Ole Miss hits Swayze Field for the first time as a team Friday with a 2:15 intrasquad to open preseason practice. The Rebels have been doing individual drills since returning from Christmas break and three weeks until the season opener against Winthrop.

Every player has goals for these days until it all begins, but there are certain early storylines that could shape the early part of the season for the Rebels. Here are five players who need to continue or establish momentum leading up to the regular season.

Dillard his .206 with a .677 OPS (on-base plus slugging) during his freshman season. There were several highlights early, including a .500 average during the sweep of East Carolina, but some mechanical issues and difficulty in SEC play led to a loss of confidence in the later parts of the season. To his credit, he was third on the team in walks with fewer at-bats than a lot of his teammates.

He played in the Cape League during the summer and worked hard in the fall to repair his swing and stay within himself at the plate. Dillard hit .460 during fall intrasquads and only hit three home runs on Oxford High School's field -- a positive, as he tried to work the whole field and stay out of the boom-or-bust mindset. He's expected to play left field for the Rebels, and he's certainly an X-factor, as there's a ton of talent and athleticism in his bulky frame.

Dillard needs early success and for the approach at OHS to carry over to Swayze. For Ole Miss to fulfill high expectations, it likely can't afford for Dillard to slump as a sophomore.

The junior right-hander had a big summer in the Cal Ripken Collegiate League, putting up an 0.69 ERA in 38.2 innings. Caracci had a 4-t0-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio and gained confidence, as he tries to break into the Ole Miss staff with a significant role.

[Related: Caracci having fun again after successful summer]

Caracci hasn't made the 35-man roster in either of his first two seasons in Oxford, and there were some doubts about his standing on the team after last season. However, with the summer he had and a productive fall, there's the realistic chance for him to have a niche on this deep, talented staff.

Caracci also had a good fall in 2016 but didn't follow that with good showings during the preseason last year. This time, he's better equipped to find consistency, and he can give the Rebels another bullpen arm to handle the 56-game regular season. If he has a poor few weeks, the overall depth of the team could force him to the outside when it comes time to define the pecking order.

The Crowder Community College transfer needs at-bats against live pitching after tearing multiple ligaments in his foot on the first day of fall practice. Ole Miss coaches are incredibly excited about his ability to start or add depth in the infield once he has the rust off.

He can play second, third or shortstop, and he was known in junior college for his plate discipline. Adams walked 52 times as a sophomore for the Roughriders and has been full speed for two months now.

[Related: Transfer infielder should find a role for Rebs]

"It’s all about approach and having a plan," Adams said about quality at-bats. "You have to know the situation and know what you want to do when you walk up there. There can't be indecision when the pitch is coming."

This weekend will be the Rebels' first game-situation impression of Adams, and any lingering effects from the injury could set him back as far as finding a role. If he is as advertised, Ole Miss will have another piece to strengthen its defense.

The freshman enters the spring as the favorite to start at third base and replace Colby Bortles. The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder has excellent hands for a bigger player and should be solid defensively. Offensively, there's power potential, and he's expected to be a middle-of-the-order threat at some point in his career.

There are steps to a transition of this magnitude, and it's important for the Ole Miss freshmen fighting for starting spots to handle the moments and the emotions in these intrasquads leading up to the season. Keenan is in a really good place to this point, and he needs to carry the success over to Swayze -- a similar task to Dillard.

The infield will almost certainly have two freshmen as starters, as Anthony Servideo has a decent hold on the competition at second base, and Keenan and Tim Elko are primarily the candidates at third base. Those two can also slip over to first base when Nick Fortes takes his turn at catcher.

This sounds crazy that the ace of the staff is in the group of players with important preseasons beginning today, but for Ryan Rolison it's just about handling the expectations and making sure to stay detail-oriented and on pace with his throwing program before February 16.

[Related: Perfect Game high on Rebels, Rolison]

The preseason All-American and expected first round pick is in a new role as the face of the program, and while he's incredibly mature and should handle it fine, it's an adjustment for any player. Rolison didn't pitch during the fall, so this is his first live action in a while, and he has a few starts to get game ready before a good matchup against Winthrop.

The Eagles are picked to win the Big South, and Winthrop ace Nate Pawelczyk is the conference preseason pitcher of the year. Rolison's opposing starter on opening day was All-Big South last season and led the league in ERA (2.23), wins (7), opponent batting average (.192) and runs allowed (23).