This weekend, Ole Miss softball traveled to Fullerton, Calif., to kick off the 2026 season. The Rebels played Cal State Fullerton twice on Thursday, Feb. 5, CSU Northridge and Boise State on Friday, Feb. 6 and CSU Northridge again on Saturday, Feb. 7.
The Rebels ended the week with a 3-2 record. Offensively, they showed glimpses of excellence, but they were held back by defensive errors.
The offense showed up
Throughout all five games, Ole Miss recorded 40 runs — the most runs through the first five games in program history. The Rebels recorded double-digit runs in the three of their wins; even in their losses, they were never held scoreless.
Centerfielder Taylor Malvin showcased her versatility on offense — she finished the weekend with multiple hits, walks and runs. Kentucky transfer Cassie Reasner hit her first home run as a Rebel on Saturday against CSU Northridge.
While there were some missed opportunities and runners left on base, the offense was impressive, even in losses.
Persy Llamas was hot
The Preseason All-SEC honoree was the star of the tournament. Persy Llamas is coming off a historic freshman season when she recorded 55 RBI to tie the single season Ole Miss record. So far this year, she has shown no sign of slowing down.
In this tournament, Llamas had 10 hits, five runs and seven RBI. On Saturday, she hit her first home run of the season, a three-run blast against CSUN. Though there are many games left to be played, Llamas has already proven herself a major part in the Rebel’s success.
Errors could be a problem
While the offense and big hitters performed well, the defense was shaky.
There were a few strong pitching performances this weekend. Oklahoma State transfer Kyra Aycock allowed just one run in six innings against CSUN on Saturday, and DII West Texas A&M transfer Emilee Boyer allowed no earned runs in six innings on Friday against Boise State.
Still, the fielding left something to be desired. The Rebels defense committed six errors during the tournament — three of which came in the same game. These errors tarnished the stellar pitching and the heavy hitting of the star-studded offense.
The only game in which Ole Miss did not commit any errors was the last game of the weekend, which may indicate improvement. The Rebels will need to be nearly perfect in the field once SEC play begins, because against top-tier opponents, even the smallest mistakes can backfire.
What’s next?
The Rebels will travel to Lafayette, La., to play in the Ragin’ Cajuns invitational against McNeese, Texas A&M – Corpus Christi and Louisiana from Feb. 12-14.
