Takeaways from the Diamond Rebels’ Season Opener: What We Learned from the Wild Ole Miss 5-4 win over Hawaii
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss baseball emerged with a wild season-opening win over the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors, 5-4 in 13 innings, Friday night and into Saturday morning. Here are a few takeaways from the almost five-hour long game before we move on to Saturday’s doubleheader.
Pitching staff depth
The 2023 season was a learning year for a lot of young arms in the Ole Miss rotation and bullpen. We know the names of guys like last night’s starter JT Quinn, Saturday starter Grayson Saunier, and closer Josh Mallitz, etc.; however, last night the Rebels displayed an impressive level of depth on the staff compared to a season ago.
To begin year 24 at Ole Miss, Skipper Mike Bianco made the call to the pen four times in the opener after starting the sophomore, Quinn. Those four pitchers who followed Quinn were Mason Morris, Braydon Jones, Mason Nichols and Connor Spencer.
The staff had a combined 18 punchouts for the night, with junior Nichols securing the win after a 4.1-inning outing. The Mississippi native looked outstanding out of the pen, ending with 5 Ks and not allowing a run as the game pushed into extras.
Southeastern Louisiana transfer Connor Spencer made his Rebel debut, earning the save after throwing some serious heat in the bottom of the 13th. The closer only threw 10 pitches in his one-inning performance, which means you are likely to see him again this weekend.
That 1-0 Feeling 🤌 pic.twitter.com/Nd1PtfNaQZ
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 17, 2024
The Ethans stand out
Amid all the new faces of the 2024 Ole Miss baseball team, Ethan Lege and Ethan Groff are two returners from last year’s squad, and both made their presence felt in this one.
Ethan Groff is one of the more experienced players in the SEC, and last year the everyday centerfielder flashed his talents in both the field and at the plate every game. The senior went 3-for-5 at the plate in the opener, driving in three runs and blasting a home run to right that seemed like it happened ages ago if you watched game one.
Groff and running. 👋@ethangroff12 pic.twitter.com/DrL11JGfep
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 17, 2024
Groff was joined by Ethan Lege in the outfield Friday night. Lege appeared mostly at third base a season ago for Ole Miss; however, the senior displayed his athleticism last night starting in left as all three guys showed a tremendous amount of hustle out there. Lege went 3-for-6 at the dish, driving in a pair of runs — including the go-ahead run in the top of the 13th.
It’s 3:15 a.m. CT and the Rebs have the lead pic.twitter.com/8J9fh6hbCM
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 17, 2024
Transfers showcase skills
Several members of the top-10 ranked transfer class for the Rebels got the chance to display their talents in game one against the Rainbow Warriors. Connor Spencer was the transfer to take the mound and we already spoke about what he did, but four other Rebel transfers made their debut in the Ole Miss lineup.
Mercer transfer Treyson Hughes joined the hustling outfield group of Groff and Lege, and despite a rough debut at the plate, Hughes showed with his glove why he was a top-ranked transfer.
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 17, 2024
The Ole Miss infield was almost completely full of newcomers, with Duke transfer Andrew Fischer coming in as the most highly touted. The third baseman showed plate discipline as he drew four walks in his first appearance as a Rebel.
FAU transfer Jackson Ross and Arizona State transfer Luke Hill were big-time standouts as well. Ross went 2-for-5, scoring two of the Rebels’ runs, and Hill showed off his defensive skill set shortstop with a few loud at-bats.
Missing bats already @quinnjt1. ✌️ pic.twitter.com/x3NyI5YSwU
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 17, 2024
Showing grit
Ole Miss fans watching from Oxford knew it would be a long night, but I’m not sure they thought they would be watching a 5-hour baseball game that stretched deep into Saturday morning.
After jumping out to the early 3-0 lead, it seemed like the Rebels let off the gas a bit and the Rainbow Warriors saw their opportunity. Despite trailing to begin the 9th, the Ole Miss group full of new faces showed a sense of resiliency that you don’t often see early in the year, much less the season opener.
A pitching staff that had questions to answer stepped up to the challenge, and the Ole Miss lineup pulled through late despite not recording a hit in extras until the two in the top of the 13th that helped win the game.
Up Next
The Diamond Rebs will continue their season-opening series against the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors on Saturday evening with the first pitch of game one of the doubleheader scheduled for 5 pm CT. Game two will follow approximately 40 minutes after the conclusion of Game one.
(Feature image credit: Ole Miss Baseball)
Kameron Wicker
Kam is a senior at Ole Miss, currently pursuing a degree in Journalism. Even though he's from Delhi, Louisiana, that didn't stop Kam from growing up a diehard Ole Miss fan. He's a sports guru who watches and follows all sports at all times. He lettered four years in football and baseball in high school and is an avid Saints, Pelicans, and Astros fan. In his free time, you can find him watching sports or at the rec participating in them.
