Ben MillerOut of the stacked Ole Miss bullpen, another star has risen. Redshirt sophomore Parker Caracci was already on a hot streak this season, but his performance in this weekend’s series against Texas A&M cemented his status as a super closer for Ole Miss baseball.
After redshirting the past two seasons, Caracci has certainly been a surprise this time around. Caracci has 33 strikeouts and given up just two runs in 15.2 innings pitched this season, and his play early in this SEC season speaks for itself. Earning two wins and three saves in ten appearances, his record is an encouraging sign for what could come from the rest of his season.
The numbers he has built for himself as a bullpen pitcher are undoubtedly impressive, but there is no way to quantify his ability to keep cool in stressful late-game situations. Some call it the clutch gene. Regardless of label, Caracci has it. For proof, look no further than last Thursday’s series opener against A&M.
In the bottom of the eighth inning, Caracci stepped onto the mound to take over after a questionable umpiring decision left the bases loaded with only one out for Texas A&M. He faced two batters, Braden Shewmake and Logan Foster. Shewmake and Foster are the No. 2 and No. 1 RBI hitters for the Aggies, respectively, and aren’t ones to keep their bats quiet. After Caracci quickly retired Shewmake, he then lowered Logan Foster’s season .487 batting average with another quick strikeout. Two more strikeouts in the ninth gave Ole Miss the 1-0 series lead.
During Saturday’s series finale, Caracci stepped in to cap off yet another Ole Miss comeback. Although he gave up a run in the process, the nerves were kept under control and No. 65 struck out the final two batters to give Ole Miss the series win.
It is worth wondering where Caracci has been in the past two seasons. After an extremely prolific career at Jackson Preparatory School in Jackson, he has spent two years sitting on the bench with a redshirt before this season. His athletic career at Jackson Prep saw him lead the baseball team to a record of 102-8 over a three-year period while also playing three years of varsity football as a wide receiver. Since then, his status as a true weapon for the Rebels has lain dormant. For head coach Mike Bianco and the Rebels, his awakening comes at an excellent time, when the entire team is heating up.
Dallas Woolfolk is still Bianco’s preferred option as a closer, but Caracci is showing college baseball just how loaded Ole Miss’ bullpen really is. At the very least, he’s showing that he is an incredible pitcher when it matters most. Clutch can’t be taught, and Parker Caracci certainly does not need any teaching.
