Strong Offense, Bullpen Resurgence and More From Ole Miss' Sweep of Cambria College Classic
The No. 4 Ole Miss Rebels dominated their time in the Cambria College Classic over the weekend, sweeping action against three Big Ten programs and coming home with a trophy following their efforts.
Now that three weekends are in the rearview mirror for Ole Miss baseball, what new trends did we observe from the time in Minneapolis? Let's dive in below.
1. The Offense is Still Strong
The Rebels put up 28 runs over the course of three games in Minneapolis, capped off by a 14-run performance on Sunday against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. Despite losing some talent to the MLB Draft a season ago, it appears the Ole Miss offense has picked up where it left off in 2022.
Of course, this may change once SEC play begins, but, for now, this group is clicking.
2. The Emergence of Anthony Calarco
Of those 28 runs, one-fourth of them came from the Rebels' first baseman. Calarco pushed across seven runs combined on Saturday and Sunday, five of which came in Saturday's win over the Minnesota Golden Gophers.
The departure of Tim Elko at first base a season ago was a big storyline entering this season for Ole Miss. If Calarco can continue at this (or a similar) pace throughout the year, it appears the Rebels may be just fine at that position.
3. Signs of an Improving Bullpen?
If there is a current weak link on this Ole Miss team, it comes down to arms on the mound.
After the injury to Hunter Elliott (who is primed for a mid-April return, we think), the Rebels' best bullpen arm in Jack Dougherty shifted to the Friday night starter role, leaving the relief corps hamstrung. Or so it appeared.
Again, it's just one weekend, but over the course of 11.2 innings of action, the Rebel relievers walked only two batters, a far cry from the first series of the season. There are still plenty of question marks on the mound for Ole Miss, but perhaps this weekend was a step in the right direction.
You can follow John Macon on Twitter at @JMakeGillespie.
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