We are midway through the college baseball regular season, and while two of Mississippi’s three major programs likely feel confident about their current standing, one is hoping the tides will turn in the back end of the 2025 campaign.
For Ole Miss and Southern Miss, the year is shaping up to be a positive one. The Rebels are paving a navigable path to their first NCAA Tournament appearance since winning the national title in 2022. In Hattiesburg, the Golden Eagles are looking to amass a nation-best nine straight 40-win seasons, and that feat is very much in play.
The sky is not as sunny in Starkville as Mississippi State continues to struggle against SEC opponents. A brutal early conference schedule had the Bulldogs facing three top-10 opponents, and the results have not been positive for the maroon and white. This weekend found Mississippi State in dire need of a strong resurgence midway through the season.
Mississippi State (16-12, 1-8 SEC) vs. No. 8 LSU (26-3, 7-2 SEC)
Chris Lemonis’ Bulldogs have tied the worst start of conference play in school history after ending up on the wrong side of the broom in Baton Rouge over the weekend. Mississippi State, after taking down Samford on Tuesday, battled in two of the three matchups at No. 8 LSU, but was unable to come out on top in any game of the series.
After leading the Tigers 6-2 in the top of the fifth inning in the opener, the Bulldogs fell apart on the mound in the bottom of the fifth just as the bats began to cool off. A five-run frame by LSU carried the home club to an 8-6 win. In game two, neither team swung the stick well, and the Tigers proved more effective on the mound in the 2-1 final. LSU pounced early in game three, earning eight runs in the top of the first inning. Mississippi State was unable to catch up, ultimately losing 17-8.
Though there are few silver linings in a sweep, Bulldog ace Pico Kohn shined on the mound, striking out eight in 5.1 innings in Friday’s one-run loss. Hunter Hines also hit two home runs over the weekend.
Next up for Mississippi State is a midweek game at Memphis on Tuesday ahead of a winnable home weekend series versus a struggling South Carolina.
Ole Miss (21-6, 6-3 SEC) vs. Florida (19-11, 1-8 SEC)
The Rebels, taking advantage of a relatively weak opening to conference play, garnered momentum despite noticeable issues on the mound. Ole Miss first bested Memphis on Tuesday, then won two of three against a Florida team that arrived in Oxford without a victory over an SEC opponent.
Ole Miss leaned on a strong opening and effective counter punch to a Gator run in game one to emerge victorious in a 7-5 final. A grand slam by Florida 2B Brendan Lawson put the Gators up 9-5 in top of the eighth in the opener of Friday’s doubleheader, rendering the Rebels all but dead in the water. But late-game heroics by Austin Fawley and Will Furniss carried Ole Miss to a 10-9 walk-off. In the series finale, Ole Miss’ pitching woes earned Florida an 11-8 win — its first victory in SEC play this year.
Will Furniss was the Rebels’ bright spot in an explosive weekend that entailed five total hits, eight RBI, and a home run. Hunter Elliott remains unblemished on the win/loss column. The left-handed ace weathered what was not his best outing, striking out seven batters and keeping his team in the driver’s seat to win the series opener.
Mike Bianco and company will return to the diamond on Tuesday at home against Jackson State before heading out to Lexington to face Kentucky in a three-game affair.
Southern Miss (20-8, 7-2 Sun Belt)
The Golden Eagles remain a force in the Sun Belt, sitting in the captain’s seat at No. 1 in the conference after having won two of three against a gritty South Alabama club. Christian Ostrander’s team responded well to an egg that was laid in Biloxi on Tuesday with its third straight series win over a conference opponent this season.
Southern Miss, fueled by sheer dominance on the mound, led a consistent offensive effort to win game one against the Jaguars 8-2. After leading 3-2 going into the top of the seventh inning on Saturday, the Golden Eagles’ bats dried up, and South Alabama closed out on a strong offensive note to win 6-2, forcing a rubber match. The Jaguars overcame a four-run deficit to force extras in game three. After two scoreless innings, a sacrifice fly by Davis Gillespie gifted Southern Miss the winning run and the series win.
JB Middleton, with 12 strikeouts and no runs surrendered in eight innings pitched on Friday, was undoubtedly Southern Miss’ top asset versus the Jaguars. At the plate, Nick Monistere tallied six hits, four RBI, and a home run to aid in the Golden Eagles’ mostly successful efforts.
Next up for Southern Miss is a Tuesday night matchup against a familiar foe — Tulane. The team will then travel to Marshall for a three-game series.
