Mike Bianco 'Proud' of Rebels' Resilience in Saturday Win vs. Tennessee

The Ole Miss Rebels fought back from a late deficit to claim an 8-5 win over the Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday night and even their weekend series at one game apiece.

After the game, Rebels head coach Mike Bianco discussed what he took away from Saturday's gritty win, including strong performances from both the offense and starting pitcher Liam Doyle. When Tennessee was able to claim a lead, his team seemed ready to respond in a big way.

"Tough place to play and a really good team in the other dugout," Bianco said. "When they punched us, I was proud that we were tough enough to hang in there. Proud of our guys and how they handled the adversity. Of course, Doyle, I thought was terrific. Just electric stuff, and proud of the bullpen guys, even though it wasn't our cleanest day from the bullpen side of it. Proud they hung in there."

What made Doyle so successful on Saturday? In short, what it's been from the start: his ability to attack hitters. Over the last few weeks, he has been the most consistent arm in the Rebels' starting rotation, and his growth in his first season at Ole Miss has been evident.

"What he did last week, just really attacked hitters," Bianco said. "An excellent fastball, but his secondary stuff is outstanding. A lot of strike ones, and even though with 10 punchouts, usually that will run your pitch count up. It didn't because he just really filled up the strike zone."

The Rebels and Volunteers will conclude their series on Sunday afternoon in Knoxville, and first pitch is slated for 12 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.

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