Ole Miss Coach Mike Bianco Shares Thoughts on Austin Simmons' Elbow Injury

Ole Miss Rebels head coach Mike Bianco lost a pitcher on Thursday night in two-sport star Austin Simmons.

Thursday night was about as bad as an evening can be for the Ole Miss Rebels baseball program.

On one hand, the team was blown out in a 12-0 run-rule loss to the Alabama Crimson Tide. On the other, left-handed pitcher and backup football quarterback Austin Simmons left the game in the fourth inning after throwing just four pitches.

Baseball head coach Mike Bianco stated per The Clarion Ledger that Simmons had "felt great" up until that point, and he had still been putting in work at both the baseball and football facilities. Now, however, medical tests likely await the two-sport star to determine the severity of his injury and how much time he will miss.

"Felt something in his elbow, so we just took him off the field," Bianco said on Thursday night. "The doctor was here and checked him out, and I'm sure there will be an MRI coming at some point."

So far this season on the diamond, Simmons has posted a 3.21 ERA over 14 innings of work for the Rebels. He is also 2-0 in decisions and has struck out 20 men alongside 11 walks.

In football, Simmons has been in competition with fellow backup Walker Howard for the No. 2 spot on the depth chart behind starting quarterback Jaxson Dart. Out of Pahokee (Pinecrest, Fla.) High School, he was rated as a four-star prospect by On3 prior to his signing with the Rebels.

This injury also comes at a bad time for Ole Miss baseball as its postseason hopes hang in the balance over the next few weeks. The Rebels currently hold a 22-18 overall record and a 6-13 mark in conference play, and they return to the diamond on Friday night for Game 2 of their series against the Tide.

First pitch is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT, and the game will be televised on SEC Network+.