Jun. 13—TUCSON, Ariz. — Once again at the doorstep of the College World Series the approach won’t change for Ole Miss.
The 12 seed Rebels and 5 seed Arizona Wildcats have split the first two games of the Tucson Super Regional.
The game will air on ESPN2 or ESPNU tonight at 8 with Omaha on the line.
The only super regional in which Ole Miss failed to reach this game was in 2007 west of here in Tempe against Arizona State.
The Rebels won the decisive game in 2014 at No. 1-ranked Louisiana-Lafayette.
Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco says neither success in that Game 3 nor shortcomings in 2005 against Texas, 2006 against Miami, 2009 against Virginia nor 2019 against Arkansas will affect how he manages against Arizona.
“As far as managing the game, that’s too general, too vague. There are times when a decision has to be made, do you leave a pitcher in, do you not, do you steal, do you not? Those decisions you make throughout the season,” Bianco said. “This happens to be one game where if you win everybody’s happy and you go to Omaha; if you lose the season ends.”
Shortly after cranking out 16 hits, the program’s best in a super regional, the Rebels were confident about Game 3.
Junior left-hander Doug Nikhazy threw 121 pitches over 5 1/3 innings. He walked three and struck out 10.
While the Wildcats ran up Nikhazy’s pitch count he repeatedly made big pitches to get off the field such as getting back-to-back strikeouts with runners at second and third in a 7-2 game in the top of the fourth.
Afterward he couldn’t explain what makes him tick.
“What I can explain is the bats, the arms, our relentless will to want to win these ballgames, honestly, the intangibles. We play our best baseball with our backs against the wall. We showed that today, and we’ll show that tomorrow,” he said.
Second baseman Peyton Chatagnier, who was 2 for 5 with a home run, agreed.
“It’s just that dog mentality we have. We’re a really gritty team. We almost like the challenge better I think. It makes the winning more fun,” he said.
Game Days have been fun for the Rebels 45 times this season.
Bianco says the key to making it 46 is not changing who you are but being a better version of who you are.
“We’ll do everything we can to win the game, but I think it comes down more to just playing well.”