Thanks to a warm gulf breeze we received at least a taste of spring in Mississippi over the last three days, which makes it all the more believable and exciting that Ole Miss baseball starts Friday when the Rebels begin a three-game series against William & Mary at Swayze Field.
The starting rotation this year is expected to be Christian Trent (Friday), Sean Johnson (Saturday) and Sam Smith, a.k.a. Crazy Legs (Sunday). These guys will in large part decide whether Ole Miss can find its way back to Omaha for an encore appearance following last year's amazing journey to the College World Series. Here's what college baseball expert Kendall Rogers had to say about the Ole Miss pitchers in his Top 25 preview at D1Baseball.com:
Ole Miss received an early Christmas present when Trent decided to return for another season. Trent tallied a 2.05 ERA in 110 innings last season, and clearly was Ole Miss’ most consistent arm. Trent, a potential top 3-5 rounder in the draft this June, isn’t a blow-away type of arm, but has an impressive array of pitches and does a good job of keeping hitters off balance. Trent sits 88-92 with his fastball, 79-82 mph slider, and also possesses a low-80s changeup. Most impressive about Trent is his bulldog approach. Smith also returns after tallying a 3.61 ERA in 94 innings last year. Smith will sit anywhere from 88-93 with a sharp 80-83 mph slider. He also utilizes a curveball and changeup, and is a true four-pitch mix guy. Smith has a durable frame that allows him to withstand the rigors of an SEC season. Ole Miss rounds out its rotation with Johnson, a junior-college transfer who competed for a national title last spring. Johnson has a massive 6-foot-7 frame and sits anywhere from 88-93 with his fastball, with some cutting action, while also possessing a mid-80s slider, upper-70s curveball, and a low-80s changeup. Look for the Rebels’ starting rotation to be very stable. You could also see righty Brady Bramlett, who had a terrific summer, move into the rotation at some point.
We'll talk baseball more as the week progresses, but I'm excited about what sounds like another great pitching staff for Mike Bianco and the Rebels.
UPDATE: Hold up on Sean Johnson as a weekend starter, although it still sounds like we could see him in that role at some point.
UPDATE: Hold up on Sean Johnson as a weekend starter, although it still sounds like we could see him in that role at some point.
Sean Johnson will pitch in the first weekend, but had some tendinitis in his shoulder and working his way back. Brady Bramlett will start.
— Hugh Kellenberger (@HKellenbergerCL) February 9, 2015