Before Ole Miss even threw a pitch in the NCAA Tournament, college baseball delivered one of the wildest opening days in recent memory.
National seeds fell. Regional hosts were stunned. Favorites stumbled, and suddenly, the path in front of the Rebels looked a little different.
During a special pregame edition of Talk of Champions, hosts Ben Garrett and Brad Logan reacted in real time as upsets piled up across the country and opened the door to a possibility few were discussing just days earlier: Could postseason baseball return to Oxford?
Auburn’s Loss Changed the Conversation
The biggest shock of the day was fourth-seeded Milwaukee knocking off regional host Auburn.
While top-seeded UCLA also fell in its opener, Garrett and Logan agreed Auburn’s defeat immediately caught the attention of Ole Miss fans because of the potential postseason implications.
“If Ole Miss can come out of this regional,” Logan said, “there’s a situation where postseason baseball could theoretically be back in Oxford.”
The hosts were careful not to get ahead of themselves.
Ole Miss still had to beat Arizona State. Auburn still had games remaining, but the first domino had fallen.
“We don’t want to put carts before horses,” Garrett joked. “But you have to talk about what’s happening before us.”
Hunter Elliott Gets the Ball
One of the biggest debates leading into the Lincoln Regional centered on who should start Game One. Many fans believed Ole Miss should turn to Taylor Rabe.
Instead, head coach Mike Bianco stuck with veteran left-hander Hunter Elliott.
Initially, both Garrett and Logan questioned the decision. By first pitch, they had changed their minds.
After watching regional favorites stumble throughout the day, Garrett said there was nobody else he’d rather see on the mound.
“If the baseball gods are just wanting chaos, I trust Hunter Elliott amidst the chaos,” Garrett said.
Elliott’s postseason experience and role on Ole Miss’ 2022 national championship team ultimately carried significant weight.
“You ride the horse that brung you,” Logan said.
Arizona State Presents a Real Challenge
The conversation wasn’t all focused on bracket watching. The hosts repeatedly stressed that Ole Miss had a difficult opener awaiting against Arizona State Sun Devils.
Arizona State entered the tournament with one of the nation’s most dangerous offenses, led by Landon Hairston, who hit .413 with 28 home runs and 79 RBIs. Several other Sun Devil hitters entered the regional with double-digit home run totals.
The Rebels were also scheduled to face left-handed starter Cole Carlon, Arizona State’s ace with a 3.51 ERA and more than 120 strikeouts.
Jake Thompson, reporting from Lincoln, pointed to one major concern. Ole Miss has struggled throughout the season against quality breaking pitches.
“They’ve got to figure out a way to hit Cole Carlon’s slider and off-speed stuff,” Thompson said.
He also emphasized that the Rebels could not afford their typical strikeout issues against one of the tournament’s better arms.
Who Needs to Step Up?
Thompson identified several players who could determine how far Ole Miss advances. Most notably, he pointed to slugger Tristan Bissetta, who flashed significant power during the middle portion of the season before cooling off late. Ole Miss also needs continued production from the bottom half of the lineup and more reliable bullpen support behind Calvin Hooks and Mason Calhoun.
“You need the power bats to find it again,” Thompson said. “And the bullpen has to rally around those top guys.”
A Day That Felt Like Anything Could Happen
Perhaps that was the biggest takeaway from opening day. Regional hosts Southern Miss, Auburn, and UCLA, all watched their paths become dramatically more difficult.
And with each upset, the idea of a deeper Ole Miss run felt a little less impossible. Still, Garrett kept returning to the same reminder. Ole Miss hadn’t thrown a pitch yet. There was plenty of dreaming happening around Rebel baseball, but first, the Rebels had to handle their own business in Lincoln.
