OXFORD — Four days into its fall practice season, the Ole Miss baseball program had to hit the pause button due to COVID-19.

On Thursday, the program announced multiple members of the team had tested positive for COVID-19 and it is suspending team activities for two weeks. The Rebels will resume activities on Oct. 8.

“Player safety is priority No. 1 for our program, and we will take all of the necessary measures to return these players to full health,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said in a statement. “We have worked hard this fall to not only improve as a team but also follow safety guidelines in our facility. This two-week break will provide us an opportunity to evaluate our team protocols to ensure we are doing everything we can do to be safe while reinforcing with our players to be mindful of their personal activities both on and off campus.”

The student-athletes who tested positive are taking appropriate safety measures in accordance with the University of Mississippi’s COVID-19 protocols, according to the program’s announcement.

Ole Miss began fall practice on Monday, marking the first time the team has taken the baseball field since the 2020 season was canceled on March 13. The Rebels were on a 16-game winning streak, the longest active streak in the country, when the Southeastern Conference shutdown the remainder of the spring sports season due to COVID-19.