Rebels to try to maximize recruiting windows with 2023 season complete
OXFORD | Mike Bianco, minutes after the dreadful 2023 season ended, said the only thing to do is move forward.
Alabama took both games from Ole Miss in a Friday doubleheader, beating the Rebels 12-2 in seven innings and 5-1 to sweep the series and hand Ole Miss its sixth straight loss to end the year.
The Rebels finish 6-24 in the SEC, tying the 1997 team for the program’s worst league record since the schedule expanded to 30 conference games. That was also, prior to this year, the last time the Rebels didn’t win 30 overall games, breaking the longest active streak in the SEC.
“Just disappointing,” Mike Bianco said. “It’s easy to look back at some injuries and surely that was cause for a lot, but there are other things. Things we have to look back at and fix and we will fix. We’ll hit the ground running recruiting as early as tomorrow and fix this. It’s disappointing, and for that we’re all very sorry.”
Bianco will hold exit meetings with players on Saturday and Sunday before they leave for summer ball or just the break between semesters. The assistant coaches will hit the road for a high school and junior college recruiting window that lasts another 10 days before a short dead period.
Exit meetings will give Ole Miss a first glimpse into the mindset of current players moving forward and reveal some players who won't return next season.
The all-important transfer portal window opens May 29 and runs until July 13 — two days after the MLB First Year Player Draft finishes up. June will be an active period for Ole Miss to replenish its roster with transfers.
The Rebels are most concerned with the high school draft situations of infielder Cooper Pratt, catcher Campbell Smithwick and pitchers Zander Mueth and Josh Knoth.
A year ago Ole Miss was the last team to turn its complete attention to recruiting. Now, the Rebels need to find the slim silver lining in being done before most programs.
“When you look to the next year, we’re done with this year,” Bianco said. “Other teams are trying to combo it, and we have all our attention there. It’s not the position you want to be in, but we certainly will try to take advantage of it.”
Kemp Alderman is one of the finalists for the Ferriss Trophy, given annually to Mississippi’s top collegiate baseball player. Bianco and Alderman will go to Jackson for the ceremony on Monday.
“The biggest thing is to get organized,” Bianco said. “(Carl Lafferty) and them will hit the ground running recruiting-wise… We have to get on the road for the next week to see games and then put together a plan for the rest of the summer.”
Bianco is the second-highest paid coach nationally, after he signed the four-year agreement last summer. His contract automatically rolls over to the four-year maximum if he’s not informed differently within seven days of the Rebels’ final game.
Assistants Lafferty and Mike Clement are on multi-year agreements.