Mike Bianco discusses how he has enjoyed the moment during 'business trip' in Omaha

Ole Miss has spent the last week in Omaha for the College World Series, that stay got extended when the Rebels made the championship series. That’s a long time to be on the road — and Mike Bianco said it can’t be all business.

That doesn’t mean his team can lose focus, though.

Bianco acknowledged the “business trip” nature of the extended say in Omaha and how the team has to keep its focus. But he said there has to be a balance so the players can let loose and avoid getting too caught up in game preparation. So while the team has been there to win a championship, Bianco also wanted them to explore the city before the championship series got underway vs. Oklahoma.

“It’s been a neat part, and I think that’s what this is,” Bianco said. “You’re here for a long time. When you get to this point, you’ve been here for 10-plus days, and there’s got to be some time where you decompress a little bit and sit back and enjoy it. … You want to stay locked in, and you realize it’s one game at a time, one pitch at a time, and that’s how we play everything.

“But because this is so long, there’s got to be times that you step away. And for the kids to go eat a steak in Omaha with their family and enjoy this, this is what it’s all about. You do it to have fun, and you’re hoping that they’re all going to find some enjoyment of this.”

Mike Bianco on the time in Omaha: ‘It’s been awesome’

Bianco also talked about his personal thoughts on the time in Omaha. While he had to answer — and turn down — some ticket requests, he still managed to have fun with his family between games.

“The last 12 hours, like I said, I went back home after the game, ate a sandwich in the hotel, started to answer a lot of text messages and emails,” Bianco said. “A lot of ticket requests and a lot of, ‘I’m sorry, I’m out of tickets.’

“But it’s been awesome, as you can imagine. We’ve tried to do that. My whole family is here, so that’s a cool thing, to have your entire family here. They’ve been really generous with me, where when I go to my room, they let me go to my room and do what I need to do. But they’ve enjoyed it, and it’s been cool to see them after the games and get the hugs and the kisses and all that.”