Mike Bianco, Ole Miss Face 'Challenge' of Sweeping Texas A&M on Sunday

Can the Ole Miss Rebels claim an ever-elusive series sweep on Sunday afternoon? The Texas A&M Aggies will present a unique challenge at Swayze Field.

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Mike Bianco / Bruce Newman/Special to the Clarion

OXFORD -- Can the Ole Miss Rebels strengthen their postseason resume with a series sweep of the Texas A&M Aggies on Sunday? That's certainly the goal for head coach Mike Bianco who has searched for consistency from his team throughout the 2024 season.

Following his team's dominating series-clinching win on Saturday, Bianco was asked how he believed his team had responded to this search for consistency in recent weeks. Ole Miss has now won back-to-back SEC series over the Auburn Tigers and A&M, so he is pleased with the current trajectory of his roster as the regular season winds down.

The Rebels were unable to complete the sweep of the Tigers last weekend, but they have another shot to claim that mark this weekend against the Aggies.

"Obviously, in SEC play, it's hard to say we haven't done that this weekend or even last weekend," Bianco said, "but it's a challenge that we have to show up again tomorrow. Last Sunday wasn't that we didn't show up. It was just one of those tough games, and it happens in baseball."

What Bianco hopes to see from the Rebels on Sunday is not letting Saturday's game affect their level of play. Even if the previous day featured a win, each contest is a new challenge, and it's important to put the previous game behind you in search for another win.

"That's the challenge for all the teams that are good or want to be good," Bianco said. "Can you put the game you just played behind you, and can you show up the next day and play really hard, regardless of what happened the day before? And that goes with losses. Good teams lose too, but you've got to show up the next day, and that's what makes them so good.

"They usually win the next day. But also, the good teams, when they win, they're able to show up the next day and put that behind them, regardless if it's a win streak. Not be satisfied. Somebody's going to win, somebody's going to lose. We need to win."

The Rebels came from behind on Friday to claim a 4-3 win over Texas A&M, and they dominated from start to finish on Saturday en route to a 10-2 final score. First pitch on Sunday is scheduled for 5 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on SEC Network+.