While head coach Mike Bianco and the Ole Miss Baseball team treated Game 1 of the SEC Tournament like a normal Tuesday mid-week contest, the Missouri Tigers team that hasn’t won an SEC Tournament game in six years, played like it mattered.
Bianco trotted out former Mizzou pitcher Wil Libbert, the normal mid-week starter while the Tigers rolled out their ace Josh McDevitt. Sure, the Rebels touched him up for six earned runs in 5 2/3 innings, but not before Libbert, JP Robertson and Landon Waters gave
up eight in 5 1/3.
The offense put up eight runs, so it is hard to blame them for this loss. A silly rule cost the Rebels another run when Hayden Federico scored from first on what ended up being a ground rule double, sending Federico back to third, where he was left stranded. His run would have tied the game at seven. You lost by two, so ultimately it might not have mattered, but it could have changed pitching decisions on both sides.
So now the Rebels are at the mercy of the selection committee for the Regionals. Three wins in Hoover could have led to a hosting opportunity, but now losing to the worst team in the conference, Ole Miss will likely drop from that 18 spot down some, giving them an even less desirable Regional host. But you know what they say, play stupid games and win stupid prizes.
