Rippee Writes: Friday Scoop
A brutal loss for a team at a crossroads, spring primer and more
Happy Friday to all. No new podcast out today. We will be back Sunday, but thank you to everyone who tuned into the Twitter live stream during the game last night. We had absolutely no idea what we were doing and tried like four different things that failed but that ended up working out well. It was fun interacting with people in real-time. We’ve got a ton to dive into today. Let’s go.
Bullpen blows lead again as Rebels fall to LSU
Last night was an absolutely brutal loss for Ole Miss. It’s more how the game played out than what it looked like on paper heading in. Gunnar Hoglund was a late scratch with arm tightness, leaving Derek Diamond to face a bonified ace in Landon Marceaux on only a few hour’s notice. Diamond pitched his ass off and the bullpen failed him. Ole Miss, now 9-7 and losers of 7 of its last 10 league games, is at a crossroads. It simply must win two this weekend and play better baseball the rest of the way. Some thoughts.
What an incredible job by Diamond last night. Mike Bianco said in his postgame presser that Diamond found out he was starting at 3:30 yesterday. First pitch was at 7 p.m. That is a remarkable note and an incredibly gutsy effort from a guy that could not have had a lot of confidence going in given how his year has gone. And if that wasn’t enough to overcome, his defense kicked the baseball around like the Bad News Bears and gifted LSU two unearned runs via three errors in the first inning. All Diamond did after that was throw five more innings of one-run ball while scattering three hits. That’s some pretty remarkable mental fortitude and one hell of an effort. Above all else, he pitched really well and his stuff looked electric. Ole Miss needs him to be a massive contributor, whether that is out of the bullpen or back in the rotation at some point, who knows, but it undoubtedly needs him and he looked like the kid that wasn’t scared to take the ball against Louisville in his collegiate debut. It’s a great sign for him and the team.
The same song and dance occurred once Diamond left. The bullpen failed the starter. Rinse and repeat. Only this time, Bianco played the right notes. He learned his lesson and went directly to Taylor Broadway for nine outs as soon as Diamond started to lose it. Up 4-2 in the seventh, you couldn’t have felt better in that spot if you’re Ole Miss. Taylor Broadway had a bad day. There’s no way around it. He didn’t have the usual run on his nearly untouchable fastball and he didn’t locate well. He gave up a single and a three-run shot in the blink of an eye and the Rebels somehow found themselves down 5-4 when they returned to the dugout for the bottom of the seventh. Broadway is allowed to have a bad day. It’s unfair to ask him to be perfect when the conditions upon which he’s entered games have been imperfect due to the ineptitude in front of him. For the traditionalists out there that don’t like seeing a closer extended beyond a normal save window, I ask you this: if you don’t have the pieces in place to set up the closer in a traditional window and an optimal scenario to succeed, does it really matter? He’s being brought in the seventh for a reason — Bianco trusts no one else to get outs. It’s not ideal but it is the reality. Broadway will be fine. His bad day just came in a costly spot.
Ole Miss’s starting pitchers have now covered 27.1 of 34 total innings in the Rebels’ last four SEC games. The team’s record over that stretch is 1-3 and the one win was a complete game one-hitter. This bullpen is holding a borderline great team back. Because of that, the Rebels are just that, a pretty good team with a fatal flaw. I don’t know where they go or how it gets better, but reinforcements aren’t on the way. Max Cioffi isn’t coming back. The guys back there that have gotten outs in big situations before need to start doing so again, otherwise, everything else is moot.
I thought Ole Miss faired pretty well against Landon Marceaux. They tagged him for a trio of home runs and got four runs off a guy that had allowed one or fewer in four of his five SEC outings. Despite not adding on late, the lineup did its job in the early innings. The bullpen couldn’t do the job.
People seemed upset Bianco did not bunt with two on, no outs in the ninth with the Rebels down a run. I get it. I probably would have bunted, but you can’t have it both ways. If you critiqued Bianco for bunting too much anytime between 2007 and 2019 and were mad about last night, I hereby revoke your anger card. If you fall into that camp, we agree. I would have bunted too. But here is the case against it: do you really feel 100 percent certain a team with two sacrifice bunts on the season and a freshman at the plate executes it? This is the same team that made three errors in an inning to put themselves in this spot. I have my doubts. Also, do you really feel great about giving up an out with Plumlee and Baker behind McCants, and Calvin Harris up even if one of them gets on? I can’t really fault the strategy either way. That decision is not why Ole Miss lost last night. It left a small village on base and couldn’t get outs in the seventh. So it goes.
These lethargic innings happen way too often with this team. The three-error first inning that led to two unearned runs proved costly. The Rebels are not good defensively. I’d argue they don’t have the personnel to be a great defensive team, but they should not be this bad. It’s going to cost them sometime in June, if it even matters by then.
Ole Miss needs to win these final two games. I would bet Hoglund is healthy enough to pitch the finale from the sounds of it, but the Rebels better win two either way. It was always going to be tough to beat Marceaux, even more so with your ace being a late scratch, but given the way the game played out, what a crushing missed opportunity for this club to gain ground and get back on track. A series win and it is all fine, but that one stings.
Same deal through the weekend, Greg says. Go get your 16 oz. prime strip for $10. Thanks for being a loyal susbsciber. We will re-evaluate next week and switch it up. He also says he got a ton of fish in: redfish, Mahi, scallops, shrimp. Go eat it up
The Grove Bowl is tomorrow
Lane Kiffin’s first spring game is tomorrow. A piece of the Rebels’ 2021 team will be on display and I will tune in. Here are a few things I am interested in.
What does QB2 look like? I find making bold predictions in the spring a foolish game, but it will be interesting to get a glimpse at Luke Altmeyer and Kinkead Dent (JA alum, not a big deal). If Plumlee does end up making the switch to receiver this fall, having another capable body behind Corral becomes all the more important.
Do we get a lean on who replaces Royce Newman at tackle? The offensive line should be good this year with four of five starters returning, but I am interested to see who the fifth guy is. How does Eli Acker factor in? Cedric Melton has apparently impressed thus far. I’ll be interested to see who is playing where on both teams.
Does anyone flash at receiver? In the 2018 spring game, it became blatantly obvious Elijah Moore was going to be a major factor in that team’s 2019 offense. Do we get a similar glimpse of that with anyone else? The usual suspects will be tasked with replacing more: Drummond, Mingo, Sanders, the two Jacksons, and we are a long way from knowing how that goes, but you’ll get the first glimpse tomorrow.
What does the defensive line look like on both rosters? Does anyone flash as a pash rusher? The single biggest indicator of whether this defense will actually be better next fall is whether they can play better run defense up front and rush the passer. That falls squarely on this unit.
Do they have a field goal kicker that makes kicks? Nothing else really to add here other than my campaign for Jackson Academy alum Land Gebhart to be the team’s savior. Caden Costa doesn’t arrive until the summer, but seeing kicks go through the uprights would be a nice change of pace.
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Randolph fires a 64 at Texas Rangers Course
When you card a combined 13-under AND realize there's Texas BBQ in the realm. 😋 @JRandolph88 (64) and @maxmcgreevy (65) turning it up @VBChampionship.
Ole Miss alum and professional golf journeyman Jonathan Randolph fired a 7-under 64 at the Korn Ferry Tour’s Veritex Bank Championship yesterday in Arlington. That’s a great start for a guy that’s struggled late and an important three days lies ahead for the 32-year-old trying to get back to the PGA Tour. I’ll be following him around and rooting hard this weekend. It is good to see him play well again.
Tony Romo started his round in style Thursday morning at @VBChampionship, carding an eagle on the first hole. But he has since lost three different balls in his last five holes, with the last two coming on the par-4 17th, his 8th hole of the day. After a triple bogey, he's at +2.I forgot to mention Tony Romo is in the field this week. I drove home from work yesterday halfway hoping one of these balls found my living room. You laugh, but the 17th hole is closer to my den than you think.
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