Mike Bianco Weighing Rotation Options as Ole Miss Opens NCAA Tournament
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss enters the NCAA Tournament with something every postseason team desperately wants this time of year: options on the mound.
As the Rebels prepare for Friday night’s regional opener against Arizona State in Lincoln, Nebraska, the biggest question surrounding Mike Bianco’s club is not whether the pitching staff is capable of carrying Ole Miss through a postseason run — it’s which arm Bianco wants to deploy first.
The Rebels have leaned on a three-headed weekend rotation throughout the season with Hunter Elliott, Cade Townsend, and Taylor Rabe all emerging as reliable SEC starters at different points throughout the spring. But with the postseason now operating under entirely different strategic circumstances, Ole Miss appears willing to think bigger picture instead of simply following its normal order.
“Nah,” Bianco said when asked if Ole Miss had settled on a starter against the Sun Devils.
“We’ll decide that probably later tonight or tomorrow. (Pitching coach) Joel (Mangrum) didn’t get a chance to see too much. And, so we’ll reconvene again. We talked a little bit about it right before practice, but we’ll talk more about it and promise to try to get it out to everybody as soon as we can.”
Head coach Mike Bianco on pitching decisions for regional
That uncertainty is less about concern and more about flexibility.
Arizona State enters the regional with one of the nation’s more dangerous power offenses, a lineup capable of changing games quickly with home runs and aggressive swings. That makes matchup construction important, especially in a double-elimination format where one pitching decision can impact the rest of the weekend.
Taylor Rabe’s swing-and-miss arsenal could make him an attractive option against a Sun Devil lineup built around power production. Cade Townsend’s efficiency and command profile create a different kind of challenge for opposing hitters. And Hunter Elliott’s postseason experience and competitiveness remain invaluable in any high-pressure environment.
The Rebels know they have multiple paths available to them.
And perhaps more importantly, they know they have the pitching depth to survive the grind of a regional.
“The pitchers got almost two weeks rest, so they’re going to be ready to go,” Ole Miss first baseman Will Furniss said Monday. “I think we’re all just kind of excited and ready to play again.”
That recovery time may end up being one of the more important developments for Ole Miss entering the tournament. After the SEC Tournament ended earlier than the Rebels hoped, the additional rest allowed the staff to fully reset the rotation while giving key bullpen pieces time to recover as well.
From the hitter’s perspective, Furniss made it clear Ole Miss believes its pitching staff can match up with anybody remaining in the field.
“I know what it feels like as a hitter to face those three guys, especially when they’re healthy. It’s not a fun at-bat by any means.”
Will Furniss on Ole Miss pitching
The numbers largely support that confidence.
Ole Miss enters postseason play with one of the more analytically impressive pitching staffs in the country. The Rebels rank near the top nationally in several advanced pitching categories, including strikeout rate and expected fielding independent pitching metrics, while continuing to get steady late-inning production from relievers Walker Hooks and Hudson Calhoun.
For veteran slugger Judd Utermark, the biggest strength of the staff is not necessarily one ace — it’s the number of trustworthy arms Ole Miss can turn to throughout a weekend.
“The pitching depth, we’ve seen it all year. The guys that we can roll out there, that we trust, that are consistent week in and week out … that level of consistency and depth is what I’m most excited about.”
Judd Utermark on Rebels’ pitching
That confidence matters because the road through Lincoln will not be easy.
Arizona State brings one of the country’s more explosive offenses into Friday night’s matchup, while host Nebraska will have both home-field advantage and crowd energy working in its favor if the Huskers advance as expected. And looming beyond the regional is the possibility of an eventual Super Regional matchup with Auburn, the No. 4 overall national seed.
But inside the Ole Miss clubhouse, there is excitement about the path ahead.
The Rebels believe their pitching gives them a legitimate chance against anybody.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception. Email Evie at: Evie@TheRebelWalk.com
