Rebels One of Five SEC Teams in Top 15

Alex Sims, University of Mississippi

TUCSON, Ariz. – The first preseason rankings of the 2019 season are in, and Ole Miss baseball checked in at No. 11 in the Collegiate Baseball Fabulous 40 poll presented by Big League Chew bubble gum.

The Rebels are one of five Southeastern Conference teams in the top 15 of the poll. Seven SEC squads landed in the top 25, while nine where in the top 40. All 14 teams received votes in the poll.

Ole Miss’ 2019 schedule features three top-10 teams and nine teams in the top 40, in addition to seven more opponents receiving votes in the poll.

The 2019 slate will be highlighted by a trip to preseason No. 1 LSU on May 3-5. The Rebels will host No. 6 Florida one month prior, Apr. 5-7. Ole Miss will travel to take on No. 9 Louisville in a key non-conference matchup Mar. 12-13.

The Rebels will hit the road to take on No. 23 Auburn, as well as No. 25 Arkansas. They’ll host No. 27 Mississippi State, in addition to the Governor’s Cup meeting in Pearl, Mississippi, on April 23. No. 29 Texas A&M will come to Oxford, as well as No. 35 East Carolina. The Rebels will also face No. 30 Southern Miss twice throughout 2019.

Ole Miss opens its 2019 campaign at home (Feb. 15-17) against a Wright State team that garnered votes in the Collegiate Baseball poll. Tulane and Long Beach State also received votes, making a formidable non-conference slate for the Rebels. Alabama, Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee received votes as well and will appear on the SEC schedule for Ole Miss.

The Rebels return seven starters on offense after pacing the SEC in batting average a season ago, an effort led by senior outfielder Ryan Olenek, who hit .350 in 2018 and one day ago was named a preseason All-American by Collegiate Baseball. Closer Parker Caracci was also named a preseason All-American after tallying 10 saves and 73 strikeouts a season ago and returning for his redshirt junior campaign to lead the Rebel bullpen.

This can be an info box:

Collegiate Baseball Fabulous 40 Preseason Poll

1. LSU

2. Vanderbilt

3. UCLA

4. Texas Tech

5. Stanford

6. Florida

7. Oregon State

8. North Carolina

9. Louisville

10. Florida State

11. Ole Miss

12. Coastal Carolina

13. Georgia

14. Texas

15. Clemson

16. Oklahoma State

17. Georgia Tech

18. Cal State Fullerton

19. TCU

20. Duke

21. Baylor

22. NC State

23. Auburn

24. Missouri State

25. Arkansas

26. Arizona

27. Mississippi State

28. Minnesota

29. Texas A&M

30. Southern Miss

31. Oregon

32. Connecticut

33. Miami (FL)

34. Illinois

35. East Carolina

36. Arizona State

37. Stetson

38. Louisiana

39. Michigan

40. Sam Houston State