Mike Bianco reveals Ole Miss baseball's opening day lineup
Opening day is in two weeks and the 2022 college baseball season will kickoff when Ole Miss hosts Charleston Southern for opening weekend.
On Friday, the diamond Rebels held Media Day with head coach Mike Bianco along with Tim Elko, Derek Diamond and Hayden Dunhurst.
The biggest question entering the season is what will the starting nine look like for the Rebels when they take Swayze Field for the first time and Bianco confirmed on Friday what many assumed would be the starting lineup.
INFIELD
There are not many surprises when it comes the Rebels lineup with the entire offense returning and the bases will be manned by familiar faces.
Coming back from a torn ACL and surgery in the offseason, Tim Elko will be at first base with Peyton Chatagnier at second base.
Jacob Gonzalez will be at shortstop looking for an encore performance from his All-American freshman season.
At third base, Justin Bench was named by Bianco but also made sure to speak about Reagan Burford as someone who can provide depth in the infield.
During last Friday’s intrasquad scrimmage, Burford was at third base with Gonzalez, Chatagnier and Elko.
“I don’t know a year when I’ve gotten ready for a press conference and tried to write down names there’s always some question marks. This year, not so many questions marks,” Bianco said.
Behind the plate once again will be Hayden Dunurst, who Bianco called maybe “the best catcher” the program has had.
OUTFIELD
There is not as much certainty in the outfield as there is with the infield as it pertains to starters, but it is not hard to figure out who may be standing out there in two weeks.
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Kevin Graham will be back in left field but then there are a couple possibilities for the other two positions.
TJ McCants was named by Bianco for center field but also noted Bench could be an option at times as well. In right field it will be Hayden Leatherwood or Kemp Alderman.
Bianco was high on Alderman after having a strong fall and could see him being a factor in the outfield at some point this season.
“The biggest thing (for Alderman) is to be able to work on his approach,” Bianco said. “Some of it is just maturation and confidence and some of it is just approach. There’s just a lot less swing a miss. A lot more swinging at balls in the zone.”
PITCHING ROTATION
Derek Diamond is the Friday starter, at least for opening day, as Bianco named one of two returning pitchers who were in the weekend rotation at some point last season.
The rest of the weekend rotation is still to be determined over the course of the final two weeks of preseason preparations.
Though it will not be a shock of the two other weekend guys end up being transfers John Gaddis and Jacob Washburn as Bianco was high on how they performed in the fall and in preseason.
“After (Diamond) we’re not sure,” Bianco said of the rotation. “Right now there’s still a lot of competition for those last two spots as our Saturday and Sunday starters. Certainly could be fluid through the first four weeks.”
Ole Miss and Charleston Southern will kick off the season with a 4 p.m. first pitch on Feb 18.
