Ole Miss 2021 baseball preview

2020 record/RPI: 16-1 (4)

2019 record/RPI: 41-27, 16-14 SEC (16)

Coach: Mike Bianco (21st season at Ole Miss, 767-440-1)

Rank in preseason polls: 4 (BA), 5 (CB), 5 (PG), 5 (USAT), 6 (D1)

Rank in conference forecasts: 1st in SEC West (SEC Coaches)

Last NCAA tournament appearance: 2019 (super regional)

Home field: Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field (12,000)

Left: 330, left center: 365 , center: 390 , right center: 365 , right: 330

Ole Miss was a bit of a unknown entering 2020, having to replace the No. 1 recruiting class in the country who mostly exited for professional baseball after the 2019 super regional loss to Arkansas.

The Rebels had a core group of offensive players back but in new roles and were expected to have to find their way somewhat at the plate while being carried by returning weekend starters Doug Nikhazy and Gunnar Hoglund. But instead Ole Miss caught fire the first weekend and were still blazing when the season ended two days before SEC play.

Ole Miss lost opening day to No. 1 Louisville before back-ending that series, sweeping the tournament at East Carolina and winning 16 straight following that loss to the Cardinals. Power hitting (37 home runs in 17 games) and overpowering pitching (2.92 team ERA) quickly became hallmarks for an energetic team led by juniors Tyler Keenan and Anthony Servideo.

The bulk of that team is back in 2021, contributing to the consensus top-six national ranking. Keenan and Servideo leave big shoes behind, and overall experience isn't an asset, however, the Rebels boast one of the top rotations in college baseball and a deep, elite bullpen of arms that can be short-inning stoppers or lengthier options.

There are a couple question marks, but the expectation is Omaha for the Rebels.

Ole Miss is filled with offensive returners in 2021 but not a lot of experience. That's a COVID-19 situation that's unlikely to be replicated anytime soon. The Rebels have seven of their nine offensive starters back this season, but only three members of the projected lineup have ever faced an SEC pitcher, and only Kevin Graham (38 starts in 2019) has ever started at least 20 games in a season.

Five of the Rebels' 2020 games were against Louisville, East Carolina and Indiana, so the difficult nonconference schedule provides some acclimation, but it's something to follow as the year plays out.

Keenan (.403/.488/.791) and Servideo (.390/.575/.695) are tremendous losses, in production and leadership, but the talent is on campus to put together a complete offensive team.

Tim Elko was hitting .354 and slugging .667 when the season ended last March, and the senior team captain is a middle-of-the-lineup key to Ole Miss' run production. After struggling to find consistent form in his first two seasons, Elko was excellent a year ago and is needed to provide experience and leadership for the Rebels. The power offsets any swing-and-miss and he drove the ball to all fields in 2020.

Graham is the next experienced returning bat, as he played in 55 games as a freshman. He's obliterated right-handed pitching throughout his career but needs to take a step against lefties. He's showed signs of that being the case in the fall and preseason, and he should equal or top the 10 home runs he hit in 2019.

Junior college players typically have a transition similar to high school signees in that first year before really taking off in their second seasons. That's the expected situation with Hayden Leatherwood, Ben Van Cleve and Cael Baker, though all three showed well in 2020.

Baker had seven extra base hits and 17 strikeouts in 50 at-bats, while Van Cleve hit .385 and only struck out four times in 34 plate appearances. Leatherwood started 11 games and hit .361 with three home runs and a double in 36 at-bats. He struck out 10 times. Most expect him to limit the lack of contact and hit for average and power this season.

Bench reached base in 16 of 17 games last season, and he provides a needed change of pace to a lineup that profiles as a home-run-strike-out-heavy group. He also is the next in line to play shortstop should Jacob Gonzalez not play every day or get injured. The Rebels aren't built on defense and don't have a lot of options up the middle. Cade Sammons is likely the next player in center should Bench move to the infield or miss any time.

Gonzalez, a physical shortstop who may grow into a third baseman, was a surprise of the fall and has hit his way into play time -- also showing good range and hands in the infield. The Rebels have had a quality rotation with Robinson, Kessinger and Servideo coming before Gonzalez since 2014.

Hayden Dunhurst hit five home runs in 52 at-bats as a true freshman and may move into a middle-of-the-order presence this season, but he's known for his defense. He may already be the best defensive catcher of the Mike Bianco era, leading a group that includes Johnny Bench Award winner Stuart Turner, Bench Award finalist Will Allen, Bench Award semifinalist Henri Lartigue and 2008 SEC Defensive Catcher of the Year Brett Basham. He's a top prospect for 2022 and has the arm, quickness and receiving ability to affect games.

Sophomore Peyton Chatagnier may be the Ole Miss leadoff hitter, and while he needs to cut down on 16 strikeouts from last year, his frenetic energy is a quality attribute for the Rebels. He never stops moving, and teammates feed off of it. He has a positive edginess that may turn him into a leader in 2021.

First base is the most interesting spot as far as a position battle, with Baker having a lot of competition. Freshman Kemp Alderman is a physical, power bat and top-100 prospect who may also see time on the mound during his career. And sophomore Trey LaFleur had fought his way into a considerable role before a shoulder injury last weekend. He's expected to be out two to four weeks.

The one-two punch of Nikhazy and Hoglund highlight a deep and talented pitching staff in Oxford.

Nikhazy, who claimed Freshman All-America honors in 2019 and led Ole Miss to second-day wins in both the regional and super regional, enters as the opening day starter for the second straight year. Perfect Game has him as a potential first round pick in a recent mock draft. His athleticism and makeup help him pitch above his above average arsenal of options. The fastball in the low 90s sets up a four-pitch mix with a loopier curve ball, a quality slider and a changeup that has a lot of late tumble. He's worked to tighten everything up in the offseason.

Hoglund is more of a co-ace than a No. 2 starter. The 38th overall pick in the 2018 MLB First Year Player Draft, Hoglund has exceptional command, as evidenced by his 37-4 K-BB ratio last season. He didn't walk a hitter the entire regular season during his senior year of high school. Hoglund has been up to 95 MPH this spring and he's done well with his slider -- a switch from the curve ball he had in high school. He's expected to be a first round pick this summer.

Derek Diamond, a top-100 prospect out of high school who was originally committed to Stanford, injured his forearm during the summer and missed fall practice but has been 100 percent this spring. His fastball is in the low-to-mid 90s with solid offspeed pitches. Diamond is incredibly athletic with repeatable delivery which should lead to continued improvement. He held things together during his four starts in 2020 and is a great complement to Nikhazy and Hoglund.

Sophomore Jackson Kimbrell has impressed since limited work last season, and as the main left-handed option past Nikhazy, Bianco has to decide where to use him. The three-pitch mix plays well, and he's one to buy stock in this season.

Drew McDaniel is another swing option who could be a midweek starter or long relief option. He struggled in very little action a year ago but is a breakout candidate.

The Rebels' bullpen strength is an abundance of hard-throwing right-handers who can max out over an inning or extend into longer relief outings. Taylor Broadway is the current option for closer (0.56 ERA in 2020), but Bianco prefers to have options more than set niches in the bullpen, leaning toward four-to-six-out appearances if a pitcher can handle it.

Broadway leads a group of capable options for that with Austin Miller, Max Cioffi, Braden Forsyth and Wes Burton. Cioffi was incredibly impressive a year ago, not allowing an earned run or a walk in eight innings. That group gives Bianco flexibility on the back end of the rotation and should keep the Rebels in games when starter struggle.

Two wild card options are junior college transfer Brandon Johnson and returner Greer Holston. Johnson can get his fastball into the mid 90s from a three-quarter slot. He is plenty good enough to find a role as the year moves along.

Holston is trying to revitalize his career after two listless seasons. He was a key bullpen cog early in his tenure with the Rebels but struggled with dead arm and confidence for a couple seasons. Holston has a wealth of upside and he flashed into the upper-mid 90s at times in the fall. He's a lottery ticket that could hit this season for the Rebels.