Lane Kiffin details how Ole Miss handles Tywone Malone during baseball season

Ole Miss freshman Tywone Malone has emerged as one of the biggest two-sport stars in the SEC by playing football and baseball during the school year. However, his time with one program always means time away from the other sport while his teammates and competitors work to take his spot in the lineup.

During his Tuesday press conference, Lane Kiffin addressed the negative side of seeing Tywone Malone play two sports and miss spring practice.

“We always step back in that,” said Kiffin. “We let the other sport – whether it’s been baseball or track – and we take whatever we can get. Then the guys, a lot of times end up just going with one sport after the first year.

“We’re just taking what we can get, which isn’t a whole lot.”

This season, Malone has appeared in six games. He has three hits in seven at-bats with one walk and two strikeouts. Malone also posted his first career home run and has three RBIs this season.

Tywone Malone is not the first player to suit up for Ole Miss football under Lane Kiffin and Rebels baseball under Mike Bianco. He joins a list which includes former utility player – on the baseball and football field – John Rhys Plumlee and running back Jerrion Ealy, who both appeared in games during the 2021 baseball season.

More about Tywone Malone

During Ole Miss’ early season game against the VCU Rams, Tywone Malone stepped up to the plate in the seventh inning with a big lead. After taking the first pitch as a strike, the 6’4, 315-pound two-sport player got a hold of one, hitting a two-run home run into the student section to mark the first of his college career.

“It felt amazing,” Malone said in a video posted by the Rebels’ Twitter account. “It wasn’t like it would usually be with packed stand but it was good to get that one out of the way. Looking forward to more. That’s all I got to say.”

Malone is listed as an infielder by the official Ole Miss baseball roster. He made his first appearance of the season in that VCU series, where the Rebels completed a two-game sweep on Sunday afternoon.

As a football recruit, Malone was a four-star prospect in the 2021 class. He was the No. 89 overall player according to the On3 Consensus, a complete and equally weighted industry-generated average that utilizes all four major recruiting services. Malone ranked as the top player to come out of his home state of New Jersey as well.