Breaking Down The Bullpen: What will the Roles be for the 2025 Ole Miss Rebels

Brayden Jones 

The Redshirt Junior is heading into his fourth season with the Rebels. He played a significant role in the bullpen over the past two seasons, and I expect that to be the case again this year. I do not expect Jones to be a high-leverage arm, more likely, in mid-week games, games that are sort of out of hand one way or the other, or when the bullpen is running a little thin.

Over the last two seasons, he has appeared in 40 games, thrown 56 innings, struck out 55 batters, and held opponents to a batting average of .264. These are solid numbers, and there is a chance that he will take a jump this year and find himself in a higher leverage / setup-man role.

Will McCausland

The Junior Saint Joseph’s transfer is an interesting case. His initial numbers don’t jump off the page 29 starts over two seasons with a 5.09 ERA at a much lower level of play. However, the way the staff talked about McCausland during the recruiting process and after he committed, it is clear that they see something in him. The plan seems to be for him to be a starter no longer and convert full-time to a reliever role. Of course, he will have the stamina to provide a longer relief option.

Additionally, this is a great project that can show the value of pitching coach Joel Mangrum. Something that really stands out is his strikeouts-to-walks ratio. He punched out 159 batters, over one per inning of work, while only walking 41. That is elite stuff. He is certainly a name to watch out of the bullpen this season.

Walker Hooks

We have talked a lot so far about many true freshmen who are making considerable noise in workouts. Owen Piano, Hayden Federico, and Cade Townsend have all set themselves as significant pieces to the puzzle this year. There is one more: Brandon, Mississippi native Walker Hooks. Hooks has the prototypical size, standing 6 '4 and 265 pounds. Hooks has been a force on the bump this offseason and is positioning himself for a big role.

This fall, Hooks led the staff in ERA with a low mark of .75 in his 12 innings of work. He also struck out 18 batters to go along with no walks. Hooks will have a major role in big spots this season.