The Ole Miss Rebels baseball team find themselves ranked ninth in the new Baseball America Poll that released Monday morning.
The Rebels have won 10 games in a row and finished the week off in a sweep with wins over High Point, East Carolina, and Indiana in the Keith LeClair Classic in Greenville, North Carolina.
Ryan Smith, known to the players as Bobby baseball, is a manager for the Rebel ball club and has been impressed with what he has seen from the team so far. “This weekend went really well for us going undefeated… very proud of the guys. Travel can sometimes hurt a team but we are a resilient bunch,” said Smith.
“Loose is the word I would use to describe the team. Lots of new guys mixing in real well with the older guys and the starting pitching has been outstanding… Seems like Anthony Servideo is always on base being a game changer,” said Smith.
“We have a long way to go to get where we need to be but this start to the year has been a tremendous win for us… Taylor Broadway, Austin Miller, Max Cioffi, and Braden Forsyth have been great for us on the mound coming in to close games late and closing the door,” Smith added.
Rebels slugger Tyler Keenan, who plays third base, said that the team is coming along very nicely. “This team feels different than the previous years as we are finding ways to win and we are super close with each other,” said Keenan. Keenan said he is looking forward to keeping things going and is excited to see where the team ends up.
The Rebels have a home stand this week and Keenan hopes the team continues its success.
Longtime booster for the baseball program, Alan Lee, said he hasn’t been this excited about a baseball team in years. “We are young, hungry and have a lovely confidence about us that makes me fall in love with this team more and more every game I watch,” said Lee.
“We have talent everywhere and you can tell that the guys play for each other and for a common goal,” said Lee.
Johnny Isley, who is a junior on campus, said he has fallen in love with baseball again after the hot start the team has gotten off to. “I used to play baseball when I was little and some in high school but this winning streak makes me want to play for this team right now,” said Isley.
Isley said,” I love the energy we play with.”
The Rebels went from 23rd in the nation to 9th in a week span which is an impressive jump for the team. “I did not expect this young team to be this good so quickly but I would never complain about us winning games,” said Alan Lee.
ESPN analyst Chris Burke tweeted about the team saying they are playing big time ball right now. “[An] impressive start versus a legit non conference schedule. [The team] has a lot to be excited about heading into March,” said Burke.
The Rebels will resume playing Tuesday the 3rd where they host the Memphis Tigers at Swayze Field.
Zach Blaine 