College World Series: Ole Miss’ Mike Bianco Made The Right Calls

“Ellis is doing a fine job, filling up the zone and working through jams. He’s not having a complete game. He always seems to have the one guy in each inning he struggles with.”

Bianco was quoted as his ace pitcher had worked a heroic six innings. He didn’t have his best night last night but what was impressive was the fact that he held this number one team in the nation, Virginia, to only one run, even though there were a slew of base runners.

Ellis has a low ninty’s fastball but his best attributes would be his ability to locate pitches, throw his change up for strikes and on this day, he had some early movement on his slider and cutters that was as good as I have ever seen him pitch.

Ellis did all he could.

On a night when runs were at a minimum the team that wins would have to get a mistake from the other team.

Too often in high pressure games in Omaha or elsewhere, the game is lost rather than won.  A ball is booted around or a pitcher has a bad night that gives the other team just a small window they can jump through.

In last night’s game, Ole Miss made the mistakes.  Several mistakes actually.

1) They didn’t try to manufacture runs early and put the pressure on Virginia.  I could also say the were trying to hit the ball instead of bunting their way out of the game.  Which I personally hate bunting.

2) Olemiss didn’t seem aggressive at the plate. Virgina ace Nathan Kirby probably had something to do with that. With a 1.75 ERA and the ACC pitcher of the year award he has done this to many teams.

3) Greenwood walked the first batter in the ninth inning. You want to talk about a mistake. This was maybe the worst one. You are really asking for trouble when you put the lead off guy on base in any inning.  But in the bottom of the ninth of a tie ball game?  Thats pretty much game-over.

4) Greenwood pitches to Papi. This one will be debated. Mike Papi was Virginia’s best hitter. A tall lefty that averaged .311, with 11 home runs, leading the ACC in homeruns and doubles. But his numbers would have been about middle of the road for an SEC hitter.  Greenwood has faced guys like that all year and mowed them down.

First base was open, for an intentional walk to face the DH who had a much lower batting average. But as Bianco said, he had already been burned once by the Virginia DH earlier in the game.

“Papi hadn’t gotten a hit all night. Guy behind him did and it scored the only run UVA had all night.”  Mike Bianco in postgame.

Bianco called a great game.

You just have to make a choice.  Sometimes there is no “right” choice.

At some point you get in a pinch. That’s what great teams do, they get you behind in the count. They get men on base. Thy force you to serve one up and you have to take your chances that the ball will find a rebel glove.

On Ole Miss’ first night in Omaha, most of UVA’s hits found their way to Rebel gloves.

Don’t forget the defensive job Will Allen did blocking up behind the plate, Austin Anderson was sensational at third, Auston Bousfield’s Willie Mays catch on a dead sprint in center and Sikes Orvis scooping up every throw to first.

The only real mistake Ole Miss made was letting the moment overwhelm them. They had to be nervous. You can’t imagine the tension of playing this team in this environment, after all the talk and history between these two clubs.

Hopefully, the nerves are gone now and we will see the bats warm up on Tuesday as the Rebels face elimination against Texas Tech.