Ole Miss Looks For History in College World Series Against Oklahoma
Mike Bianco couldn't have smiled anything brighter as his players shook hands over the pitching mound. A promise was made to the fanbase in May. It was kept three months later at Charles Schwab Field.
Ole Miss will face Oklahoma Saturday for a shot at the national title in the College World Series. A stumble against Arkansas on Wednesday forced an elimination game Thursday afternoon, but Rebels' Dylan DeLucia cooked the Hogs' hide on the way to a 2-0 victory.
DeLucia (8-2) dazzled during his complete shutout. Arkansas batters were left fixated on what could have been as they headed back to the dugout. Every pitch had purpose behind the 90 mph heaters leaving DeLucia's hand. It paid dividends as he'd strikeout seven Razorbacks while allowing just four hits.
"I just stayed with it," DeLucia said Thursday. "I kept seeing all those zeros going up on the board and I thought, well, maybe I'll finally get to finish one."
If the Rebels had 12 of him in their bullpen, the best-of-three series against the Sooners would likely only be a two game set. Instead, DeLucia will have to watch the first two games as right-hander Jack Dougherty will start Game 1 freshman left-hander Hunter Elliott takes over in Game 2.
"They have a chip on their shoulder, and so do we," Sooners catch Jimmy Crooks said. "Yeah, they had a real tough journey. They were the last four in, and they've been battling their way all the way here. Same with us."
No one in Oxford should be sleeping on the Sooners. When the bats are hot, runs will come flying down the base path in an instant. Keep a close eye on Oklahoma's pitching staff as well. In its three games, Oklahoma's staff has allowed 11 runs while striking out 34.
Oklahoma features a pair of premier hitters who one day could be playing the big leagues. Redshirt senior outfielder Tanner Tredaway currently possess a .379 batting average to go along with his 105 hits and 65 RBIs. Redshirt sophomore shortstop Peyton Graham leads the Sooners in home runs (20) and RBIs (71) while posting a .344 average at the plate.
Of course, there's a level of expectation for Ole Miss entering Saturday's showdown. The Rebels ranked No. 1 in the country early this year and were favorites to take home the title. Things then soured at the start of conference play. Ole Miss was 7-14 against SEC opponents by May and rumors swirled that Bianco wouldn't be brought back.
Timing takes control of everything. Ole Miss awoke at the right moment.
"You look at the journey, they've been told they might not get in or might get in or whatever, they're going to fire Bianco, whatever, that was a joke," Oklahoma coach Skip Johnson said. "I mean, it's incredible because that guy has been, last year LSU was wanting to hire him. It's really what we live in our world, in coaching in baseball every day."
Since sneaking into the NCAA Tournament as one of the the last four teams, the Rebels have been one of baseball's most consistent rosters. They're 8-1 in the tournament games — all away from Oxford — and have averaged 7.5 runs per game.
Seniors Tim Elko, Kevin Graham and Justin Bench have been the driving force of the team's success since the start of the SEC Tournament last month. Pitching also has been a focal point in the postseason. Dougherty (3-3, 5.08 ERA) has thrown 12 scoreless innings with 13 strikeouts against 10 hits and five walks his last five appearances.
Elliott (5-3, 2.70 ERA) has been the team's most consistent option as of late. Ole Miss has won in each of his last six starts, including three in the NCAA Tournament. Since beginning the tournament in Coral Gables, Fla., Elliott has posted a 0.96 ERA across 18 2/3 innings and allowed 12 hits while striking out 22.
History is on the Sooners' side should they jump out to a fast start. In the previous two national title runs for Oklahoma (1951, 1994), the program started 3-0 to get to the CWS final.
Of course, Bianco doesn't care about history. Neither does his roster since they're looking to make their own.
"All you want is a chance to play for a national championship," Elko said following Thursday's win over Arkansas. "Now we have one."
First pitch is set for 6 p.m. on ESPN.
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