The 2023 SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll is out and the defending National Champions are not highly respected going into the season. Ole Miss baseball ranks in fourth place in the SEC west.
The 2022 season was a memorable one for the Ole Miss baseball program. Despite facing several challenges, the Rebels would overcome many highs and lows in the season and go on to win their first-ever National Championship.
Led by head coach Mike Bianco, the Rebels finished 42-23 overall after struggling at 14-16 in the SEC. They got off to a hot start, winning their first nine games of the season and going 13-1 over their first 14 games total.
They would endure some struggles throughout the year, but facing adversity built a championship pedigree for the Rebels, and long-time coach Bianco would lead the Rebels to their first College World Series win.
Despite winning it all last year, the Ole Miss baseball squad isn’t quite getting the same respect heading into the 2023 season. One year removed from claiming a National Championship, the Rebels are ranked fourth in the SEC West in this year’s Preseason Coaches Poll.
A number of different publications have them ranked anywhere between 10th (Baseball America) and 24th (Collegiate Baseball) overall in the country. LSU and Tennessee were ranked first in the east and west divisions of the SEC.
Along with the release of the Preseason Coaches Poll, the Preseason All-SEC Team was also announced. The only Rebel announced on the list was IF Jacob Gonzalez, who was named to the first team.
Gonzalez was named first-team All-SEC a year ago and was a first-team Freshman All-American in 2021.
He started all 65 games at shortstop last year as a sophomore and was selected to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team for the second consecutive year. Gonzalez also led Ole Miss baseball in runs scored with 73, walks with 50, and triples with three.
The Ole Miss baseball season kicks off Friday, February 17th at 4:00 PM against Delaware.