Mike Bianco didn’t waste any time setting the tone in his Tuesday press conference.
He stepped up to the podium in the Diamond Club and basically told everyone what’s been whispered about since fall practices: this 2026 pitching staff is the deepest, most complete group Ole Miss has had in a long while.
And he said it with the confidence of a man who’s watched every bullpen session, every fall scrimmage, every offseason jump.
“This is as much depth as we’ve had in the pitching staff in quite some time,” Bianco said. “When I say that, not just numbers, but talented guys that we have to figure out some roles. You got to start somewhere and we picked these three: Elliott, Townsend and Libbert to start. But there’s some talented guys in the pen that I’ve already mentioned.”
He also rolled out the opening‑weekend rotation for Nevada.
No surprises at the top — Hunter Elliott gets the ball Friday as the ace and the steady heartbeat of the staff. Cade Townsend follows on Saturday, and Missouri transfer Wil Libbert closes the weekend on Sunday. Bianco also hinted at the possibility of the rotation changing for the following weekend series against Missouri State.
The depth of this pitching staff really shows up in the bullpen. Bianco singled out Hudson Calhoun and Taylor Rabe, two guys who’ve clearly taken real steps since last season.
He called them “critical pieces,” the kind of arms you lean on when the game gets tight and both look like pitchers who could start if needed, which tells you plenty about the overall talent level.
There’s more behind them, too. Walker Hooks, Landon Waters, and Owen Hancock have all made noticeable jumps in their second offseason with pitching coach Joel Mangrum. And you’re going to see some newcomers right away: Owen Kelly, Landon Koenig, and Patrick Collopy are all expected to get innings this weekend.
Kelly, in particular, has already made an impression. Utermark said Kelly was the toughest pitcher he faced all fall — especially that slider, which apparently has “don’t even bother swinging” vibes.
As for the ninth inning, Bianco said Waters and Koenig will handle closing duties to start the year. But he didn’t rule out Calhoun or Rabe eventually sliding into that role if things evolve.
The bottom line is this staff is loaded with options, competition, and upside. And for a team trying to climb back into national relevance, that’s exactly the kind of foundation you want on Opening Weekend.
