Mike Bianco Announces Probable Opening Day Lineup for Ole Miss Baseball
OXFORD, Miss. -- Ole Miss baseball held its media day on Friday, and head coach Mike Bianco detailed the lineup he plans to trot out on Opening Day against Charleston Southern.
The Rebels return the majority of their lineup from a season ago, including Tim Elko who tore his ACL in midweek action in 2021. Derek Diamond is projected to be the Friday night starter to begin the 2022 season, but the starting spots in the rotation behind him are yet to be determined. Possibilities include transfers Jack Washburn (Oregon State) and John Gaddis (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi) or Drew McDaniel.
The lineup on Feb. 18 for Bianco is expected to be as follows:
LF Kevin Graham
CF Justin Bench or TJ McCants
RF Kemp Alderman or Hayden Leatherwood
3B Justin Bench or Reagan Burford
SS Jacob Gonzalez
2B Peyton Chatagnier
1B Tim Elko
C Hayden Dunhurst
P Derek Diamond
The majority of these names will be familiar to Ole Miss fans, but one newcomer in the mix is JUCO transfer Reagan Burford. Bianco spoke on the success the offense had during the fall and the potential growing pains experienced by his pitching staff this offseason.
“The offense that was the No. 1 offense in the Southeastern Conference continued to swing well as we return basically the entire offense from last year," Bianco said. "Even with Tim being sidelined with ACL rehab, they continued to swing well.
“That made it tough on a pitching staff that’s trying to make a name for itself," Bianco continued. "A lot of offense, and that’s nice, but the problem is that you’re on the other side of the ball as well. We didn’t pitch it as well as I would hope, but with that being said, some guys really stood out.”
Ole Miss will open its season at home on Feb. 18 against Charleston Southern. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. CT.
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