So Hugh Kellenburger sees Ole Miss baseball as an 'elite level' program.....

[Coach34]

Its been 40 years since OM has been to Omaha, so basically since the creation of the aluminum bat- they havent been to Omaha.

[M.Fillmore]

Guys. You aren't giving the BearSharks the credit they deserve. The are the only school to ever take a swimming team to Omaha. The UM Baseball team hasn't been to Omaha in 50 years.

[Coach34]

they went in 1972- 42 years

[Schultzy]

Guys. You aren't giving the BearSharks the credit they deserve. The are the only school to ever take a swimming team to Omaha. The UM Baseball team hasn't been to Omaha in 50 years.

Are you referring to some old story about ole miss putting baseball players on swimming scholarships until the NCAA found out and put an end to it bc there wasn't even a swimming pool on campus? Much less a swim team.

Pretty funny story if true.

[engie]

They still think they are elite in football because of stuff that happened from the 50s to early 70s -- why should baseball be any different?

[Johnson85]

Its been 40 years since OM has been to Omaha, so basically since the creation of the aluminum bat- they havent been to Omaha.

So basically the defining moments in two of the three major sports for Ole Miss are the introduction of aluminum bats and integration. It has sucked to be a state fan at times, but it's got to be worse being an Ole Miss fan.

[Goat Holder]

^^ This....tells you everything you need to know. We all have our allegiances, and I'd never change, so taking that out of the picture, when I really feel frustrated about MSU, I usually feel better by thinking that at least we're not Ole Miss. And that's the truth. In no way, shape or form would I take any of their recent history over ours.

[Goat Holder]

Granted, but Kellenburger wasn't referring to pre-integration as their basis for being elite. He was talking about the Bianco Era. Even die-hard rebels don't stoop so low to mention the CWS in the 60s.

They feel elite due to their stadium and supposed money/fanbase, who doesn't show up. They don't have the results on the field to support anything outside above average for even their best time period.

[Schultzy]

Their teams that lost to Texas and Miami in their home super regionals could've put that program over the hump to a run of elite status. Especially the team that lost to Texas, I thought they may win it all that year.

But coming that close and not getting it done was killer for that program and Bianco. Theyv'e been decent but haven't really gotten off the matt since.

[Goat Holder]

Yep.

They had one last shot with Virginia at home in 2009, and blew their wad all over the place after Game 1. What a colossal choke job. I knew at that point, after Cohen's first year where we took 2 of 3 in Oxford, that we could turn the tide. They had a last gasp effort with Wahl and Co. over the past two years, but they blew that opportunity out at Texas A&M as well. Now, I think they are finished, while our program is about to soar. At least for the foreseeable future, meaning 5 years.

Even their fans know, as evidenced by them turning over and taking it. They don't even engage in baseball discussion anymore. Yet somehow they are 'elite'.

[Schultzy]

MSU baseball, on the other hand, finds ways to get it done even in marginal years like '07.

Hell even last year we beat a heavily favored and highly talented Virginia team to make it to Omaha. Many thought that Virginia team could've won it all last year.

History shows over the decades that if anyone is to be considered elite in this neck of the woods it's MSU.

[Todd4State]

I think this article is more about putting pressure on Bianco than anything. There is a better than average chance that they are going to fire arguably their most successful coach in school history and they have to justify that. By saying that he's not achieving things on an elite level when they really "should be" is justification for that. When/if they fire Bianco, they are also going to have to explain this to their potential coaching candidates as well. No one wants to go somewhere that just fired a coach as successful as Bianco. And if they do go there, there are going to be some reservations for sure. Also- on top of everything else, they are probably about to fire a coach that's about to take them to a regional again.

If the rumors are true, the only Bianco can save his job is by hosting a regional at the minimum.

They benefitted from us being down in the 2000's. It's a different baseball culture if you will in Mississippi now. Cohen is going all out and winning big. The Pine Belt is the Mississippi version of Panola County as far as baseball recruiting goes and a lot of the better players there are going to USM and are under immense pressure to do so. Memphis is an area that Ole Miss would like to dominate as far as baseball goes- but you have MSU, Tennessee, Vanderbilt, Arkansas, Memphis, and others that split that area up and no one really dominates that city as far as baseball recruiting goes.

So, in short- as long as we are not gifting players to them like Polk was doing, they are going to be about what they are right now. A solid regional team.

[Todd4State]

MSU baseball, on the other hand, finds ways to get it done even in marginal years like '07.

Hell even last year we beat a heavily favored and highly talented Virginia team to make it to Omaha. Many thought that Virginia team could've won it all last year.

History shows over the decades that if anyone is to be considered elite in this neck of the woods it's MSU.

As far as 07- I really believe that we have the greatest home field advantage in the regionals in the country. Clemson was completely shell shocked. The last time we lost a regional in Starkville was because Polk grossly mismanaged the pitching staff and thought we needed Maholm to beat MTSU at home in game one. And then before that, the last time we lost in Starkville when we hosted was 1991.

[bully99]

We also lost regionals in starkville in 84, 87, 89 . To me that's what seperated Polk and Bertman. Skip dominated his home regionals and Polk didn't. IMO,the 84and 89 teams were polks' best teams and never made it to Omaha. Where would we be if we had won some national championships.

[Todd4State]

We also lost regionals in starkville in 84, 87, 89 . To me that's what seperated Polk and Bertman. Skip dominated his home regionals and Polk didn't. IMO,the 84and 89 teams were polks' best teams and never made it to Omaha. Where would we be if we had won some national championships.

I think the difference between Polk and Bertman was:

Bertman had a deeper pitching staff.

Bertman was able to take advantage of the bats at the time. All their NC's were in the 90's. They also used steroids. No doubt about it.

Bertman was a better in game manager and was willing to steal and hit and run at times.

[Goat Holder]

Ha, yeah. Polk is almost our Bianco, just another step up toward 'elitism'. We have a good history but we also underachieved in some big time situations. That 1989 team was like 52-10 and got bounced in our own regional. Albeit regionals were 6 teams and tougher back then, that really should be akin to losing a Super Regional.

Problem for Ole Miss, they don't really have an 'Ole Miss guy' to come in and bust his ass for them like we did with Cohen. They think they can get Dan McDonnell, but Louisville is now arguably a better program and can pay more than Ole Miss. Being in the ACC now only helps, good baseball over there. Plus he's from like New York or somewhere, not exactly a black bear guy. Just because he was an assistant there doesn't mean he's dying to come to Oxford.

[gtowndawg]

Its been 40 years since OM has been to Omaha, so basically since the creation of the aluminum bat- they havent been to Omaha.

Aluminum bats and segregation.

[Goat Holder]

They also used steroids.

Yeeeah, we weren't exactly innocent in that regard.

[Todd4State]

Yeeeah, we weren't exactly innocent in that regard.

I kind of skirted around that regarding us. LSU definitely used them more or at the very least they were bigger.

[bully99]

I agree about pitching depth, but Polk had 4 first round pitchers in the early to mid 90's and a second round pick, not including Jay Powell and Scott Tanksley and others. Polk had some great arms.He played for the 3 run homer and got out managed too many times.