The Ole Miss Baseball team kicked off the season at the Shriners Children’s College Showdown in Arlington, Texas, Feb. 14-16, securing wins over No. 21 Arizona and No. 15 Clemson and falling to No. 19 Texas.
Arizona
Ole Miss opened the weekend with a 2-1 victory over Arizona on Friday.
Making his long-awaited return to the mound, Hunter Elliott set the tone with five shutout innings, allowing just two hits on 75 pitches. The left-hander, who had been sidelined for much of the past two seasons due to Tommy John surgery, kept the Wildcats off balance before handing things over to the bullpen.
The Rebels broke through in the fifth when Luke Hill lifted a sacrifice fly to bring home Bryson Randle. Moments later, freshman Isaac Humphrey launched a solo home run to right field on the first pitch of his at-bat, giving Ole Miss a 2-0 lead.
Arizona pulled within one in the eighth after a home run from Matt White, but the Rebels’ pitching held firm. Connor Spencer worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the ninth, slamming the door on the Wildcats’ comeback attempt.
Texas
The Rebels struggled to find their rhythm at the plate Saturday night in the second game of the weekend, falling 10-0 in a run-rule loss after seven innings.
Ole Miss managed just two hits, one each from Ryan Moerman and Judd Utermark. Utermark’s second-inning double was the lone extra-base hit for Ole Miss, but the Rebels could not capitalize. They stranded five runners on base in the game.
On the mound, Riley Maddox got the start and worked over three innings, striking out six. After holding Texas scoreless through the first three frames, the Longhorns broke through in the fourth with seven runs.
Walker Hooks provided a bright spot in relief, pitching nearly three scoreless innings and striking out four without allowing a hit.
Despite some late opportunities, the Rebels could not push across a run, and Texas extended the lead with three more runs to end the game early.
Clemson
In the final game of the weekend, Ole Miss bounced back with a 15-5 victory over Clemson in a seven-inning contest.
The Rebels exploded early, scoring three runs in the first inning, highlighted by Moerman’s three-run homer to left field that brought home Hill and Hayden Federico. Ole Miss continued to dominate, extending the lead in the second with four runs, including a two-run shot by Utermark, making it 7-0.
Clemson answered with two runs in the third and another pair in the fourth, but the Rebels’ offense never slowed down. Hill added another home run in the fourth, a three-run hit to right field, pushing Ole Miss to a commanding 10-2 lead.
Hill continued his strong performance, launching his second home run of the game in the sixth. The Rebels tacked on four more in the seventh, fueled by a wild pitch and a key double from Federico, pushing the final tally to 15.
Will McCausland earned the win, striking out eight batters while allowing one run. Mason Nichols and Ryne Rodriguez also contributed in relief, with Nichols closing out the game with three shutout innings.
The Rebels’ bats were led by Hill with two home runs, a triple and five RBIs. Federico went 3-for-3 with two RBIs. The Rebels finished with 13 hits in the game, capping off the weekend with a dominant offensive performance.
Who’s Next?
Ole Miss returns to Swayze Field for their home opener on Tuesday, Feb. 18, against Arkansas State at 4 p.m., with the game airing on SEC Network.
