Jun 25, 2022; Omaha, NE, USA; Ole Miss Rebels head coach Mike Bianco talks with fans before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

Why Did Mike Bianco Not Name a Captain For Ole Miss Baseball in 2025?

Originally posted on Ole Miss Rebels on SI
By John Macon | Last updated Feb 5, 2025 9:36 PM ET

The Ole Miss Rebels are entering the 2025 baseball season with a lot of new faces on the roster, but that doesn't mean they're all newbies to the game.

The Rebels have 12 transfers on this year's roster, whether those be from the portal or junior college ranks. This goes along with 11 true freshmen and some returning pieces who are expected to contribute, and the makeup of the team led head coach Mike Bianco to deviate from his norm in the offseason.

He didn't name a team captain. Bianco explained why in a press conference on Wednesday.

"As long as I've been here, we've let the players choose a captain at the end of the fall," Bianco said. "I felt this year with the makeup of our roster with so many older guys and so many guys who have been here, one of the negatives of selecting a captain or co-captains is it sometimes keeps other guys who could be leaders in certain moments from showing that leadership.

"I didn't want to do that. I wanted to make sure it's kind of organic. We talk about leaders all the time, and we've talked about it a lot over the last 12 months. We want to give as many guys the opportunity to be leaders of this team as possible."

That could be key for Ole Miss as it looks to return to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since it won the national championship in 2022. Since that mountaintop experience in Omaha, the Rebels have been mired in hard times on the diamond and have not been able to reach the postseason.

Just because that's the goal, however, doesn't mean that outsiders are bought in just yet. According to the preseason coaches poll in the SEC, the Rebels are projected to finish 15th out of the 16 teams in the Southeastern Conference this year, so they have some work to do if they want to exceed the early-season expectations.

Ole Miss will get its first chance to do so against some Top 25 competition on opening weekend when it participates in the Shriners Children's College Classic in Arlington. The Rebels are set to face Arizona, Texas and Clemson that weekend, meaning this new-look roster will be battle tested right out of the gate.

First pitch on opening day is set for 3 p.m. CT between Ole Miss and Arizona, and the games will be broadcast on FloCollege.