This weekend, Ole Miss Baseball will make its first College World Series appearance in Omaha since 2014, the Rebels’ sixth appearance in program history. Being the last team to receive an at-large bid into the 2022 NCAA Tournament field of 64 teams makes this one of the greatest underdog stories of all time.
Ole Miss (37-22) defeated Super Regional host team Southern Miss (47-19) 5-0 on Sunday to extend its season and advance to the College World Series. The Rebels allowed no runs against the Golden Eagles after securing game one 10-0.
True freshman, All-American pitcher Hunter Elliot had a phenomenal performance for the Rebels, pitching almost eight innings with 10 strikeouts and a mere three hits.
In the fifth inning, the Rebels scored three runs to take the lead. Calvin Harris got on base with a single and was later brought home with an RBI single by Jacob Gonzalez. After getting on base with a double, Justin Bench later scored on a passed ball. Gonzalez was brought in for the third run on a single by Kevin Graham.
Another run added in the sixth by Hayden Dunhurst, who was sent home by a Bench single, gave the Rebels a 4-0 lead.
With a 4-0 lead in the eighth inning and two men on base, Josh Mallitz replaced Elliot and finished the job. Mallitz walked Southern Miss’ Reece Ewing to load the bases, followed by a fly out by Carson Paetow recovered by shortstop Peyton Chatagnier, making it out of the eighth with no harm done.
The Rebels added one more to the scoreboard in the bottom of the eighth by way of T.J. McCants sending it out of the park.
The Rebels needed three more outs to punch their ticket to the College World Series. In the top of the ninth, Mallitz got those three outs, which sealed the deal.
With a season full of ups and downs, the Rebels kept believing in themselves and showed up when it mattered most. The Rebs got hot in postseason play, and they intend to stay that way. Ole Miss outscored their opponents 46-11 in the NCAA Tournament, with back-to-back shutouts against Southern Miss to secure their spot in Omaha. If the Rebels continue playing the way that they have been, they have a shot at bringing home the program’s first national championship.
“I’ve been here 22 years and we had never been 7-14 in the league before,” Bianco said. “But the older guys on our team didn’t let this team go. And I challenged our coaching staff. I told them not to read and hear the noise. Do your job. I challenged our players too. As I look back, I don’t remember a time when they didn’t think they could win. Even in the tough times, they continued to work hard and play hard.”
The Rebels will face Auburn in their first matchup of the College World Series on Saturday at 6 p.m. CST. The game will be broadcast on ESPN2.
