OMAHA, Neb. (WLBT) – Ole Miss’ season is over. The Rebels were eliminated from the College World Series, falling to Troy 12-8 in an elimination game Sunday afternoon.
Ole Miss strung together eight runs on 12 hits but was unable to overcome a hot-hitting Troy team.
“It always hurts to finish the season because everyone loses their last game except for the team that wins the National Championship,” said Head Coach Mike Bianco. “When you lose, it stings and right now, it really stings. Very disappointed at the ending, but super proud of this team and what it’s accomplished.”
The Trojans broke open the game with a four-run seventh inning. Jimmy Janicki got it started with a solo home run to tie the game 6-6. Jabe Boroff doubled down the left field line for two more runs. Houston Markham added another run on a single up the middle to make it a 9-6 game.
Troy pulls away in eighth
Troy added three more runs in the eighth inning. Blake Cavill hit a solo home run to left center field. The Trojans scored two more runs off a fielding error to make it 12-7.
Will Furniss hit his ninth home run of the season in the bottom of the eighth to make it a 12-8 game, but Troy’s late-inning surge was too much to overcome.
Rebels get early lead
The Rebels wasted no time getting things started in the bottom half of the first inning. Dom Decker led off for Ole Miss and reached second on a two-base error. After a wild pitch moved him to third, Judd Utermark sent a 2-0 pitch into left to score Decker and give the Rebels an early 1-0 lead.
Ole Miss doubled its lead two batters later when Hayden Federico sent a double down the left field line to score Tristan Bissetta, who had reached on a two-out walk.
Troy answered right back in the top of the second, knotting the game at 2-2 on a two-run home run by Sean Darnell to right-center.
The scoring continued in the bottom of the second as Brayden Randle gave Ole Miss a 4-2 lead on his fourth home run of the season, his first since April 25.
Bottom of lineup delivers
The Rebels extended their lead in the fourth to 6-2 with another two-run homer, this time from Collin Reuter, his eighth this year. It marked the first time a team in the Men’s College World Series had the starting eight and nine-hole hitters homer in the same game since 2008.
The Rebels’ seven, eight and nine hitters — Austin Fawley, Randle and Reuter — were 6-for-14, including two home runs, with five RBI. Federico also finished 2-for-3 with one RBI.
Troy rallies in fifth
Troy pulled within one in the fifth after a bases loaded balk scored a run and then a single through the left side by Sean Darnell scored two to make it 6-5. The three runs chased Hunter Elliott and ended his day after 4.2 innings pitched.
Making his third career start in Omaha, Elliott gave the Rebels 4.2 innings, allowing five runs on five hits. The redshirt junior struck out nine and walked four.
“Lots of gratitude,” Elliott said. “I was grateful to have another opportunity to step on that mound on this stage of college baseball. We righted the ship those couple of years, got this program back on track.”
Elliott said the season was special because of how hard it was.
“We had a tough schedule. We had really tough road trips. We had really just tons of tough games,” Elliott said. “I think that’s why this team was so special and why we were so good late in the year is because we were able to stick together through it all. This team means so much to me. Those teammates on that bus right now, they’re brothers for life.”
JP Robertson took the loss for the Rebels, allowing two runs, all earned, in 1.2 innings.
After a Fawley RBI in the bottom of the seventh cut the lead to two, the Trojans added three additional runs in the eighth to make it 12-7.
Seniors reflect on journey back to Omaha
The end of the season marks the end of some of the best careers in Ole Miss history. Furniss, a four-year player, said the team means the world to him.
“I’ve been with a lot of these guys for a couple of years,” Furniss said. “They mean a lot to me. They’ll be friends for life. We worked so hard for it. Just sucks that it ends the way it does.”
Bianco praised the senior class for their commitment to the program through difficult times.
“Hunter five and Will four. And Utermark, another four-year guy, in an era that that doesn’t happen,” Bianco said. “They’re either getting drafted or transferring, especially when times were tough. So, we’re forever indebted to those guys for making us better, for making the program better. They’ve become leaders. They’re neat to be around. They do it the right way. Just so proud of them.”
Loss to North Carolina set up elimination game
The Rebels opened the College World Series against No. 5 North Carolina and held a late lead behind a strong outing from Taylor Rabe, who struck out seven over five and two-thirds innings.
But the Tar Heels scored five times over the final three innings, including a three-run homer in the seventh, to hand Ole Miss a 6-2 loss.
That defeat set up the elimination game Sunday against Troy.
Bianco: ‘Tremendous year’
Bianco said the loss stings, but he hopes his team will realize what they accomplished.
“If you’re going to lose, this is the best place to lose at,” Bianco said. “And right now I’m sure it doesn’t feel that way to our team. But my hope is, as the days pass and the weeks pass, they realize what a tremendous year they had.”
Bianco congratulated Troy and Head Coach Skylar Meade.
“What an amazing job they’ve done,” Bianco said. “They played so well today and competed so hard.”
Ole Miss ends its 2026 season with a 41-23 mark after making its seventh College World Series appearance in program history, third under Bianco. The Rebels swept their way through the Regionals and Super Regionals on the road to reach the College World Series for the first time since their 2022 championship run.
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