Must-See Highlights: Bats woke up and McCausland stuffed in a run-rule Ole Miss win
Ole Miss in the off-season put together a transfer class widely considered one of the nation’s best.
The Rebels did some of their best work in the margins.
The headliners were sluggers Isaac Humphrey (Louisville), Mitch Sanford (UNO) and Ryan Moerman (Illinois). Each has gotten off to a strong start through three games.
But Ole Miss is 2-1 after its run of ranked opponents in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown in Arlington, Texas, in no small part to more unheralded newcomers such as Will McCausland.
McCausland is a now-junior right-hander from Saint Joseph’s, where he pitched to a 5.09 ERA in 155.2 total innings over two seasons. He was mostly used as a starter.
His Ole Miss debut — in a 15-5 win over No. 15 Clemson on Sunday — came in long relief.
McCausland excelled.
McCausland, who impressed as a hard strike-thrower in preseason practices, picked up his first win with 3.2 impressive innings. He struck out 8 of 15 batters and surrendered just one run on three hits with a walk.
“The fastball was really working,” McCausland said afterwards. “I was able to pitch it in the top of the zone well and miss under the guys’ bats. The works from the beginning today.
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“I’ll typically go in extended like that. A lot of fastballs; the cutter was really working today.”
The Rebels jumped all over the Tigers with seven runs in the first two innings, including home runs by Moerman and Judd Utermark.
RELATED: What They Said: Fresh faces shine as Ole Miss roars back against No. 15 Clemson
McCausland and Co. kept them at bay.
He replaced Ryne Rodriguez in the bottom of the fourth inning and with the Rebels leading 10-4. McCausland retired the first seven batters he faced. Back-to-back wild pitches in the sixth brought in his only charged run.
“McLausland was super, man,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said. “Big strikeout of the two-hole guy and rolled from there.”
Here’s what the win looked like, in highlights provided by Ole Miss Athletics. The Rebels host Arkansas State for their home opener at Swayze Field on Tuesday.
First pitch is 4 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.
