OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss baseball team opened spring practice on Sunday as the Rebels ran through a scrimmage with 19 days to go before the opening of the season. Ole Miss opens the 2009 season on the road at South Alabama in a weekend tournament on February 20.

Ole Miss is ranked sixth in the preseason and are ranked in the preseason for the sixth-straight year.

The Rebels went through normal gameday preparations including stretching, defensive drills and batting practice before taking to the field for an intra-squad scrimmage.

“We’re excited to be out here,” said Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco of the practice. “But it’s easy to be excited today. What we have to do is harness that excitement – that extra bounce in our step – and maintain that focus and intensity for the next three weeks until the season starts.”