'Terrific!' Mike Bianco Believes Rebels Are 'In A Good Spot' Entering SEC Play
The Ole Miss Rebels are riding a seven-game winning streak into the opening of SEC play this weekend, and they passed their final midweek test on Tuesday before the onset of conference play.
The Rebels picked up a 5-3 win over the Louisiana-Monroe Warhawks on Tuesday afternoon, and after some clutch late-game hits led to the final score in Ole Miss' favor, head coach Mike Bianco stated how pleased he was with the current state of his team's chemistry at this critical juncture of the season.
Mississippi Rebels head coach Mike Bianco looks on from the dugout during the game against the Arkansas Razorbacks at Baum-Walker Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brett Rojo-USA TODAY Sports
"Terrific. You never know until the bullets start flying, but we always thought this was a really neat team, felt like we had great chemistry and leadership," Bianco said. "But the truth is that it's still through 18 games. Those are questions that are much better answered at the end of the season.
"The really good teams, it's hard to say you had a good year without good chemistry, culture, gelling, leadership and all those things that people talk about. We'll see. We really like the team. I think we're in a good spot, and we're ready for conference [play] to start."
Ole Miss scuffled early out of the gate, at one point holding a 2-4 overall record on the season, but since that time, the Rebels have won 11 of their last 12 games, and they will look to carry that momentum into their opening conference series against the South Carolina Gamecocks this weekend.
First pitch on Friday in the opener is set for 6:30 p.m. CT at Swayze Field, and the game will be televised on SEC Network+.