Mike Bianco is coming back for 25th season. Here's how he can turn Ole Miss baseball around

OXFORD — Ole Miss baseball coach Mike Bianco has another chance to get it right.

The longtime leader of the Rebels' program will be back for 2025 despite two consecutive losing seasons, a source confirmed to the Clarion Ledger on Thursday. The source was granted anonymity because no official announcement had been made.

What must Bianco achieve to get the Rebels back to their lofty program standards? Here's a look at four things that should be top-of-mind.

1. Acquire top-end SEC starting pitching

This, like most of the items on this checklist, will prove much easier to discuss than do.

But the fact remains: The Rebels have not pitched well enough the past two seasons to be competitive, and that starts with their weekend rotation. Ole Miss finished 11th in the conference with a 6.40 team ERA in 2023. This season, their ERA again ranked 11th, at 5.88.

That's not to say they don't have building blocks. The weekend rotation Ole Miss eventually settled on — Liam Doyle, Riley Maddox and Mason Nichols — all can return, though the last two names are draft-eligible. Injured lefthanders Xavier Rivas and Hunter Elliott can come back if they choose. And freshman southpaw Wes Mendes looks like he has a big future.

Bianco did not grab a headlining starter out of the transfer portal last offseason, though Doyle eventually proved himself to be an effective addition. If Bianco opts to take the same path this summer, he will need more significant progression from his returners than he got in the past cycle.

2. Solve defensive woes, particularly behind the plate

Ole Miss closed its season with 66 errors — 15 more than Mizzou, the closest SEC team. The Rebels finished with a .966 team fielding percentage, which ranked 217th nationally. Only three Power Five teams were worse in that metric.

The infield defense was poor, but the real problem was located behind the plate. The catchers were charged with 21 passed balls. There were also countless instances where wild pitches resulted from balls in the dirt that you would expect an SEC catcher to block.

Ole Miss loves the bat of Campbell Smithwick, a true freshman who started the season behind the plate but had big problems receiving. Bianco turned to Eli Berch, who was better defensively, but struggled at the plate.

Do the Rebels put their faith in the development of those two? Or do they go out and find a more experienced option? It's a decision Bianco, a former catcher himself, must get right. His team can't afford to go another season without a real answer behind the plate.

3. Figure out a way to start the SEC slate stronger

In Ole Miss' past three seasons, which includes the national championship-winning 2022 season, the Rebels are a combined 13-32 before the halfway point of SEC play.

In a game where confidence wins, they have repeatedly given themselves a reason to question their ability to compete in college baseball's best league. In 2022, they rebuilt their confidence and scaled the mountain. But the task proved too large in 2023 and 2024.

Many Ole Miss baseball fans are already short on patience. If the Rebels can avoid a situation that tests that patience further in 2025, they'll be better for it.

BIANCO TO RETURN: Ole Miss baseball coach Mike Bianco to return for 25th season coaching Rebels | Source

4. Build lineup depth around Andrew Fischer

The Rebels received positive news on Wednesday when slugger Andrew Fischer announced on Instagram his intent to return for the 2025 season.

After he slugged 20 homers and posted a 1.039 OPS in his sophomore season, Fischer's presence in the lineup next season gives the Rebels a foundation. But there's still lots of building to do.

Veterans Jackson Ross, Ethan Groff and Ethan Lege are moving on, and none of the bottom four hitters in the final lineup of the season held a batting average above .230.

Infielder Luke Hill also hinted at a 2025 return after he resurrected his season with a late flourish. Will Furniss' sophomore campaign looks like something the Rebels can build on, too.

But this lineup needs new faces. Bianco had mixed success with his transfer additions last offseason. This time will demand a better hit rate.

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: How returning coach Mike Bianco can turn Ole Miss baseball around