AUBURN, Ala. (WLBT) – For the first time since 2022, Ole Miss is competing in the super regional round of the NCAA Tournament — and the Rebels are heading to Auburn, Alabama, to take on the No. 4 nationally seeded Tigers this weekend.
Game 1 is set for Friday at 7 p.m. on ESPN2, with Game 2 on Saturday at 4 p.m. on ESPN. If a deciding Game 3 is needed, that time will be announced.
Rebels sweep Lincoln
Ole Miss (39-21) punched its ticket to the super regional round last weekend with a 3-0 sweep through the Lincoln Regional — its first regional championship since 2022.
The Rebels opened with a 14-inning marathon win over Arizona State on Friday night, then weathered a weather delay to beat host Nebraska in a suspended game that began Saturday and finished Sunday morning. They closed it out Sunday night, topping the Sun Devils again in 10 innings to claim the regional title.
Head coach Mike Bianco said the postseason brings out the best in his group — and he expects nothing less.
“You need your stars to be stars, and to show up,” Bianco said. “This is not just the bullpen, but the team as a whole.”
Stars showing up
Judd Utermark made history in the regional opener against Arizona State, becoming the first Rebel in program history to hit 50 career home runs, moving him to the top of Ole Miss’ all-time list. He’s also the first Rebel ever to post back-to-back 20-home run seasons, with 21 this year.
Hayden Federico has been nearly unstoppable, hitting .474 (9-for-19) with four RBI and an OPS of 1.229 this postseason. Brayden Randle is hitting .429 (6-for-14) with three RBI, including the walk-off winner against Arizona State on Friday.
And Dom Decker has been clutch all year long. Last weekend in Lincoln, he hit .308 with three RBI, three walks and three runs scored — capping it with a walk-off sacrifice fly to send the Rebels to the super regional round. It was a full-circle moment for Decker, who made a similar postseason run with Murray State a year ago.
“It was really cool,” Decker said. “It was kind of everything you really dream about. I was just put in a really good spot by my teammates, and just wanted to get the job done for the guys around me.”
Bianco didn’t hesitate when asked about Decker’s impact on this team.
“He does everything well,” Bianco said. “He’s one of the guys in the lineup that — man, you would want in that situation. From a defensive standpoint, he’s one of the guys you want them to hit the ball to. You want him on the bases. He can bunt, he can do a lot of different things. He’s just a really good baseball player.”
Over two combined postseasons with Murray State and Ole Miss, Decker is now hitting .340 with 12 RBI and nine runs scored.
The pitching staff: Fuel for the engine
If the offense is the engine, the pitching staff has been the fuel.
Taylor Rabe has struck out 36 batters over his last three starts while going six innings in each outing. He leads the SEC in strikeout-to-walk ratio (9.00) and walks per nine innings (1.42), having issued just 10 free passes all season. He’s third in the NCAA in K/BB ratio.
The bullpen was the backbone of the Lincoln Regional run, combining for a 2.12 ERA with 15 strikeouts over 17 innings.
Walker Hooks — a Brandon, Mississippi, native — has been the anchor of that bullpen all season, converting six of his last seven save opportunities and allowing just five earned runs over his last 14 appearances. He led the SEC in ERA (1.73), WHIP (0.80) and appearances (17) during conference play.
Hooks described the all-hands-on-deck nature of postseason pitching.
“You just throw people out there and see if it sticks,” Hooks said. “We did a really good job of managing who was going to throw and what innings, and finishing the weekend out with a good bullpen.”
Hooks also noted the composure this team has maintained all season long.
“Joel’s been preaching to us — be the same guy every day, in and out of the field,” Hooks said. “You can’t let the bad days affect the good days, and you can’t let the good days ride that high too long. It’s just been fun to watch everybody keep their composure over these long seasons.”
Hudson Calhoun echoed that mindset, crediting the team’s approach to high-pressure moments.
“This is what you worked for,” Calhoun said. “This is the opportunity that you’ve gotten, and the coaches are trusting you. It’s not — ‘Oh my, I have to succeed in this situation.’ Of course you want to, but it’s an opportunity. It’s not a danger. It’s not a threat at all. Going into these situations, it’s an opportunity.”
Elliott gets the ball
Hunter Elliott gets the ball in Game 1, and history suggests that’s exactly where you want him.
Over three postseasons, Elliott has allowed just nine earned runs across 42.2 innings. The Rebels have never lost a postseason game he has started, and he has picked up a win in four of his six postseason starts.
Elliott also made history this postseason, becoming the first Rebel in program history to post three 100-plus strikeout seasons in a career. He now sits third on Ole Miss’ all-time strikeout list with 316 punchouts.
The opposition: Auburn Tigers
Head coach Butch Thompson has guided Auburn to its fifth super regional since 2017. The Tigers have reached the College World Series twice under Thompson, in 2019 and 2022.
Auburn’s path through the regional was anything but smooth. The Tigers dropped their opener to Milwaukee before bouncing back with a 17-run explosion over NC State, then handled UCF before beating Milwaukee twice to advance.
Their strength is pitching. Auburn holds a 3.62 team ERA — best in the SEC and sixth in the country — and leads the nation in strikeout-to-walk ratio at 3.75. Jackson Sanders leads the staff with a 2.63 ERA (second in the SEC), while Jake Marciano leads the team with 108 strikeouts and Game 1 starter Andreas Alvarez is not far behind with 103.
At the plate, Chase Fralick and Ethin Bingaman have combined for 35 home runs, with Fralick’s 20 ranking ninth in the SEC. Chris Rembert leads the team with a .345 average.
Bianco acknowledged the challenge ahead — but said his team is ready.
“You know why they’re good — they do everything really well,” Bianco said. “But most importantly, they pitch it better than anybody in our league. That’s not to take anything away from the offense. They hit homers, they steal bases, they bunt a little bit. Another really good opponent on the road.”
Bianco on the matchup
Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco knows the challenge ahead.
“You know why they’re good — they do everything really well,” Bianco said. “But most importantly, they pitch it better than anybody in our league. That’s not to take anything away from the offense. They hit homers, they steal bases, they bunt a little bit. Another really good opponent on the road.”
Ready for the moment
Decker, who has now experienced two postseason runs at two different programs, said the approach doesn’t change regardless of the opponent.
“It’s kind of just like — we go out and try to win every pitch,” Decker said. “It doesn’t matter who we’re playing. It’s kind of the same process. And I think if we just stick to our process and what we do, we’ll be all right.”
And Calhoun summed up what this group is all about heading into the biggest series of their season.
“Every time you go out there, you have to realize — this is what you worked for,” Calhoun said. “This is the opportunity that you’ve gotten.”
Game 1 pitching matchup
LHP Hunter Elliott (5-3, 5.21 ERA) vs. RHP Andreas Alvarez (10-3, 3.52 ERA)
How to watch
| Game | Date | Time | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Friday, June 5 | 7 p.m. | ESPN2 |
| Game 2 | Saturday, June 6 | 4 p.m. | ESPN |
| Game 3 (if necessary) | Sunday, June 7 | TBD | TBD |
Want more WLBT news in your inbox? Click here to subscribe to our newsletter.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Please click here to report it and include the headline of the story in your email.
