Ole Miss Baseball is returning to Omaha, Neb., for the second time in the past five years. In the program’s previous College World Series appearance in 2022, the Rebels walked away as national champions for the first time in program history. While they certainly have their differences, the 2026 squad has a few things in common with the 2022 championship team.
Head coach Mike Bianco spoke about the a key similarity between his two most recent College World Series teams in a press conference on Saturday, May 6.
“The similarity I would think of is how tough they are, how close knit they are, how they show up every single day, regardless of good, bad or indifferent,” Bianco said. “You’ve heard us say they shower well, and they do. That’s the metaphor that we use to be able to put yesterday behind you and move onto the next day and be present and the ‘22 team was remarkable at that.”
The 2026 team looks to bring the national championship back to Oxford, and they have the capability to do so.
“That team (2022) was the proverbial last team in. This team (2026) wasn’t that,” Bianco said. “This team was one of the last teams not to host. They were one of the teams that were for sure going to get in.”
Hunter Elliott
Ole Miss ace Hunter Elliott is the lone player who remains from the 2022 National Championship team.
Elliott started game two of the 2022 College World Series finals, allowing two earned runs and striking out six against Oklahoma.
He served as a key piece of the national championship run, and has anchored the current Ole Miss pitching staff in their quest for another title. Elliott was named a Freshman All-American and was placed on the All-SEC Freshman Team for his performances in 2022.
Elliott is a leader and a game one go-to for the Rebels on the 2026 team. In his two 2026 postseason appearances, he has received the win in both games, striking out six and allowing six earned runs in 9 ⅓ innings pitched.
Elliott’s dominance on the mound was a key piece of the 2022 national championship and it has continued to be a force for the Rebels as they head back to the College World Series.
The Road to Omaha never went through Oxford
The 2022 Rebels made it to Omaha, Neb., after going undefeated in the Coral Gables Regional and Hattiesburg Super Regionals.
They charted wins over Arizona, 7-4, Miami, 2-1, and Arizona again for the regional championship, 22-6. The Rebels then faced Southern Miss in a super regional. They won both games with shutouts, 10-0 and 5-0.
Bianco acknowledged that the 2026 team had a harder Road to Omaha than the 2022 team, which won several games by wide margins, including the regional final and super regional games by a combined 31 runs.
“The ‘22 team played so good, and sometimes you also get a break when the opponents don’t play as well,” Bianco said. “I don’t know how many close games we had in the five to get to Omaha (in 2022), but I remember the Miami game. The opening night against Arizona was close for a while, then we extended it, but after that the other three games weren’t even close.”
The 2026 team also spent their journey to Omaha on the road. The Rebels’ kicked off regional play in Lincoln, Neb.
Ole Miss clinched the Lincoln Regional in just three games this year, too. Their wins came against Arizona State, 7-6 (14), Nebraska, 6-3, and Arizona State 5-4 (10).
These victories sent Ole Miss to Auburn, Ala., for a super regional series against the Auburn Tigers. The Rebels swept the Tigers in two games, 6-4 and 5-3.
This year’s path to the College World Series has been intense every step of the way. The Rebels have only scored first once this postseason, played two extra inning games and won by no more than three runs in all five games.
“We played two extra inning games in Lincoln (Nebraska). In one game they had the tying run at the plate when we made the final out,” Bianco said. “That was our three games, then obviously these two (against Auburn), so this team had a much harder road to get there. As we’ve said, they handle hard well.”
Ole Miss is arguably more successful away from Swayze Field. In 2025 they were eliminated in their own regional, while both the 2022 and 2026 teams have seen much success on the road in the postseason.
Counted out
Neither the 2022 National Championship squad or the 2026 team were predicted to go to Omaha.
The 2022 Rebels were the last team selected for the NCAA Tournament. While the 2026 team was guaranteed a spot in the postseason, they struggled at times with consistency, and did not always look like a team that could compete well in the postseason because of their streakiness.
Throughout both seasons, fans questioned the team’s ability to play well in the postseason, and, at some points, were looking for changes in leadership.
However, when given a chance, both teams have found a way to come together and play good, consistent baseball at the right time.
Both teams have found the ability to do what Rebel legend and national champion Tim Elko warned people not to let happen: let the Rebs get hot.
