MISSISSIPPI LEGISLATURE
2023 Regular Session
To: Rules
By: Senator(s) Michel, Boyd, Sparks, Hopson, Seymour, Barnett, Blackwell, Butler (38th), McDaniel
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION COMMENDING AND CONGRATULATING UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI BASEBALL'S HEAD COACH MIKE BIANCO FOR HIS THIRD NATIONAL COACH OF THE YEAR HONOR.
WHEREAS, on July 8, 2022, Ole Miss Head Coach Mike Bianco received yet another Coach of the Year honor, this one coming from D1Baseball. This is Bianco's third Coach of the Year honor among major college baseball media outlets, adding to honors from Collegiate Baseball and ABCA; and
WHEREAS, on June 8, 2022, Ole Miss Baseball Head Coach Mike Bianco was named the 2020 National Coach of the Year by Collegiate Baseball becoming the first "Rebel" head coach to be named National Coach of the Year. He joins Ole Miss legends Tom Swayze and Jake Gibbs, who combined for six Southeastern Conference Coach of the Year awards, as the only "Rebel" baseball coaches to earn year-end honors; and
WHEREAS, the "Rebels" finished the season with an overall record of 42-23, their fourth consecutive 40-win season, joining just a few programs to do so. After going one-and-done in the SEC Tournament, the "Rebels" were among one of the last teams to be selected for an NCAA Tournament, the 18th postseason under Bianco; and
WHEREAS, Bianco's team won the school's first National Championship in baseball, after a dominant postseason where the "Rebels" finished 10-1 in the NCAA Tournament. In the process, the "Rebels" went to Omaha for just the second time in half a century. This time, however, they came away with some hardware; and
WHEREAS, in their National Championship series with the Oklahoma "Sooners" led by Coach Bianco, the "Rebels" swept. In game one, Jack Dougherty threw a no-hit shutout in five complete innings before the "Sooners" found their way back into the game before the end of the sixth. However, in front of a dominant Ole Miss faithful, the "Rebels" hit back-to-back-to-back home runs in the eighth to pull away and eventually win 10-3. The "Rebels" racked up 16 hits, with five different "Rebels" getting multiple hits. Tim Elko led the way by finishing 4-for-5 at the plate, one of which was a home run that began the third inning. Peyton Chatagnier finished 3-to-5, while Calvin Harris, Kemp Alderman and Justin Bench each finished with two. The back-to-back-to-back home runs in the eighth inning came from Harris, Bench and TJ McCants. It was the first time that a team hit that many consecutive home runs in the College World Series since 1998; and
WHEREAS, in Ole Miss' championship clinching matchup the following day, Hunter Elliott competed for 6.2 innings and struck out six batters while giving up three hits, two runs and two walks. Mason Nichols, John Gaddis and Brandon Johnson carried the torch the rest of the way, with the latter throwing the final strike to take the lid off Charles Schwab Stadium and start the in field dogpile; and
WHEREAS, it is with great pride that we join Coach Bianco's national peers in honoring a collegiate baseball leader who has brought recognition to his team, his university and to the State of Mississippi:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE SENATE OF THE STATE OF MISSISSIPPI, THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES CONCURRING THEREIN, That we do hereby commend and congratulate University of Mississippi Baseball's Head Coach Mike Bianco for his third National Coach of the Year honor and extend to Coach Bianco and his family our thanks for the ultimate recognition he and his staff have brought to the State of Mississippi and our best wishes for future championships.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED That this resolution be presented to Coach Mike Bianco and his family, forwarded to University of Mississippi Athletic Direct Keith Carter and Chancellor Glenn Boyce and the Board of Trustees of State Institutions of Higher Learning and be made available to the Capitol Press Corps.