Phil and Katie Rabe will leave Greenville, South Carolina, around 7:30 a.m. on Wednesday and spend the final hours of the nearly two-year wait driving to Oxford, Mississippi.
Their son, Taylor, is the starting pitcher for Ole Miss when the Rebels host Murray State at 4 p.m. in Oxford. No. 17 Ole Miss (10-1) has won nine straight, while Murray State is 7-0 after a weekend sweep of Little Rock.
The call came on Monday with Taylor telling his parents he is scheduled to start versus the Racers, ending an unexpected chapter for the redshirt freshman. Phil, who works in sales, and Katie, a special education teacher, made the arrangements to be out of town and at Swayze Field to watch their son.
“We’re just super excited,” Phil Rabe said. “I know he’s going to have some nervousness, but he’s just playing a game, and he wants the ball. We knew we have to be there.”
Taylor Rabe hasn’t pitched in a game since May 5, 2023, when he allowed one run in a 2-1 win over Catawba Ridge in the South Carolina 4A Playoffs. It gave Greenville a bye and set up two opportunities to advance to the state championship with another win over Catawba Ridge a week later.
A few days following Rabe’s win, the South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year was taking live batting practice, when a teammate lost control of a pitch. It hit Rabe in the face and fractured his septum – ending his season. Greenville lost to Catawba Ridge twice to exit the playoffs.
“It’s just one of those things that happens, and it was all over right there,” Phil Rabe said. “We were set up great with our pitching, and that was a tough one for Taylor.”
Rabe signed with Ole Miss over in-state schools South Carolina and Clemson and was expected to have a role last season with the Rebels. Instead, he experienced elbow discomfort during the preseason and eventually had Tommy John surgery on February 21, 2024.
Texas Rangers team surgeon and industry leader Keith Meister performed the operation. Meister also operated on Ole Miss lefty Hunter Elliott.
“Initially we thought it was muscle tightness, and we didn’t think UCL, but then after the MRI, he called us, and he was shaken up and dejected,” Phil Rabe said. “Ole Miss was great. Their approach is they want the athlete to make the decision ultimately as to who will perform the surgery. Ole Miss will pay to let you go anywhere and talked to whomever and see as many doctors as you need to see.”
The 6-foot-5 right-hander throws his fastball in the low to mid 90s and uses a mid 80s slider and solid changeup the most out of a four-pitch mix. He struck out 101 and walked 14 during his undefeated senior season at Greenville.
“I’m really excited for Taylor,” Ole Miss recruiting coordinator and former pitching coach Carl Lafferty said. “He’s a talented guy that we feel has a chance to impact our staff. For him to work through the rehab process the way he has and have the present stuff he does, it’s a testament to his work ethic.”
The 670-day gap between Rabe’s game appearances ends today. Phil and Katie will watch in person and share the accomplishments of hard work and patience with their son.
“We want to see him do what he loves,” Phil said. “He’s just kept going, and it’s exciting to know that it’s here.”
