'Trying to make the game faster': Ole Miss baseball head coach Mike Bianco on new SEC rule changes

The 2023 college baseball season begins today and for No. 4 Ole Miss it begins its defense of the 2022 national championship, but there will be some new aspects to the game this spring.

Announced by the league office earlier this week, the Southeastern Conference is enforcing some new rules. As a way to try and speed games up this season, there will be more attention to time with a batter’s clock, mound visit clock and a pitching change clock.

For the batter’s clock a 30-second timer between hitters will start at the conclusion of the prior play as indicated by the umpire’s final signal of “safe” or “out”, or other clear indication that the prior play has concluded.

The mound visit clock is a 30-second timer that will begin when a coach exits the dugout or when a defensive player leaves their position to visit the pitcher’s mound. Unless the coach signals for a pitching change, the coach must leave the mound when (or before) the timer expires.

The mound visit clock shall not operate when a doctor or trainer accompanies a coach to evaluate a medical issue. Upon expiration of the 30-second clock, the 20-second NCAA pitch clock shall commence.

For the pitcher-change clock, a 2-minute and 30-second timer will begin when a new pitcher enters the game either at the start of an inning or as part of a mid-inning pitching change, crosses the warning track. Once that timer expires the 20-second NCAA pitch clock will begin.

Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco was asked his thoughts on the new rules earlier this week when speaking to local media.

“I think it’s really a thrust for all of baseball, professionally and college baseball to try and make the game faster” Bianco said. “More digestable for TV and TV slots for fans. Yes, I think you’ll have some purists out there that probably don’t like clocks and they’re okay with watching a three-and-a-half hour game. I think the goal and the hope that people will understand they’re trying to make the game a little faster without effecting the game and in doing so you will effect the game. There will be some balls called and it will take some time for fans to learn what that clock means.”

Related: Ole Miss baseball has its opening weekend rotation and starting nine mapped out

Ole Miss is one of 13 other SEC teams that will also feel another change with a run-rule being implemented for conference games.

The SEC announced that any team leading by at least 10 runs after seven innings will be declared the winner and the game will be called. In non-conference play the rule, as has been the case already, will be enacted at the consent of both head coaches during the pre-game home plate meeting.

Very little sample size but there is not much to show many conference games will lose out on playing a full nine-inning game due to the run-rule coming into effect.

“It’s something we’ve done here in non-conference games and in conference games it something that will happen a lot less,” Bianco said. “We didn’t do the math on how many games it would have affected last year or over the course of the last few years, but very little. The only disappointing for that is, I don’t think necessarily for teams coming back. To me it’s tough for the team that won that maybe got the team that’s losing not pitching an inning or two they would have had to.”

The SEC has also revised the inclement weather policy related to the final game of a conference series on Sunday when the visiting team does not have classes on the following day (Monday). The policy specifies if the visiting team’s institution does not have classes the following day (Monday), general curfew policies shall be waived. If the curfew is waived, no game may start after 10 p.m. local time or resume after midnight local time.

Ole Miss opens up the season hosting Delaware at 4 p.m. CT on Friday. The final two games of the series will be played at Noon CT on Saturday and Sunday.