Will Furniss Believes Rested Ole Miss Rotation Can Make NCAA Tournament Noise
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss baseball now knows the path ahead in the NCAA Tournament, and according to Rebel slugger Will Furniss, the excitement level inside the program is already building.
The Rebels earned a No. 2 seed in the Lincoln Regional and will open postseason play Friday against No. 3-seed Arizona State, with host Nebraska and South Dakota State rounding out the field. Following Monday’s NCAA Selection Show, Furniss met with the media and discussed the draw, the extra recovery time following Hoover, and why Ole Miss believes its pitching staff gives it a chance to make a deep postseason run.
“Yeah, We were. We were all in here watching,” Furniss said when asked about the selection show.
“The team was pretty excited. I’m pretty excited. It’s going to be fun to play, you know, in their atmosphere. You know it’s going to be probably a good crowd. And it’s always fun to play in those types of crowds.”
Will Furniss on starting regional action
Furniss also expressed confidence in the matchup with Arizona State while already acknowledging the likely challenge waiting beyond Friday’s opener.
“I think we have a good matchup with these guys,” Furniss explained. “We’re, I think we’re matched up with Auburn too (in the other Regional). So, you know, focus on one pitch at a time winning on Friday. And then, I would assume that Nebraska would win. So winning on Friday and then, you know, locking in for Saturday,” he added.
Ole Miss entered the SEC Tournament hoping to make a deep run in Hoover but was eliminated earlier than expected. While the Rebels would have preferred to still be playing last week, Furniss admitted the additional recovery time may end up benefiting the team heading into regional play.
“Last year we went to the championship and I mean, we came up just a little bit short,” Furniss said.
“But, you know, I think maybe it’s pretty good for rest and recovery. We wanted to go deeper in the tournament. We wanted to win the whole thing. But you know, I guess there’s a cup half full. You get some rest and recovery, the pitchers get — Hunter Townsend and Rabe– they’ve got a full almost two weeks rest. So they’re going to be ready to go. And I think we’re all just kind of excited and get ready to play again.”
Will Furniss on the time off after the SEC tourney
That recovery time could prove especially important for Ole Miss’ starting rotation, which now enters postseason play healthy and rested. Furniss made it clear he knows firsthand how difficult that trio can be to face.
“I mean, it’s not fun to face them,” Furniss said of Hunter Elliott, Cade Townsend and Taylor Rabe.
“I faced Hunter, Rabe and Townie in the spring, that wasn’t fun…So I know what it feels like as a hitter to face those three guys, especially when they’re healthy. And it’s not a fun job by any means.”
Furniss on the Rebels’ starting rotation
While Elliott and Townsend have received significant attention nationally this season, Furniss believes Rabe deserves far more recognition than he currently gets.
“I mean, he’s got three just elite-level pitches. He’s going to be sitting in like the 96-98 range with his fastball. And he also throws with his four seam. And he also throws a sinker that same speed and a cutter, slider, change up. I mean, all of his pitches are just really good.”
Will Furniss on Taylor Rabe
Furniss went even further when discussing Rabe’s place among the nation’s top arms.
“Honestly, he doesn’t get enough recognition nationally as the other two,” Furniss said. “I think he should, I think he’s probably one of the best starters in the country. He’s kind of proven that the last couple weeks. So, he’s just got to be himself and he’ll do just fine.”
Next Up:
Ole Miss will open NCAA Tournament play Friday in Lincoln against Arizona State as the Rebels begin another postseason run with Omaha once again serving as the ultimate goal. First pitch is set for 8:00 p.m. CT.
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
