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LISTEN: On-the-rebound Ole Miss baseball has opened fall practices, and we’ve got a full report

Ben Garrettby: Ben Garrett09/25/23SpiritBen
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The Flagship is part of of the Talk of Champions podcast network

In this bonus edition of The Flagship, Ben Garrett of the Ole Miss Spirit/On3 is joined by Rebel baseball hitting coach Mike Clement. The Rebels have kicked off fall intrasquad practices, looking to rebound following a disastrous title defense in 2022.

Clement provides a full report on standouts, surprises, first impressions, injuries and so much more.

RELATED: Ole Miss Morning-After: Lane Kiffin’s Rebel football is good at clicks. Big wins? Not so much.

Here’s an excerpt from their extended conversation.

GARRETT: “Injuries were a big part of (the struggles for Ole Miss baseball last season), but also underperformance and/or misevaluations. You don’t get to 6-24 in the SEC by one thing just going wrong. 

Acknowledging that, and knowing the urgency (the Ole Miss coaching staff) felt this summer (in transfer recruiting), when you look around now (as practices start), do you feel better/worse/about the same/more encouraged/less encouraged about rebounding?”

CLEMENT: “Certainly more encouraged. I feel really good about it.

“If you don’t have the portal, all the sudden you look at the at-bats and we’d be going to a lot of young guys, and I still like our freshman class and think we’ve got some guys that are really going to push.

“But the good in the portal is you can go from bad to good very quickly. Make no mistake; that’s what we’re going to do.”

“I remember the last team meeting of the year in Tuscaloosa after the season ended in May. Obviously a really bad year. (Ole Miss head coach) Mike (Bianco) is saying goodbye to the guys who won’t come back, and there was a lot of them. But then (he starts) talking directly and looking in the eye of guys that will be back.

“(Bianco) said, ‘I promise you this will never happen again. We will make sure this never happens again.’ 

“If you look over the 23 years he’s been here, it hasn’t. He’s been remarkably consistent, because any down year they’ve had or we’ve had, we’ve been really good the following year. 

“It’s going to be the same this year, there’s no question.”

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