Three up, three down: Ole Miss baseball storylines for preseason practice

Ole Miss begins preseason full team practice with an intrasquad at 2:30 p.m. Friday an d another at 2:15 p.m. on Saturday. Prior to the date with Wright State on February 15 the No. 10 Rebels have a few things to decide. Here's a list of potential storylines.

There are a few certainties when it comes to the Ole Miss lineup early in the season. Tyler Keenan and Grae Kessinger are going to play on the left side of the infield at third base and shortstop, respectively. Cooper Johnson is going to catch, and Cole Zabowski will be at first base. Thomas Dillard and Ryan Olenek will play outfield positions, though Olenek's versatility and competition could move him around some in theory.

That leaves -- at minimum -- Anthony Servideo, Carl Gindl, Jacob Adams, Chase Cockrell and Tim Elko competing for one or two defensive positions at the designated hitter spot. Servideo is the most likely member of this group to play daily. He's arguably as good as any defensive infielder on the team and is the Rebels' best second baseman.

Servideo and Kessinger would be in the conversation as the best middle infield in the Southeastern Conference. The sophomore may also be the team's best centerfielder, though there's the thought that moving him out there takes him from his best spot and also doesn't make as much sense since he's almost assuredly the shortstop next season.

Adams started 48 games last year at second base and had the third-highest OBP (.392) among regulars. Cockrell needs to win the DH spot for substantial playing time, and Elko, who was the highest ranked recruit in the sophomore Ole Miss signing class, seems to have taken a step since a relatively slow freshman year. He can play in all corners or DH.

Gindl had a terrific summer and has the speed and range to be a very solid SEC centerfielder. Does he force his way into the lineup? And, if so, how does that alter things out there? These are all good problems to have. You can never possess too much depth, but it's decisions nonetheless. Mike Bianco has to identify the best nine and weigh that against the nine best. Expect a lot of moving around in the early weeks.

However it shakes out, Ole Miss should have one of the best benches in the SEC.

Cooper Johnson needs to put it all together and meet his potential this season for the Rebels to maximize their ceiling. The uber-talented defender showed signs of that in the fall and he can catapult up MLB Draft boards with a solid and consistent junior season. There also aren't any certainties behind him, so Johnson will get ample opportunity to get comfortable.

Freshman Knox Loposer may be considered the backup catcher, but he broke his foot prior to Christmas and isn't full speed yet, though he should be by opening day. There's also junior college transfer Hunter Nabors, but experience is a major key for Bianco at catcher, and that falls squarely with Johnson.

A wild card in this is Dillard, who caught in high school and worked at the position during Cape League play this past summer. He's extremely athletic and his ability to catch on occasion would alleviate some of the logjam at other positions. He's going to get the opportunity to prove his value there, and it's a storyline to follow if his receiving and defensive work improve with more repetitions.

You can probably go ahead and cash those winning tickets if you have Will Ethridge to start on Fridays to begin the season. That's a certainty it seems, as the junior finally gets his chance to lead the rotation following a sophomore season of important but scattershot bullpen work.

I continue to expect Houston Roth to occupy a weekend role, as well. The Oxford product is strong mentality and has improved each season with the Rebels. On a staff full of changing roles, his profile likely gives Ole Miss stability and keeps the Rebels in games, allowing the bullpen to secure things in the late innings. The 25 extra base hits he gave us in 52.2 innings in 2018 are too many, but I anticipate a jump in production and a breakout season from the right-hander.

From there, there are, much like the lineup, plenty of options. Jordan Fowler gets the chance to bounce back from a brutal summer and fall in an attempt to look more like the pitcher who was a steadying presence late last season. Being a full year recovered from his wreck in summer of 2017 should help. Greer Holston is in the conversation and at minimum could occupy Ethridge's vital bullpen role from last year. Holston sometimes slips through the cracks in these conversations which is unfair since he had a better than 3.5-to-1 strikeout-to-walk ratio last season and a better WHIP than Ryan Rolison, Roth and James McArthur.

And then there are all the newcomers led by junior college transfer Zack Phillips and freshmen trio Gunnar Hoglund, Doug Nikhazy and Kaleb Hill. The Sunday starter and/or the midweek arms could come from this group -- especially by the end of the season.

Hoglund, the widely known top-50 pick who turned down the Pirates, and Nikhazy both showed consistent performances in the fall. Their continued transitions is a key to the season, and Hill may have more upside than either of them in the long run. The live arm from the left side turned heads will be a factor once it's tidied up a bit.

Phillips has maturity and a nice mix of pitches on his side. He settled in as the fall went on and will find a niche with the staff even if it's not as a starter. Fowler, Hill, Phillips and Nikhazy give the Rebels some solid left-handed options, and their games have variety when compared to each other.