Ole Miss embracing the underdog role
Inside the hitting facility at the University of Mississippi hangs a sign that says, “Play like you’re the underdog.” Fitting for a program that just won its first Southeastern Conference tournament as the No. 8 seed.
“I’ll be the first one to tell you that we don’t have the most talented team in the conference but I’ll take our fight,” said head coach Mike Smith. “Our kids fight and we are going to fight through our regional and see where it takes us.”
The underdog mentality starts with Smith. When he was thinking about taking the Ole Miss job, he was told repeatedly that it was a career killer and that he shouldn’t take it.
“I’ve been able to build programs and they told it was a dead end job. That is was a potential career killer and when I heard that, I said perfect that’s exactly what I want.”
Smith came to Oxford from McNeese State University on May 29, 2014, and the Rebels have never looked back. In his first season, they tied the program record with 30 wins and in 2016 they shattered it with 41. So far this season they have 40 wins and are getting ready to host the first regional in program history.
After his first year at Ole Miss, Smith made changes to his coaching staff. He brought in Taryne Mowatt as his pitching coach, promoted Ruben Felix to assistant coach and hired Katie Rietkovich as a volunteer assistant.
Mowatt, who won a National Championship with Arizona, has worked wonders with the pitching staff, especially with Kaitlin Lee. But the hire of Rietkovich has proved to be a difference maker with the small ball Ole Miss offense.
“Coach Rietkovich has never slapped in her life but she said she wanted to take it on,” said Smith. “She is a student of the game and watched a lot of videos. What she has been able to do without slappers is beyond amazing.”
Call them the team of destiny, Cinderella or the underdog but Ole Miss has confidence. Why wouldn’t they after beating Florida, Alabama and LSU?
This weekend won’t be easy. The committee placed Arizona State and North Carolina in their regional, two teams that have had some success in the postseason before. That doesn’t faze Ole Miss and that is why they are a dark horse team that can make a run to Oklahoma City.
“I want somebody to doubt me. I want someone to doubt those players out there and our staff,” said Smith. “Our girls say they love being the underdog and that’s what we do.”
