WATCH: Mike Bianco gives take on going from last team in to CWS champion
Ole Miss baseball just completed one of the more improbable championship runs you’ll ever see in sports. A month ago the Rebels were on the outside looking in at the NCAA Tournament field. Then, they went down to Hoover, AL and did just enough to be one of the Last Four In to the tourney. Perhaps the final team added. Once in the fold, the Rebels were a runaway train, obviously going on to win the whole shebang.
Head coach Mike Bianco coached his guys to the title and can still barely believe it. Following Ole Miss’ Game 2 win to clinch the title, he was interviewed and asked about his team’s epic run from final team in to final team standing. You can watch the interview on the tweet below, or the transcript of his answer afterward.
Here is Bianco’s full quote when asked about being the last team in and then winning the title:
“Well, I’ve said many times. We were the last team in. But we weren’t the 64th best team. We’re fortunate to get in it. A lot of teams didn’t get in it. There’s been years that we didn’t get in it. Credit our guys, because they put themselves in position in the last few weeks of the season to get in it. And once we got in it, we just kinda hit another gear. We’ve been so good the last three or four weeks. It’s been an incredible ride and I’m glad they’ve let me ride along.”
Oh coach. Don’t be so modest. “Glad they’ve let me ride along” — stop it. Take some credit, Mr. Bianco. A team that barely makes the field would never get out of the Regional if not for an iron wall of a coach. Heck of a job to not let seeding or home crowds or bumps during the regular season derail their blistering postseason run.
Bianco also went on to credit his team’s self-belief. He was amazed how the team “believed in one another” throughout the tournament. And the Rebels played with such “sheer confidence” that a casual fan would’ve thought they were tournament favorites given how comfortable they played.
Hats off to everyone in Oxford who made this special run happen.