Omaha, NE- If you were watching this Ole Miss baseball team during the middle of SEC play, the thought of them playing in the College World Series was beginning to look like an afterthought. The team was ranked No.1 in the country, but would soon go through a stretch that made folks question the job of head coach Mike Bianco.

This scenario was playing out behind the scenes in Oxford, with people wondering if Bianco was the guy to lead the Rebels into the future. We had seen a team that was finding an identity, not living up to the preseason hype at the moment. But, we saw this Ole Miss team do enough down the stretch to earn a bid to the NCAA Tournament and it didn't matter what spot they were picked at. The Rebels were in and that's all that mattered, a new season began on Memorial Day.

Even Oklahoma's Skip Johnson came to the defense of Mike Bianco and the job he did this season with the Rebels.

After discussing what his team had done so far in Omaha and the tournament, head coach Mike Bianco reflected on that day of nervousness, wondering if they had done enough to earn a bid and continue playing baseball.

Hunter Elliot

Ole Miss Was Knocked Down This Season But Fought Its Way Back For A Shot At The Title