'Just So Proud of Them': Archie Manning Praises Ole Miss Baseball's Historic College World Series Run
Winning a national title in baseball would mean the world to the Ole Miss fans back in Oxford. A mere 365 miles south in Thibodaux, La., it means a bit more to Archie Manning.
Archie Manning has been busy this past week while preparing to cheer on Ole Miss against Oklahoma in the College World Series. He currently is in the middle of putting on the Manning Passing Academy camp with sons Cooper, Peyton and Eli. His oldest grandson, Arch, recently committed to Texas for the 2023 season.
But the fanfare and spectacle that comes with being part of the Manning clan hasn't stopped Archie from understanding the importance of winning a title in Omaha, Neb., something he missed out on while in school.
A dual-sport athlete, Manning would go on to start at shortstop for the Rebels during the 1969 season. That year, Ole Miss made its third trip all-time to the CWS after defeating Virginia Tech and North Carolina.
"It was just awesome,” Manning said Friday during breaks at camp. “I mean, the College World Series and college baseball is so different now. It’s so much better today than it was back then, but still, Omaha was Omaha. And to get to go there, I’ll never forget it. It was one of the great experiences of my life.”
The Rebels would lose 4-1 in their first game against New York before defeating Southern Illinois 8-1 to avoid elimination. Things soured fast as Texas would overpower Ole Miss in a 14-1 victory, thus sending the program to the semifinals.
Manning plated the only run thanks to an RBI single in the sixth inning. For the tournament, he'd go 2-for-9 at the plate with an RBI.
This Rebels team remains one of college baseball's top programs following a midseason slump. Sneaking its way into the postseason, Ole Miss is 9-1 since the start of the tournament and is currently averaging 7.8 runs per games. The Rebels' pitching staff has been therapeutic bliss, led by ace Dylan DeLucia, Hunter Elliott and Jack Dougherty.
On Saturday, the Rebels picked up an essential 10-3 victory over the Sooners to take Game 1. Dougherty pitched five quality innings, allowing two runs off three hits while striking out six. Veterans such as Tim Elko and Justin Bench each homered while the Rebels recorded 16 total hits.
“I’m just so proud of them I don’t know what to do,” Manning said. “I mean this is a great story. It’s something’s that been fun for me the last week. I’ve been hearing from my old baseball teammates. John Shaw, the second baseman, sent me a picture of when we were there.
"Proud of Mike Bianco. I mean, they were one of the last teams in (the NCAA Tournament). And here they are, two wins away from winning the national championship. Oklahoma’s good though, so it’s going to be a good series.”
As for the Manning family and its future in football, Arch Manning isn't expected to change his mind on going to a different school. For the Rebels, the hope would be that Marshall Manning, Peyton's oldest son, could considered following the footsteps of his grandfather.
“Marshall Manning is here at camp,” Archie Manning said of his 11-year-old grandson. “This is about his third for fourth year at the camp. Marshall’s a good little athlete. He’s a good athlete. He plays flag football now.”
If all else fails, Eli's son, Charlie Manning, might be indoctrinated into the Ole Miss tradition. Of course, that will take time since the three-year-old still is learning how to read books instead of defensive formations.
“He’s a little young for the Manning Passing Academy,” Archie joked. “But I hope I’ll be around when Charlie comes to camp.”
First pitch for game two between Ole Miss and Oklahoma is set for 2 p.m. CT on ESPN.
