Mike Bianco Discusses 'Juggling' Offseason Following National Championship
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OXFORD, Miss. -- Winning a national championship is the end goal for every collegiate baseball program, but success in that area brings its own set of challenges.
The Ole Miss Rebels secured their first baseball national championship in school history last season, and head coach Mike Bianco discussed the challenges of turning the page in media availability on Friday.
"Probably the most-asked question since June is, 'How do you put the championship behind you?'" Bianco said. "The truth is, it hasn't been that difficult. It's pretty easy when you walk into the first team meeting. We have 40 players, and 20 of them weren't here last year."
After winning the big prize, Bianco and his staff made an intentional effort to give the national championship run its proper recognition while also not losing sight of the upcoming season. This came in the form of "juggling" championship celebration and putting in a large amount of work in the offseason to make a strong run in 2023.
"When I look back at this past fall, it was a goal of ours," Bianco said. "How do we use this championship to better the program now that it's happened, and how do we guard against it making things difficult? It's a juggle.
"Probably the difference was outside. It was a big juggle in the fall to give the championship its right due. Our season ends when school is out. Usually it's a loss. When you win a championship, we wanted to make sure this fall that we were able to juggle."
With some key pieces returning to the Rebels' roster this season along with some newcomers, Bianco believes that his goal of "turning the page" was reached this fall. Now, his team's sights are set on this spring.
"I think we did a great job with that," Bianco said. "The administration did a great job. It was a busy fall off the field, but a good busy. I think we'd all take that business every single year."
Ole Miss will open its season at home on Feb. 17 against the Delaware Blue Hens. First pitch is set for 4 p.m. CT.
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