OXFORD &045; That three-week Christmas vacation Ole Miss affords its students is possibly Matt Tolbert’s favorite time of year.

He comes home to Woodville, chills out with parents Ben and Patti, never misses an opportunity to shoot at and miss a few deer and catch up those interested on the life of a college baseball player.

Like clockwork, Tolbert gets bombarded with one question more than any other from his friends and acquaintances: &uot;Most of them ask, ‘Are y’all going to Omaha?’&uot; Tolbert said.

Omaha, Neb. &045; the site of Rosenblatt Stadium and the NCAA’s College World Series.

Tolbert’s winter break could lose some of its luster if Ole Miss can still be playing in the latter part of June.

Three years, though, and Tolbert has zero reservations on college baseball’s grandest stage.

However, with experience and depth on their side, Ole Miss’ starting shortstop told all who asked, 2004 would forever change the Rebels’ postseason history.

&uot;Some of them believed me; some say, ‘We’ll see,’&uot; the Centreville Academy product said. &uot;I think we have a great team to do it.&uot;

With seniors Tolbert and outfielder Charlie Babineaux, and a fresh crop of underclassmen, such as first baseman/pitcher Stephen Head, designated hitter Brian Pettway and Seth Smith in right field, No. 4 (Collegiate Baseball) Ole Miss certainly has the means to reach a storybook ending.

The Rebels, who sat at 21-3 entering the second game in two days against Southeastern Louisiana Wednesday, currently lead LSU (22-4, 4-2) by a half-game for tops in the Southeastern Conference Western Division with a 5-1 mark.

However, records, numbers, streaks and whatever other statistical comparison will be put aside beginning with Friday’s series opener against rival Mississippi State in Starkville.

Including the two losses in the SEC Tournament, the Rebels were 1-5 against Mississippi State (14-8, 2-4) last season.

&uot;We’ve been waiting for (State) for a while,&uot; said Tolbert, who came into Wednesday bating .351. &uot;Last year they got the best of us. We want to go down there and beat them all three games. You always wanna beat your archrival.&uot;

In his six-year career dating back to two years as head coach at McNeese State, Ole Miss’ Mike Bianco is 3-11 against the Bulldogs, his worst record against a team he has faced more than five times.

But a turnaround against State is not out of the realm of possibilities for Bianco, who won more games (111) in his first three years than any other Rebel skipper.

&uot;The main thing that has hampered us in the past is the level of confidence and mentally being able to handle some adversity,&uot; Bianco said. &uot;The biggest difference I’ve noticed in this year’s team and the three previous is the confidence that they are playing with.&uot;

Tolbert sensed a shift in the team’s attitude and demeanor during an offseason strengthening program known as the &uot;Omaha Challenge.&uot;

The players squared off in two teams (red and blue) and performed a series of conditioning and endurance tests such as maxing out on weight lifting, running 100-yard suicides and flipping an oversized tire.

&uot;Coach wanted to see who’s going to give up and who wouldn’t,&uot; said Tolbert, the individual winner of the event. &uot;It’d be a lot easier to give up. But it prepares us for the season. You have to be mentally tough in this league.&uot;

Tolbert and several other Rebels stayed polished in the summer by participating in the Cape Cod League.

The Cape has become a fashionable place for collegians to spend their summers. With a strict usage of wooden bats, Tolbert and others get a taste of the big leagues and a shot to catch the eye of Major League scouts.

&uot;I loved Cape Cod for the great atmosphere and great competition,&uot; said Tolbert, who played for the Bourne (Mass.) Braves the last two summers. &uot;The best collegiate players in the country are there. I came back as a better player and am trying to make my teammates better players too.&uot;

The Baltimore Orioles drafted The Democrat’s 1999 All-Metro Player of the Year after last season in the 19th round. However, he never considered leaving school without touching Rosenblatt’s sacred soil.

&uot;I want to go out with a bang,&uot; Tolbert said. &uot;We owe it to Coach (Bianco) to get 40 wins and go to Omaha. It’s been really sweet so far.&uot;