Diamond Rebels responded well to first challenges faced in young 2023 season
OXFORD, Miss. — After easily handling Delaware in the opening-weekend series, Ole Miss baseball hosted a tough, No. 13-ranked Maryland squad that fought hard and presented numerous challenges to the Hotty Toddy Boys. And the Rebels responded.
As is the case with most marathons — and, make no mistake, the collegiate baseball season is most definitely a long-distance race as Rebel fans learned last year — some of the most challenging hills are the most memorable. Breathers and refreshments do line the road in spots, as do the brutal gut-checks that try the strongest of wills and greatest of talents.
It humbles you quickly, this game of baseball. Every pitch is capable of a game-changing outcome, each a building block to the final result. Whatever the competition, the participants still have to execute. Knowing and then executing situational baseball are two of the great keys to success. Position players are constantly reminding themselves before each pitch for every situation, “If the ball comes to me, where am I going with it?” The term “bear down” is more than just encouragement — it’s a mindset.
And it’s exactly what we had the opportunity to witness from this Ole Miss baseball team against Maryland. Down, but not out; threatened, but not beaten; tested, but victorious.
And it was done through pure resolve, of knowing who they are as individuals and as a team. Inexperienced as they are in playing as the 2023 unit, first-timers are making their way and veterans are reasserting their dominance, each player establishing his place and role; it’s what the non-conference games are designed to establish.
What we saw at Swayze this past weekend was an Ole Miss team that got punched in the mouth via a 9-2 loss in the opening game of the series, but who then threw a couple of haymakers of its own to finish off with two straight wins, including one of the walk-off, grand slam, run-rule variety Sunday to clinch. It’s the kind of response that fans hope for, but sometimes don’t get to realize.
Break out the rye bread! @Calvin_Harris33 hits a walk-off grand slam! pic.twitter.com/LoiF4XxNaF
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 26, 2023
It’s important to coaches early to test their players, to see their reactions under pressure, to see what they’re made of. Pitchers this time of year get stretched to the limit, perhaps extending their time on the mound in situations where they’d otherwise see a reliever jogging in.
Hitters find themselves in highly-pressurized situations where it’s do or die. It’s what makes baseball the game that it is. It’s pitcher against hitter to decide who the superior player is at his position, to decide who accomplishes the task for his team, to decide who’s the better man.
Ole Miss has a team that even long-time veterans of baseball can’t tell you where “the meat of the lineup” is in the starting nine.
Of the nine players who’ve started 5 of the 7 games, eight of them are hitting .348 or better. Eighteen balls have left the park, the latest a grand-slam walk-off blast by Calvin Harris. To that they’ve added 16 doubles and a triple. Their team slugging percentage is a very heathy .670.
The Rebels’ pitching has been erratic but it’s not entirely unexpected. New arms in a big-time environment, a pitch clock to deal with, super-regional-caliber opposition, and a totally new mound experience for some. What’s most noticeable is the number of walks they’re allowing — over 7 per 9 innings. But then you turn around and see the Rebels stranded 34 Terps over the 3-game series. That’s some clutch pitching.
The best thing about the second weekend of 2023? Friday’s seeds of doubt grew into teachable moments as adversity was overcome and baseball manhoods began the process of being proven. We’re watching a new line of stars being born, and that’s always a blast!
Up Next
Ole Miss hosts Louisiana Tech in mid-week action Tuesday and Wednesday. First pitch for both games is set for 4:00 p.m., and the games will stream on SEC+.
The Rebels then hit the road for the Cambria College Classic in Minneapolis, where they’ll face Maryland (again), Minnesota and Nebraska in Friday-Saturday-Sunday action, respectively.
(Feature image credit: Josh McCoy, Ole Miss)
David Walker
David Walker was named Louisiana’s High School Player of the Year at just 16 years old and, at 17, became college football’s first quarterback to earn Freshman of the Year honors. He remains the NCAA’s youngest-ever starting quarterback, a distinction that has stood for decades.
Transitioning from a wide-open high school offense to Emory Bellard’s renowned wishbone triple option, Walker excelled as a dual-threat quarterback. He graduated as Texas A&M’s all-time winningest quarterback and served as a two-time team captain, helping to transform a program that had endured 15 losing seasons in the previous 16 years.
After his playing career, Walker coached and taught algebra at six Texas high schools before moving into private business. In 2011, he published his memoir, “I’ll Tell You When You’re Good,” a title inspired by the coaching philosophy of Shannon Suarez, the Sulphur High and Louisiana High School Hall of Fame coach who was a significant influence on Walker’s life and career.
Walker’s compelling storytelling in his autobiography reflects the breadth of his experiences in high school and college football, and it is an undeniable fact that he saw more action than any athlete in the history of the NCAA. Since 2013, he has contributed to The Rebel Walk, sharing his insights and expertise with readers.
