Return of the Victors: Rebels Parade and Celebrate Arrival in Oxford after National Championship
OXFORD, Miss. -- "Hello, Rebel Nation. You are national champions."
Ole Miss Rebels head baseball coach Mike Bianco opened his speech with that phrase as he addressed a near-capacity crowd at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field on Wednesday as a part of a celebration of the program's first national championship.
Ole Miss held a parade through downtown Oxford, Miss., on Wednesday before team personnel reached the stadium where the Rebel fans awaited to hear from coaches, players and politicians. Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and Oxford Mayor Robyn Tannehill were in attendance along with Rebel coaches, players and staff.
David Kellum, play-by-play voice of the Rebels on the Ole Miss Radio Network, officiated the event, and Reeves and Tannehill spoke prior to Ole Miss athletic director Keith Carter.
After these appearances, Bianco spoke to fans along with players such as captain Tim Elko, Kevin Graham, Justin Bench, Brandon Johnson and Peyton Chatagnier.
"It's been a crazy journey my entire career here," Elko said. "It's only right that the first national championship that Ole Miss baseball wins is also a crazy journey."
A month ago, the future of the Ole Miss season and that of head coach Mike Bianco were in jeopardy. On Sunday, they claimed the first national championship in program history.
The Rebels claimed a 4-2 win in a pitchers' duel mastered by Hunter Elliott and the Oklahoma Sooners' Cade Horton. It took a one-out baserunner while trailing 2-1 in the eighth inning to chase Horton from the game, and the Rebels were able to get to Sooner closer Trevin Michael, putting up three runs in the bottom half to take the final 4-2 lead.
Jacob Gonzalez, who had been slumping at the plate in Omaha, helped the Rebels draw first blood on Sunday with a solo home run in the bottom of the sixth inning. Oklahoma would claim a 2-1 lead in the top of the seventh, chasing Hunter Elliott and reliever Mason Nichols before John Gaddis was able to stop the bleeding with the bases loaded.
In the bottom of the eighth, T.J. McCants worked a one-out single to chase Horton from the game. McCants and Justin Bench worked a hit-and-run in the next at bat to put runners at the corners, and a Jacob Gonzalez single tied the game. Two more Rebel runs came across in the frame via wild pitches from Michael.
With the win, Ole Miss has its first national championship in program history, and it now has claim to five national championships in school history.
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