach coach Troy Buckley said to D1baseball. “Because, man, it ain’t happening anymore for us little boys. We can’t walk out of our nonconference and just be completely annihilated — which we might. But that can’t impede us from going and competing in our conference, because that may be our only shot this year to get in. We’ll see, it’s so early, but we’ll find out.”

Long Beach knew it had to replace two weekend starters from last year’s rotation and some other pieces, but key injuries have devastated the roster at a time that all resources are needed. Likely staff ace John Sheaks had Tommy John surgery right before the season, and catcher Cole Joy has also missed all of the season to this point.

Starting shortstop Laine Huffman was hitting .300 after six games, but a shoulder flare up has held him out in recent games. Replacement Santino Rivera is 2-of-14 offensively on the season, contributing to Long Beach’s offensive struggles. The Dirtbags had scored 16 combined runs in their first eight games prior to a 16-run outburst against Arizona State on Wednesday.

However, despite the ailments, Long Beach has stayed in most games with pitching and defense. The active players have only four combined errors all season, and Friday starter Zak Baayoun is averaged more than seven innings per start and has a 1.26 ERA. He led LBSU to a 3-2 win over TCU a week ago.

The Dirtbags are hitting .221 as a team but holding opponents to a .243 average. Brooks Shuttler is the only regular hitting over .300. The right fielder is at .364 with an .872 OPS in 33 at-bats.

“I know they've played a extremely difficult schedule,” Bianco said. “Because of that ridiculous schedule you can’t go by the record. Long Beach is a perennial powerhouse on the West Coast and been to Omaha. They are one of the stadiums that is nice and they will draw pretty well. It’ll be a big test for us.”

LBSU: LHP Zak Baayoun, So. 2-0, 1.26 ERA, 2 APP, 2 GS, 14.1 IP, 10 H, 2 ER, 19 K, 5 BB

Ole Miss: LHP Ryan Rolison, So. 2-0, 0.90 ERA, 2 APP, 2 GS, 10 IP, 4 H, 1 ER, 21 K, 4 BB

LBSU: LHP Clayton Andrews, Jr. 0-2, 3.27 ERA, 2 APP, 2 GS, 11 IP, 13 H, 4 ER, 11 K, 3 BB

Ole Miss: RHP Brady Feigl, Jr. 2-0, 0.00 ERA, 2 APP, 2 GS, 12 IP, 8 H, 0 ER, 12 K, 1 BB

LBSU: TBA

Ole Miss: RHP James McArthur, Jr. 0-0, 0.87 ERA, 2 APP, 2 GS, 10.1 IP, 10 H, 1 ER, 10 K, 4 BB