Before First Pitch, a Test of Resilience: Ole Miss Baseball Emerges United After Winter Storm Fern
OXFORD, Miss. — Just a couple of weeks ago, Ole Miss and the Oxford community were reeling from the impact of Winter Storm Fern. The powerful system forced the university to cancel classes for two full weeks as widespread damage knocked out power across town and sheets of ice rendered roads impassable. Even now, linemen continue working tirelessly to restore full service, a reminder of just how disruptive the storm’s aftermath has been.
The storm came through Oxford just weeks before Ole Miss baseball’s season opener, which is set for this Friday, as the Rebels host the Nevada Wolf Pack for the first game of a three-game weekend set.
While the storm hindered the crucial final stretch of the preseason for head coach Mike Bianco’s team, it wasn’t all bad: the Rebels turned a tense, survival-filled situation into a bonding moment just weeks before the season.
Sophomores Cade Townsend and Hayden Federico, teammates on the field and roommates off the field, sustained power in their apartment, ultimately opening their doors to teammates.
At media day on Tuesday, the roommates and teammates spoke about the experience.
Ole Miss ace Hunter Elliott was the first to speak on the experience.
“Cade opened up his house to a few or his apartment him and Fed and we just kind of hung out there. Me, (Taylor) Rabe, Noah Allen, I don’t know if anybody else stayed some of the nights, but we just bombed the couch or whatever off him. Couple couple of them slept on air mattresses. Um cooked whatever food we had. We had some some crazy meals, some buttered pasta with some Tyson chicken nuggets one night, just did what we could. But, you don’t want to be the guy to say that it was it was fun, but it kind of reminded me a little it of Covid, maybe to where you just kind of were sheltered there and just hanging out with your boys.”
Hunter ElliottÂ
Both Townsend and Federico talked about their experience.
“It was good. We had a bunch of guys over. Hunter (Elliott) was over, (Taylor) Rabe was over, Noah Allen,” explained Townsend. “It was just kind of cool to just kind of be around everyone,” he added.
“I think the the most at a time, me and Cade have a two-bedroom apartment, the most we had was nine.” Federico said when asked about the most amount of people who sought refuge in the apartment.
Federico talked about how how nutrition and maintaining crucial weight was affected during their time with limited power and food around town.
“Yeah, I would say it was a little tough because just we didn’t have a lot of food, resources, stuff like that. So, I’m sure some guys lost some weight, but just a shoutout to the people over at the grill at 1810. They were incredible. For two weeks straight, they fed us breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and that was just a a huge blessing, those people going out of their way to cook for us and provide. and um you know, I couldn’t be more grateful for them.“
Hayden Federico
Rebels’ skipper Mike Bianco spoke appreciatively about the town of Oxford and all those who helped everyone get through the weather event.
“I would be remiss if I didn’t say a big thank you to the mayor, Robyn Tannehill, and of course all the city and county officials, the linesmen, all the first responders and workers and everybody that’s had a hand, the volunteers, the hundreds of volunteers, that have helped out through the last few weeks, trying to get us through this terrible storm.“
Mike Bianco
Bianco recognized what folks are still going through. “…To to realize that there’s still so many without power and so many that are still struggling, you know, even at at this point a few weeks out, and keep those families in your thoughts and prayers” he said.
However, Bianco saw this storm in as positive as he could have, talking about how it could even benefit the team long term.
“When you watch your your team to through this, it’s the greatest team building exercise that you would never want to go through. You know, when I say that that, you had a little bit of everything, right? You’ve had adversity, uncomfortable, unpredictable, where you had to rely on teammates. You had teammates that that welcomed in other players to their apartments and fed them, let them sleep on their couches and floors throughout this” Bianco said
While winter storm Fern caused such sad sights around Oxford, and many people are still being affected, Ole Miss baseball is ready and excited to begin the season this Friday, as Nevada comes to Swayze Field at 4 pm.
Billy Kuhl
Billy Kuhl joins The Rebel Walk as a sophomore at Ole Miss majoring in Journalism with a Sports Media concentration. He is from Jefferson Township, New Jersey and graduated from Jefferson Township High School where he played varsity baseball, and soccer, and swam competitively in his summers. You can contact him at wpkuhl88@gmail.com or DM him on X @Billykuhll or instagram @Billykuhll_
