After dropping its opening game in the Oxford regional, Ole Miss is back in the driver’s seat with a chance to advance to the supers. On Sunday, the Rebels were twice on the brink of being eliminated in front of ruckus crowds at Swayze Field, but took care of business against Georgia Tech and in a subsequent matchup versus Murray State.
Game One: Ole Miss 11, Georgia Tech 9
Starting with the first game of the day, Mike Bianco’s club found itself trailing 3-0 heading into the bottom of the first inning. However, a five-spot tacked on in the frame put the Rebels on top 5-3, beginning several rounds of volleying between two red-hot offenses. A three-run shot by Isaac Humphrey was the catalyst for the initial offensive burst for Ole Miss.
Isaac Humphrey 3-run blast! 🙌
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— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 1, 2025
Ole Miss maintained a scoreboard advantage until the Yellowjackets heated up in the top of the fourth, scoring four runs to take an 8-6 lead. Judd Utermark homered in the bottom of the fifth, and another Rebel run was scored on a bases-loaded walk, knotting things up 8-8.
An RBI single by Georgia Tech left fielder Caleb Daniel put the visitors back on top in the elimination game, but the lead was short-lived. The Rebels, facing the potential of being ousted from the postseason at home, reclaimed control on an RBI single by Hayden Federico in the bottom of the sixth. A Will Furniss RBI single and a Campbell Smithwick home run in the following innings gave Ole Miss an 11-9 advantage.
Though the red and blue’s pitching staff struggled early in the contest, Bianco found magic from reliever Will McCausland. The Saint Joseph’s transfer worked two clean innings, keeping the Yellow Jackets off the board, in the late stages of the game. McCausland was pulled in the bottom of the ninth after logging an out, though Georgia Tech found itself with runners on first and second, largely due to a fielding error by shortstop Luke Cheng.
Bianco turned to his trusted closer, Conner Spencer, for the third straight game this weekend. Spencer worked a flyout, but ended up in a bit of a jam with bases loaded and two outs. The senior logged a strikeout to keep the Rebels’ postseason hopes alive. McCausland was credited with the win after throwing two complete innings, striking out three batters, and not surrendering a run. Humphrey had the most impactful day at bat with the lone home run and four RBI to complement the statsheet.
Game Two: Ole Miss 19, Murray State 8
Ole Miss, the visiting team in front of a home crowd in game two, was scoreless in its opening frame and it was Murray State’s dynomite offense that reached home plate first. Trailing 1-0, an Austin Fawley home run got the Rebels back on the right side of the column, though the Racers instantly reclaimed the lead in the bottom of the second.
The Rebels promptly shut down Murray State’s efforts by scoring a whopping eight runs in the top of the third inning. The avalanche was kickstarted by a two-run blast by Will Furniss. A series of hits, along with batters being walked and hit by pitch propelled Ole Miss to a 10-3 advantage.
Bianco’s offense continued to step on the gas in the top of the fourth, courtesy of the Rebels’ first set of back-to-back-to-back home runs since the 2022 College World Series — and we all know how well that went for the red and blue. Furniss got the rally started with his second jack of the day, marking the first multi-home run outing for him this season, followed by long balls from Judd Utermark and Isaac Humphrey.
BACK-TO-BACK-TO-BACK!!!!!!!!!!
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— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 2, 2025
Murray State ate into its 11-run deficit in the bottom of the fourth courtesy of a Dustin Mercer double that scored two. However, the Racers would not have enough fire in the tank to muster up enough scoring to dig out of a deep hole, largely due to an uncharacteristic outing by Rebel reliever Ryne Rodriguez.
Starting hurler Gunnar Dennis’ night came to an end after four innings of work, in which Murray State scored six runs. Rodriguez was tasked with keeping the Racers from finding an explosive second wind, and the sophomore southpaw did just that. In 3.2 innings on the mound, Rodriguez struck out four batters and gave up just one run. Meanwhile, his offense had claimed an 18-7 lead. Grenada native Landon Waters closed the contest and helped the Rebels avenge Friday’s loss.
Next Up
Ole Miss will return to the diamond on Monday in a do-or-die matchup against Murray State. The contest will begin at 5 p.m.
