Mississippi Rebels
Overall rank: #34
Conference rank: #8 SEC
Mississippi Team Page
Six Southeastern Conference championships. Twelve trips to the NCAA tournament. Four appearances in the College World Series. All three of those accomplishments evaded Ole Miss last year, and the Rebels are on the lookout to make sure that doesn’t happen this time around. Mississippi finished above .500 but felt the weight of a brutal SEC schedule crushing on its shoulders, and the end result was a season slightly better than even and no postseason berth.
2011: 30-25, 13-17
2011 Postseason: none
Coach: Mike Bianco
Field Players:
Mississippi will be greatly helped by the return of several key hitters. Infielder Alex Yarbrough (see Who to Watch) is the team’s top hitter and should anchor the Rebels infield. Matt Snyder, another infielder and the team’s top home run hitter, will be a sorely needed presence as Mississippi attempts to return to respectability in the SEC. Snyder hit .301 but slugged .534 with 14 doubles and nine home runs. Outfielder Tanner Mathis (.336, 27 runs batted in, seven stolen bases) is the top outfield hitter coming back to the roster. Also watch out for infielder Blake Newalu (.292, 12 SB, seven doubles) for speed and agility on the base paths.
Pitchers:
Pitching could be a big problem for Mississippi. The top three pitchers from a year ago, Matt Crouse, Austin Wright and David Goforth, all graduated and left campus. These three combined for a 16-16 overall record, 71 walks and 192 strikeouts. Also gone is Jake Morgan, a top reliever who went 3-0 in 11 appearances with 18 strikeouts. Morgan also takes six saves with him. So who is left? Brett Huber leads a thin cast of returning characters with a 3.60 ERA and 2-1 record in 23 appearances. His main Achilles heel is control, as evidenced by 21 strikeouts against 20 walks. Seven players on the roster are listed as true or redshirt freshmen, and that could pose a problem when Mississippi goes up against the stronger SEC schools.
Who to Watch:
Yarbrough is a good presence who will anchor the hitting lineup. He batted .350 a year ago with 75 hits, seven home runs and 38 RBIs, plus he stole four bases in five attempts. The Rebels don’t need speed and agility as much as they do pitching, but it’s nice to know a familiar face will be there to guide things along. He made 50 starts at second base and five at third base, meaning he will likely be in the middle cog in double plays turned by the Rebels. Yarbrough can hit consistently, as evidenced by a 10-game hitting streak during May, so he should be good to go.
Final Projection:
The projection is for the team to just make it into the SEC tournament, but a lot will have to go right. The Rebels are a solid-hitting team, but far too many pitchers graduated to make things comfortable for Bianco and his coaching staff. If one or two of the freshmen like Hawtin Buchanan (18 walks, 77 strikeouts at Biloxi High School) or Will Jamison (9-1, 1.60 ERA at Memphis Evangelical Christian) come forward, then the Rebels might be all right. For now, there is just a lot of doubt standing in the way of Mississippi and a return trip to the NCAA tournament.
Projected Postseason: NCAA
Returning Leaders:
At bats: Tanner Mathis, OF, 226
Hits: Tanner Mathis, OF, 76
Home Runs: Matt Snyder, IF, 9
RBIs: Matt Snyder, IF, 39
Runs: Alex Yarbrough, IF, 49
Stolen Bases: Blake Newalu, IF, 12
Wins: Brett Huber, P, 2
Innings Pitched: Brett Huber, P, 30.0; Mike Mayers, P, 30.0; Bobby Wahl, P, 30.0
Strikeouts: Mike Mayers, P, 27
Saves: Brett Huber, P, 4; Bobby Wahl, P, 4
