By Adam Brown
Sports Editor
adam.brown@hottytoddy.com
Ole Miss junior right hander Derek Diamond is ready to get the 2022 season under way.
Head coach Mike Bianco named Diamond as the opening day starter for the season opener against Charleston Southern on Feb. 18.
“One of the things I’ll credit Derek with is he always wants to improve,” Bianco said. “To pitch and to be effective, he realizes that he’s got to locate his fastball, that can be super overpowering at times, but to locate it better.”
“There has been a ton of growth,” Diamond said. “I want to improve the spin on my fastball slider, more of a put away pitch and want to be more consistent with the change up.”
Diamond absorbed the art of “playing baseball” from former Ole Miss hurler Doug Nikhazy.
“Watching him play,” Diamond said. “He shows up, chews his bubble gum, hates the other team and goes to pitch against them.”
Diamond added that he thinks he’ll be better in a lot of areas.
When Diamond arrived on campus he had a four-seam and a two-seam fastball.
“Pretty soon after coming here I switched over to just a four-seam fastball,” Diamond said.
Last season, Diamond threw 75.1 innings in over 14 starts and 20 appearances, with a 5.26 ERA and a 3-5 overall record. He recorded 82 strikeouts to 32 walks, allowed 80 hits and 54 runs.
“Last season taught us all going through gauntlet of the SEC,” Diamond said. “We do have an older team this year with expectations coming back and I think the experience can on only help.
During his career with the red and blue, the Ramona, California native has recorded a 5-5 overall record on the hill in 96 innings of work with a 4.88 ERA. As a freshman, he went 2-0 in a shortened season in four starts before COVID-19.
