Ole Miss to battle Arkansas with trip to semifinals on the line – The Oxford Eagle

OMAHA, Neb. — Ole Miss has a professional probability to win a nationwide championship.

The Rebels, who “went to hell and again” this 12 months based on head coach Mike Bianco, regarded useless within the water in early Could after shedding 16 out of 25 video games to drop to the underside of the SEC standings.

They caught fireplace on the finish of the common season nevertheless, profitable eight of their closing 10 video games earlier than falling to Vanderbilt within the first spherical of the SEC event in what gave the impression to be a season-ending defeat.

They have been compelled to remain at residence for six days whereas different groups on the bubble bolstered their résumés with signature wins of their convention tournaments.

By the point the choice present rolled round on Could 30, it appeared the Rebels would miss the event for simply the fourth time within the Bianco period.

The choice committee shocked the school baseball world nevertheless, choosing Ole Miss over Alabama, Iowa, North Carolina State and others as the ultimate crew within the subject of 64.

The Ole Miss gamers gathered within the crew clubhouse at Oxford-College Stadium erupted with pleasure, leaping out of their seats and pumping their fists within the air once they heard their title referred to as.

“When our names have been referred to as—I’ve been there for 21 of these and 18 occasions our title was referred to as. I don’t keep in mind of these 18 occasions ever seeing that sort of emotion from our crew,” mentioned Bianco.

They took full benefit of the chance, sweeping the Coral Gables (Florida) regional earlier than knocking off No. 11 Southern Miss in two video games on the Hattiesburg Tremendous Regional to safe their first Faculty World Collection berth since 2014.

They continued with their profitable methods in Omaha, coming away with a 5-1 win over No. 14 Auburn on Saturday to maneuver into the winner’s bracket for the primary time since 1956.

They now flip their consideration to a different acquainted opponent in Arkansas, a crew that took two out of three video games from the Rebels in Fayetteville in late April.

“We performed properly at Arkansas,” Bianco mentioned. “We simply form of received in that area of interest the place [we didn’t play] properly sufficient. It was the third weekend in a row the place we received on Friday and weren’t capable of get one of many subsequent two however they have been actually shut video games.”

Left-handed pitcher Hunter Elliott will draw the beginning on the mound for Ole Miss towards the Razorbacks.

The Freshman All-American gave up three runs on 4 hits in six innings of labor in a 6-3 loss to the Rebels’ in-division rivals on April 30. All three runs got here on the lengthy ball because the Arkansas offense took benefit of some missed areas to leap out to a 3-2 lead within the center innings.

“They will hit it, they will swing it just a little bit,” Elliott mentioned when requested what he remembered about that sport. “They will reap the benefits of errors like they did all weekend… however identical to any crew they’re pitchable if you happen to do execute your pitches.”

The Rebels confronted a rowdy, hostile surroundings at Baum Walker stadium again in April, and can possible take pleasure in a extra amicable crowd in a impartial web site at Charles Schwab Area.

That doesn’t imply Ole Miss gamers don’t have reminiscences of “woo pig” echoing by means of their heads nonetheless.

Elliott mentioned he’s wanting ahead to with the ability to silence the Razorbacks followers who made the journey to Omaha.

“I might say—slightly than making an attempt to tune them out make it to the place don’t do it as a lot could be higher. For those who enable much less runs you received’t hear it as a lot,” mentioned Elliott. “The much less residence runs, the much less runs you enable the much less ‘woo pigs’.”

The 2 SEC West foes will sq. off at 6 p.m. on Monday with a visit to the semifinals on the road. The sport shall be accessible on ESPN and the Ole Miss Radio Community.