No. 15 Ole Miss left their series win over No. 10 Texas A&M with more optimism than they have had in weeks — that is because of Hunter Elliott and Taylor Rabe. Both looked like championship-caliber starters last weekend. However, the team’s biggest bat for much of the season, Tristan Bissetta, is still in a slump.
Elliott delivered one of his most important outings of the year on Friday, May 8. The senior entered the season with massive expectations. As a veteran of the national championship roster and one of the most experienced arms on the team, Elliott was expected to anchor the rotation from day one.
For most of the 2026 season, he has been solid. While Elliott has not shown award-worthy performances every weekend, he has been a reliable Friday night starter.
Then came the rough stretch. Against Georgia on April 25, Elliott lasted just 3 ⅔ innings while allowing eight runs with two strikeouts. A week later at Arkansas, he struggled again, giving up six runs in only three innings.
The struggles were concerning not just because of the numbers, but because they came so close to postseason play. The Rebels needed their ace to stabilize the rotation, but instead he looked out of rhythm.
That changed against one of the best teams in the country, Texas A&M. Elliott looked like himself again with a lively fastball and strong command.
He went six innings, allowed just one earned run and struck out 11 Aggies hitters in what could have been his last home start for the Rebels. It was the type of dominant outing Ole Miss fans expected from him entering the season and a reminder of what the Rebels’ pitching staff can look like when Elliott is at his best.
The improvement did not stop there. Rabe followed with an equally encouraging performance on Saturday, May 9.
Rabe has quietly acclimated to his starting role over the last few weeks, but his outing against Texas A&M felt like a full breakout.
“I liked being in the bullpen. It was fun. It was a lot of adrenaline,” Rabe said in a postgame interview on Saturday, May 9. “Then, starting, I feel like I’m able to set the tone. I love giving us a shot to win. Both have been really cool. It’s been a nice adjustment.”
After posting four, six and seven strikeouts in his previous three appearances, Rabe exploded for a career-high 14 strikeouts on Saturday.
For a team searching for consistency all year, seeing both Elliott and Rabe dominate in the same weekend could not come at a better time.
The concern, however, is that the Rebels’ most dangerous hitter appears to be cooling off at the wrong time.
Tristan Bissetta spent much of the season carrying the Rebel offensive, like when he hit a go-ahead grand slam against Texas in the ninth inning in the first game of SEC play.
He led the team in home runs, delivered multiple multi-homer weekends and earned recognition on the Golden Spikes Award midseason watch list.
Now, his numbers are trending in the opposite direction. Bissetta has not homered since April 19, and his batting average has dropped sixty points from .353 to .293 over the last three SEC series.
Ole Miss is heading toward their final regular season series with mixed momentum. Two weekend starters just delivered their best performances of the year against a top-10 opponent, but the team’s biggest offensive star is still searching for his swing — and has been for weeks.
While Bissetta had a clutch RBI single in game one against the Aggies, that was his only hit on the weekend. He struck out six times in 11 at-bats overall.
Bissetta had a home in five-straight games during the Rebels’ eight-game win streak earlier in the season. He had 11 hits in that stretch. Ole Miss needs Bissetta to get going again.
If Bissetta can break his slump and Elliott and Rabe continue their dominance, the Rebels could be a serious problem in the postseason.
