With the beginning of Ole Miss baseball just weeks away it’s time to take a good hard look at the Rebels upcoming 2018 season schedule.
Ole Miss baseball is coming into the 2018 season ranked No.16 by BaseballAmerica.com and as high as 9th in some polls. Coach Mike Bianco has a very talented and experienced team. What was the No.1 recruiting class in 2016 played a huge role last season as freshman and Bianco’s pitching staff is among tops in the nation. The college baseball pollsters realize this team has the potential to make a run for Omaha.
Of course, last season the Rebels got off to a fast start and began the season with a No.1 RPI. However, the wheels seemed to fall off pretty fast in a lackluster season. Despite some of the best pitching in the nation the Rebels struggled offensively thru a tough schedule. This season the Rebels RPI isn’t quite as good but their schedule is very favorable for a huge year.
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Ole Miss baseball begins its season at Swayze Field Friday Feb 16th and will have a weekend series against Winthrop. The opening series begins an 18 game stretch of non-conference games of which 13 games will be in Oxford. Of course, let’s look at those 18 games first and get an idea of what the Rebels record should be opening SEC play.
The Non-conference Stretch
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After the opening series against Winthrop the Rebels will be home for 5 more games. They will face Memphis in a midweek before hosting Tulane in a weekend series beginning February 23rd. The following week the Rebels will be hosting Murray State in a midweek match-up to finish out an 8 game home stretch.
The Rebels then travel to Long Beach State for 3 games beginning March 2nd. Ole Miss baseball will come back home for the beginning of another 5 game home stretch. The Rebels will face two midweek opponents on consecutive nights. First they have Austin Peay on March 6th and Little Rock on March 7th.
Ole Miss will be at Swayze Field that weekend to host Eastern Illinois in a 3 game series. The Rebels will finish out their first 18 games of 2018 with a 2 game midweek series in Atlanta to take on Georgia State.
Record After 18 Games
We all know how schedules are usually set up to be favorable at the beginning of the season. I see the Rebels sweeping Winthrop in the opening series. Memphis always plays the Rebels well in Oxford and the game could easily be a trap for Ole Miss. Tulane is a formidable opponent and I see the Rebels possibly dropping a game to the Green Wave. Of course, I see the Murray State midweek as a win for Ole Miss.
The road series to Long Beach State will certainly be the first real test of the Rebels in 2018. Long Beach has a very good team and a road trip to California will be tough for the Rebels. The Rebels drop at least one game in the weekend series. The Rebels return home and get consecutive wins over Austin Peay, Little Rock and Eastern Illinois. Georgia State could present a problem for the Rebels on the road.
Prediction: 15-3 after 18 games.
SEC Play Begins
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Ole Miss baseball will open its SEC schedule at home with a weekend series against Tennessee beginning March 16. The Rebels will then host New Orleans in a midweek game. Of course, Ole Miss hits the road to take on Texas A&M in a weekend series on March 23rd. The Rebels return home for a 4-game stretch in which they host a mid-week game against Southern Miss. They then host the weekend series against Arkansas.
On April 3rd the Rebels will begin a 8-game road stretch beginning with Memphis. The Rebels then have a huge weekend series in Starkville against Miss State. April 10th Ole Miss will take on Southern Miss once again in Pearl before a weekend series in Nashville against Vanderbilt.
Record After 36 Games
If Ole Miss baseball is able to begin this stretch at 15-3 they will have some serious momentum. A 15-3 record at this point will mean Ole Miss is solid on both offense and defense. We know we have the pitching to get us to this point. It entirely depends on the Rebels being able to produce at the plate. The Rebels will have a couple of tough non-conference games in this stretch which they should win. Of course, the Rebels have to face Southern Miss twice in the which can always present a problem. Rebels may drop a tight game in Pearl.
This portion of the schedule has home SEC series against Tennessee and Arkansas. The Rebels will also have road series against Texas A&M, Miss State and Vanderbilt. Of course, this is a very tough part of this schedule. However, I believe Ole Miss will do well. I believe the Rebels get a sweep and go 5 of 6 at home. On the road in the SEC I believe Ole Miss can win 6 of 9 games although they could drop one more.
Prediction: 28-8 after 36 games. 11-4 in the SEC.
Final 19 Game Stretch
Since our last trip to the CWS we’ve believed we can get back. It will take success in this final 19-game stretch for Ole Miss baseball to do it. Being 28-8 would have Ole Miss in the driver’s seat on the way to Omaha. Of course, this is also the final stretch leading to Hoover and the SEC Tourney Championship. We know how difficult this stretch can possible be for the Rebels so lets take a look.
This stretch begins with Ole Miss baseball home at Swazye for a mid-week game April 18th against Arkansas State. The Rebels then host a 3-game series with Georgia that following weekend. April 24th the Rebels will be playing in The Governors Cup in Pearl against Miss State. The Rebels will then be back home for a weekend series against LSU. May 2nd Ole Miss will face Arkansas Pine-Bluff in a midweek game to close out a 9-game stretch within the state of Mississippi.
Back on the road the Rebels will travel for a weekend series against South Carolina. The Rebels return to Oxford for a 3-game series with Auburn beginning Thursday May 10th. Ole Miss baseball is then back on the road in a mid-week game in Jonesboro, Arkansas against Arkansas State. The Rebels will finish up the 2018 regular season on the road against Alabama in a 3-game series beginning May 17th.
Record After 55 Games
If the Rebels can indeed enter this final stretch with the a 28-8 record then they should handle this remainder fairly well. After 36 games we will have certainly seen how good this team really can be. Of course, of the last 19 games, 12 games will be played in-state which will really help Ole Miss close out strong. I believe Ole Miss baseball will really surprise a lot of critics with their play and especially within the last part of the schedule.
Naturally if the Rebels are legit we’ll see them have no problem with their non-conference games. I also see the Rebels managing to sweep Georgia and get 2 of 3 in their home series with LSU. The home series against Auburn should be a 2 for 3 weekend. The Rebels will have two road series in this stretch against South Carolina and Alabama. The Rebel may drop 2 games against South Carolina and should easily take 2 games from Bama.
There is a game in the final 19 which will easily pit two of the best teams in the SEC against each other. However it will not count as a conference game. Of course, as always the Governors Cup in Pearl will be really good this season. The way Ole Miss and Miss State have alternated victories this should be the Rebels game to lose.
Prediction: 43-12 after 55 regular season games. 22-8 in SEC play.
SEC Tourney And Beyond
The SEC Tourney will begin in Hoover, Alabama on May 22nd and should be a great bracket for the Rebels. With a 22-8 in-conference record headed into the tourney the Rebels should easily see at least a No.5 seed. Of course, this is a season of giants in the SEC so there will be plenty of tough teams with the road to Omaha within their sights.
You know there will be the perennial powerhouses like LSU, Florida and South Carolina who will all be tops in the SEC. There are others like Miss State, Texas A&M and Arkansas. Then there are the Rebels. Coach Mike Bianco has had time to build a baseball dynasty in Oxford and now he has to take Ole Miss baseball to the next level.
Of course, with the Rebels record they will already be a lock for the NCAA Tourney. However, the road to Omaha is made much easier if the Rebels can play well enough to secure host for the regional. As of now there is no possible way of knowing who the Rebels may face in the SEC Tourney so we make no predictions. We have to believe the Rebels will be rolling into Hoover if they do finish the season as I predict.
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Ole Miss baseball will open their 2018 season Friday February 16 at home in Oxford. The Rebels will host Winthrop in a 3-game series. First pitch from Swayze Field is set for 4pm CT. Good luck to coach Mike Bianco and the Rebels. Hotty Toddy!