Ole Miss is the first team to be eliminated from the 2026 College World Series after imploding in a second straight game in Omaha. The Rebels (41-23) boasted a 6-2 lead midway through Sunday’s matchup and were seemingly cruising along, but a balked-in run on a controversial call paved the way for Troy to go on a 10-2 run to win the game 12-8.
Hunter Elliott was an out away from averting disaster and finishing the day with a solid stat sheet in the top of the fifth. With the bases loaded and two outs, the Ole Miss ace needed to retire just one more batter to keep his club in the driver’s seat with a four-run advantage.
Instead of getting the out, the Tupelo native was rung up for a balk, though Elliott and Rebel head coach Mike Bianco argued that the pitcher was having issues with his pitch communication device. The called balk didn’t just move the runners and subsequently score a Trojan run, it also galvanized a Troy bunch looking to make history with its first-ever World Series win.
Skylar Meade’s club (39-31) added two more runs in the fifth, put up a four-spot in the top of the sixth, and added three more runs to the scoreboard in the eighth. Ole Miss attempted to counter, with an Austin Fawley RBI single in the bottom of the seventh and a Will Furniss solo shot in the bottom of the eighth keeping hope of a comeback alive, but the two runs were overshadowed by an avalanche of scoring by Troy.
Solo shot for Furniss into the bullpen! pic.twitter.com/Y2W3wM1xUf
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 14, 2026
The Trojans had five batters with multi-hit performances in the elimination contest. Second baseman Sean Darnell led the 12-run affair with three hits, a long ball, and four RBI. Designated hitter Jabe Boroff had two hits and two RBI. Catcher Jimmy Janicki and first baseman Blake Cavill homered in the game. Troy had 14 hits as a team.
On the mound, Noah Thigpen (1-5) earned his first win of the season. The reliever delivered a five-inning gem after Ole Miss scored six runs on starter Tommy Egan and bullpen arm Hayden Smith. During his time on the bump, Thigpen fanned five batters while only allowing two runs on six hits and a walk. Zach Crotchfelt closed the game, retiring three straight Rebels to solidify the Trojan win.
For Ole Miss, center fielder Hayden Federico led the team in hits with three while adding an RBI to his stat sheet. Left fielder Brayden Randle had two hits, a home run, and two RBI, while designated hitter Collin Reuter had a two-run bomb in the game. Catcher Austin Fawley put two balls in play and drove a run in. Ole Miss had 12 hits as a team.
On the mound, JP Robertson (5-2) was tabbed with the loss. He was responsible for two earned runs on two hits in 1.2 innings. Elliott was solid until the fifth-inning collapse, where he gave up three runs. Aside from that, he had nine strikeouts in 4.2 innings of work. Brandon native Walker Hooks, following a rough performance versus North Carolina on Friday, had a suboptimal outing on Sunday, surrendering three runs in 0.2 innings.
Next up
Troy will play the loser of Sunday night’s matchup between North Carolina and West Virginia on Tuesday at 1 p.m. CT with the game airing on ESPN.
As for Ole Miss, the offseason has begun, and the Rebels are working aggressively to fill roster spots through the transfer portal. Notably, the loss marked the last game in Ole Miss gear for Judd Utermark and Will Furniss. Mike Bianco is also expected to lose Hunter Elliott, Taylor Rabe, and Cade Townsend — his entire starting weekend pitching rotation — to the MLB draft.
