Ole Miss baseball begins individual work on Wednesday and is 10 days away from it first preseason intrasquad. The No. 25 (D1Baseball.com) Rebels open the season February 14 at home with a three-game set against No. 1 Louisville. Ole Miss has 22 games against preseason top-10 teams on its 56-game regular season schedule.

With Swayze Field back in use, here are three questions — and a shot at answers — prior to the beginning of team drills.

We’ll start with the question with the widest reach, as even the football fans who don’t always translate over to baseball fans will be interested in this one. Ealy and Plumlee acclimated quite well during their first seasons on the football field and now get the chance for playing time in their second sport. Compared to past two-sport players, Ealy and Plumlee made use of free time to be around their baseball teammates in the fall and did as much as possible in advance of preseason practice.

In most seasons, it would be difficult for either to envision a substantial early role, but outfield spots are wide open for the Rebels in 2019, with Thomas Dillard and Ryan Olenek moving on and Anthony Servideo headed to shortstop. Tim Elko is the closest to a returning outfield starter, but he started only 15 times in the outfield in 2019. \

Plumlee and Ealy both profile well defensively, with offense being the key to considerable roles. Ealy has a big more swing and miss, so there’s some curiosity with how that immediately translates to the SEC level.

His hitting mechanics were poor his senior season, so needs to repair that and remove some of the movement in his swing. Plumlee has shown more of an up-the-middle, gap-to-gap approach throughout his prep career. It’s too early to know what that means, but it’s more suitable for what Ole Miss will ask him to do at the plate. It also helps that both are right-handed, as it has the potential to be a very left-handed lineup.

The main question is how will the pair navigate spring baseball and spring football practice, and as of now, there’s no concrete answer. Since spring football won’t begin until March, there’s time to evaluate things based off how each factors into Mike Bianco’s day-to-day lineup.

Baseball is the first priority right now, but football provides the scholarships, so it’s a give and take. What exactly it looks like is to be determined, but both teams are vowing flexibility to make it work.

The biggest question of the preseason is how to sort these three spots. While Elko is the most experienced outfielder returning (not counting Servideo), it’s possible he moves to first base with Kevin Graham taking a shot at a corner outfield spot.

Justin Bench and Peyton Chatagnier are in a competition at second base, and whichever doesn’t secure that spot will have a chance at playing in the outfield.

Freshman Cade Sammons turned heads in the fall and if he continues playing to that level, he’s the favorite in center. Sammons hit well, transitioned well mentally and led the team in fall ball stolen bases. He recently had a meniscus surgery but should be 100 percent by the first week in February.

Hayden Leatherwood, a Vanderbilt signee who transferred to Ole Miss from Northwest Community College, is also a top contender in a corner outfield position.

Connor Walsh and Trey LaFleur are top newcomers who didn’t transition as well in the fall, but the talent is undeniable. I wouldn’t be shocked to see either have a big preseason and crash the party. Josh Hall left the team following fall practice.

In short, it’s wide open. Between those names and Plumlee and Ealy, there’s a lot to be sorted out by Valentine’s Day and beyond.

Doug Nikhazy, coming off a brilliant freshman season, will get the ball against the Cardinals on opening day, and Gunnar Hoglund is in as the No. 2 starter. Nikhazy just needs to do more of the same, though he should be stronger and more durable in his second tour through the league. There’s an argument to leaving him on Saturday, but there’s not an easy answer for Friday in that scenario.

Hoglund has improved his secondary pitches during the offseason and seems to have a better mental approach as a sophomore. He found too much of the plate and was up and down at times as a freshman, though the former first-day MLB selection has a high upside and seems poised for a major jump.

Derek Diamond, the heralded freshman who was previously committed to Stanford, heads into he spring as the Sunday starter favorite. Diamond needs to hold his velocity from appearance to appearance, but that should come in time. He showcased pitchability and plus raw stuff in the fall.

The Rebels were given a bit of a gift from the Stanford admissions office and then out-recruited LSU, Virginia and TCU for Diamond’s services. There’s every reason to be excited about Diamond’s career, and Ole Miss needs him immediately.

Tyler Myers and Max Cioffi are experienced bullpen options, and Austin Miller and Taylor Broadway are the most likely closer options, though it could be a by-committee approach until someone separates. Braden Forsyth has a high-velocity arm if his command improves. Freshman Drew McDaniel has been impressive and could be a midweek option.

Greer Holston, a year after only throwing one inning all season, looks more like his pre-2019 self. Holston has been into the mid 90s on the radar gun and may provide a boost to the Rebels. He’s expected to start in middle relief, but the upside is there to have a more considerable role if he’s indeed back to normal.