How 'Mario Baseball' Helped Kevin Graham Prepare for NCAA Baseball Tournament
OXFORD, Miss. -- How did Kevin Graham deal with the anxiety leading up to Selection Monday for Ole Miss baseball? Video games.
The Rebel left fielder spent time with teammate Banks Tolley playing video games to serve as a distraction from the question that at the time had no answer: would Ole Miss make it to the postseason?
"I've played a lot of Mario baseball," Graham said with a laugh. "Banks and I are deep into that. I've been winning."
Once Ole Miss' name appeared on the screen on Memorial Day during the tournament selection show, however, that anxiety melted away and turned into elation.
"We kind of shot ourselves in the foot to end up in this position," Graham said. "Even my girlfriend would ask about it when I got home from practice. [I had] he whole range of emotions. Just an outburst. It was awesome and fun to be a part of that. Tough to sweat that out, but that moment was cool."
The Rebels had an up-and-down 2022 campaign, but their name was finally called on Memorial Day, slated as the No. 3 seed in the Coral Gables Regional. Miami, the host, is the No. 1 seed followed by Arizona at No. 2 and No. 4 Canisius.
Even with this current draw, Graham has one goal: win baseball games and play his best after his injury early this season.
"It doesn't matter," Graham said. "Let's just go win some baseball games. I've really stayed true to my approach which is tough coming back from that injury. Healthy again and feeling good."
The Rebels are scheduled to open play in the regional on Friday at 6 p.m. CT against Arizona who eliminated them in the Tucson Super Regional last season, although both rosters look significantly different than a year ago. That scheduled start time is up in the air, however, due to a tropical storm moving through the area.
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