Kentucky Wildcats Sweep Ole Miss Rebels: Three Takeaways

The Ole Miss Rebels dropped all three games at home this weekend and fall to 3-6 in conference play.

The Ole Miss Rebels seem to be in a lull.

After salvaging a win on the road in Knoxville last weekend, the Rebels were looking to right the ship on Easter Weekend, but Kentucky had other plans. The Wildcats dominated the Rebels for most of the series, coming away with the sweep in Oxford.

Here are three takeaways from the weekend.

Rebels Continue To Struggle Defensively

After a three-error performance cost them the game on Friday, the Rebels had five on Saturday. Rough and simple to say you aren't going to win games making the amount of errors they are making right now.

The Rebels also really struggled controlling the running game. Kentucky seemed to steal bases at will and was constantly making pitchers uncomfortable with how much pre-pitch movement they had on the basepaths.

Ole Miss also doesn't seem to have a legit option behind the dish, which is shocking when you think about the great catchers the Rebels have produced in the past. Campbell Smithwick is young, and Eli Berch is getting his first taste of D1 action after a season at Chipola College (Fla). As you continue up the ladder of competition in baseball, the game speeds up, and your mental clock has to be that much faster.

Whether seeing the ball in the dirt and reacting to make a block or having a quick transfer on a throw-down, the mental clock for the two backstops seems a half-second slow. They need to keep getting reps and work on anticipating the play and not reacting to the play.

Weekend Question Marks

Besides Riley Maddox, who was good enough on Friday to win, the weekend starting rotation wasn't sharp. Liam Doyle gave up six earned runs, and Gunnar Dennis got the hook early after after giving up five earned runs in the first.

It's unclear what the plan is from here. Maybe you give Josh Malitz or Mason Nichols a chance, or maybe Wes Mendes can give you three in a Sunday role and ride the bullpen. The problem is that would be scratching your high-leverage bullpen arms early. Mitch Murrell also could be an option.

Coach Mike Bianco definitely has a decision to make.

3-6 In Conference Play

The situation that played out this weekend was the worst-case scenario for the Rebels as they head into the gauntlet that is Fayetteville, Ark.

The Rebels stand at 3-6 so far in SEC play, and the good news is if the season ended today, they would make it back to Hoover. The bad news is the season doesn't end today, and the Rebels play at Arkansas, host Mississippi State, and travel to Georgia in the following weeks. Three high-quality teams that will expose you in all aspects of the game.

The Rebels need to flush the weekend and get back on the horse because the SEC schedule is about to ramp up. Finding a way to win one next weekend would be a plus.

The Rebels head north up I-55 to take on the Memphis Tigers on Tuesday night. First pitch is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT and will be broadcast on ESPN+.