The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, March 21
Lexington, Ky.
5 PM
Ole Miss
at
Kentucky
No. 14 Softball Returns to SEC Play, Travels to Kentucky
3/20/2025 | Softball
LEXINGTON, Ky. – The No. 14 Ole Miss softball program returns to SEC action, traveling north to Kentucky for a three-game set this weekend at John Cropp Stadium.
The Rebels (25-4, 2-1 SEC) will play game one against the Wildcats (19-10, 3-3 SEC) on Friday at 5 p.m. CT, with the game to be broadcast on the SEC Network. The Rebels will also play the Wildcats on Saturday at 1 p.m., and Sunday at 12 p.m., on SEC Network Plus.
LEADING OFF
ALL EYES ON ALIYAH
Two-way star Aliyah Binford joins the Rebels for her final season of eligibility after a standout career in the circle and at the plate at Baylor and has generated talk since arriving in Oxford. Binford has gotten off to a .359 start, hitting seven doubles, three triples, five home runs, 31 RBI and slugging .577, while also holding a 2.23 ERA through 10 appearances in the circle.
Her efforts in the circle have caught national attention and placed her in the Ole Miss record books after being named the SEC Pitcher of the Week on Mar. 3. Binford delivered back-to-back complete games last week, beginning with a one-hitter against Nicholls and ending the week with the program's first solo no-hitter since 2014 in a win over Murray State.
BRADY BOMBS
Perhaps the most critical returning bat for the Rebels is the veteran Lexie Brady, who brings a powerful bat to the middle of the lineup. Brady launched a career-high 13 home runs and 35 RBI in her breakout junior campaign and has surged to even new heights in 2025.
The power surge has continued for Brady, who is hitting .379 with a team-high nine home runs and 27 RBI. After starting the season 0-11 at Florida Atlantic, Brady has surged to a .455 batting average in the 23 games since and has eight home runs in her last 15 games.
A STAR IS BORN
Freshman Miali Guachino has burst onto the scene as one of the top freshman pitchers in the nation and an early candidate for national freshman of the year. The Pala, Calif., native has wasted little time in becoming a star, as she broke the Rebels single-game strikeout record with 19 at Southern Miss, shattering the old record of 15. She followed that up with her first collegiate no-hitter against Samford and SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week honors on Mar. 18.
Guachino enters Tuesday at 11-4 with a 1.37 ERA (82.0 IP) and has struck out 124 batters, which leads the SEC and ranks third in the nation. Guachino has tallied nine complete games, five solo shutouts and has four performances with 10 or more strikeouts.
MACK ATTACK
Freshman infielder Mackenzie Pickens recorded a breakout performance en route to SEC Freshman of the Week honors on Feb. 24. Pickens hit .600 over four games at the Rocket City Softball Showcase, tallying a home run, a double, six RBI and two stolen bases.
The Flowery Branch, Ga., native has adjusted to the college game quickly, hitting .405 with four home runs and 23 RBI, while becoming the first SEC Freshman of the Week from Ole Miss since Blaise Biringer in 2021.
MEETING OF THE MINDS
Joining head coach Jamie Trachsel in 2025 are a highly accomplished trio of new coaches, who bring decades of championship experience to Oxford.
A longtime head coach at Missouri, Ehren Earleywine returns to the college game after reaching three Women's College World Series while in Columbia. Earleywine recorded nearly 600 wins over 14 seasons and helped develop countless All-American, All-Region and All-Conference student athletes.
One of the most successful and highly decorated pitchers in NCAA history, Nancy Evans joins as the team's pitching coach. Evans won three national championships in her playing career at the University of Arizona (1994-98) and still holds the NCAA record with a .939 career winning percentage (124-8 overall record). Last season, Evans served on staff at UIC as the Flames' pitching coach, where she helped UIC post a 3.43 team ERA, its best mark since 2018.
A brilliant recruiter and offensive mind, Bobby Buchanan joins the Rebels after a stint at Texas A&M, where he was the director of player development for their NCAA Super Regional squad.
NEW BLOOD
The Rebels feature a number of new faces in 2025, as the team welcomes 16 newcomers, compared to 10 returners to the roster. Eight of the 16 are true freshmen, while the remaining half are transfers. Despite this, the Rebels still have an experienced lineup, with 11 seniors and several transfers with plenty of NCAA Tournament experience.
SCOUTING KENTUCKY
At 19-10, the Wildcats enter the weekend with hopes of more SEC wins, after a 3-3 start in conference play. Kentucky enters on a two-game win streak following midweek wins over Dayton (W, 6-2) and Bellarmine (W, 5-0) on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
Head coach Rachel Lawson leads the Wildcats in her 18th season in Lexington, as the two sides get set to meet for the first time since the Rebels took a 7-2 win at the 2024 SEC Tournament. It will be the Rebels' first trip to Lexington since 2022, where the Wildcats are hoping to return to the same form that saw them earn a sweep of Missouri at home to open SEC play.
Kentucky features a balanced offense, led by sophomore outfielder Peyton Plotts who is hitting .391 with 17 extra-base hits and 30 RBI. Five Wildcats are hitting over .300 to start the year, with sophomore Cassie Reasner serving as the lead power threat with seven home runs.
The pitching staff has primarily leaned on two key arms - Oregon State transfer Sarah Haendiges and Alexia Lacatena. Both feature similar stat lines, with Haendiges at 5-2 with a 2.13 ERA (46.0 IP) and Lacatena at 6-2 with a 2.51 ERA (47.1 IP), but the former has been the one missing the most bats, leading the team with 56 strikeouts. A trio of additional arms all bring a versatlie look, as Julie Kelley, Sydney Langdon and Carson Fall all have over 25 innings pitched each.
The two sides have played one of the more even series in the SEC, with neither side recording a sweep over the last five, three-game series and in 10 of the last 11 three-game sets.
Get rewarded for attending events by joining Rebel Rewards powered by Coca-Cola, the official fan loyalty program of the Ole Miss Rebels. Download the Ole Miss Sports mobile app, sign up for a Rebel Rewards account, and start earning points immediately that can be redeemed for exclusive prizes and experiences.
For all Ole Miss softball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball, on Facebook at Ole Miss Softball and on Instagram at @olemisssoftball. Also, follow head coach Jamie Trachsel on Twitter at @Jamie_Trachsel.
The Rebels (25-4, 2-1 SEC) will play game one against the Wildcats (19-10, 3-3 SEC) on Friday at 5 p.m. CT, with the game to be broadcast on the SEC Network. The Rebels will also play the Wildcats on Saturday at 1 p.m., and Sunday at 12 p.m., on SEC Network Plus.
LEADING OFF
- Ole Miss returns to SEC play, making their first trip to Lexington since 2022 with a three-game set against Kentucky.
- The Rebels moved up to No. 14 in Softball America's rankings, good for their highest ranking in any poll since the 2019 postseason.
- The Rebel freshmen have been dynamic with Miali Guachino ranking fourth in the nation in strikeouts (124), and Persy Llamas leads the team in RBI (32). Mackenzie Pickens also recently earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors.
- Guachino enters the week as the reigning SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week.
- Llamas continues to be a force at the plate, reaching safely in 25 of 29 collegiate games played.
- At 124 strikeouts, Guachino already has the most strikeouts in a single season by a Rebel since Savannah Diederich (131) in 2021. Guachino needs just 12 more strikeouts to enter the top-10 single season list at Ole Miss.
- Should the Rebels win the series this weekend (2-1 or 3-0), they would get off to their fastest start in SEC play in program history.
- The Rebels will compete in their first SEC road series of the season. Last year, the Rebels went 4-8 in SEC road games, with all four wins against top-10 opponents.
ALL EYES ON ALIYAH
Two-way star Aliyah Binford joins the Rebels for her final season of eligibility after a standout career in the circle and at the plate at Baylor and has generated talk since arriving in Oxford. Binford has gotten off to a .359 start, hitting seven doubles, three triples, five home runs, 31 RBI and slugging .577, while also holding a 2.23 ERA through 10 appearances in the circle.
Her efforts in the circle have caught national attention and placed her in the Ole Miss record books after being named the SEC Pitcher of the Week on Mar. 3. Binford delivered back-to-back complete games last week, beginning with a one-hitter against Nicholls and ending the week with the program's first solo no-hitter since 2014 in a win over Murray State.
BRADY BOMBS
Perhaps the most critical returning bat for the Rebels is the veteran Lexie Brady, who brings a powerful bat to the middle of the lineup. Brady launched a career-high 13 home runs and 35 RBI in her breakout junior campaign and has surged to even new heights in 2025.
The power surge has continued for Brady, who is hitting .379 with a team-high nine home runs and 27 RBI. After starting the season 0-11 at Florida Atlantic, Brady has surged to a .455 batting average in the 23 games since and has eight home runs in her last 15 games.
A STAR IS BORN
Freshman Miali Guachino has burst onto the scene as one of the top freshman pitchers in the nation and an early candidate for national freshman of the year. The Pala, Calif., native has wasted little time in becoming a star, as she broke the Rebels single-game strikeout record with 19 at Southern Miss, shattering the old record of 15. She followed that up with her first collegiate no-hitter against Samford and SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week honors on Mar. 18.
Guachino enters Tuesday at 11-4 with a 1.37 ERA (82.0 IP) and has struck out 124 batters, which leads the SEC and ranks third in the nation. Guachino has tallied nine complete games, five solo shutouts and has four performances with 10 or more strikeouts.
MACK ATTACK
Freshman infielder Mackenzie Pickens recorded a breakout performance en route to SEC Freshman of the Week honors on Feb. 24. Pickens hit .600 over four games at the Rocket City Softball Showcase, tallying a home run, a double, six RBI and two stolen bases.
The Flowery Branch, Ga., native has adjusted to the college game quickly, hitting .405 with four home runs and 23 RBI, while becoming the first SEC Freshman of the Week from Ole Miss since Blaise Biringer in 2021.
MEETING OF THE MINDS
Joining head coach Jamie Trachsel in 2025 are a highly accomplished trio of new coaches, who bring decades of championship experience to Oxford.
A longtime head coach at Missouri, Ehren Earleywine returns to the college game after reaching three Women's College World Series while in Columbia. Earleywine recorded nearly 600 wins over 14 seasons and helped develop countless All-American, All-Region and All-Conference student athletes.
One of the most successful and highly decorated pitchers in NCAA history, Nancy Evans joins as the team's pitching coach. Evans won three national championships in her playing career at the University of Arizona (1994-98) and still holds the NCAA record with a .939 career winning percentage (124-8 overall record). Last season, Evans served on staff at UIC as the Flames' pitching coach, where she helped UIC post a 3.43 team ERA, its best mark since 2018.
A brilliant recruiter and offensive mind, Bobby Buchanan joins the Rebels after a stint at Texas A&M, where he was the director of player development for their NCAA Super Regional squad.
NEW BLOOD
The Rebels feature a number of new faces in 2025, as the team welcomes 16 newcomers, compared to 10 returners to the roster. Eight of the 16 are true freshmen, while the remaining half are transfers. Despite this, the Rebels still have an experienced lineup, with 11 seniors and several transfers with plenty of NCAA Tournament experience.
SCOUTING KENTUCKY
At 19-10, the Wildcats enter the weekend with hopes of more SEC wins, after a 3-3 start in conference play. Kentucky enters on a two-game win streak following midweek wins over Dayton (W, 6-2) and Bellarmine (W, 5-0) on Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively.
Head coach Rachel Lawson leads the Wildcats in her 18th season in Lexington, as the two sides get set to meet for the first time since the Rebels took a 7-2 win at the 2024 SEC Tournament. It will be the Rebels' first trip to Lexington since 2022, where the Wildcats are hoping to return to the same form that saw them earn a sweep of Missouri at home to open SEC play.
Kentucky features a balanced offense, led by sophomore outfielder Peyton Plotts who is hitting .391 with 17 extra-base hits and 30 RBI. Five Wildcats are hitting over .300 to start the year, with sophomore Cassie Reasner serving as the lead power threat with seven home runs.
The pitching staff has primarily leaned on two key arms - Oregon State transfer Sarah Haendiges and Alexia Lacatena. Both feature similar stat lines, with Haendiges at 5-2 with a 2.13 ERA (46.0 IP) and Lacatena at 6-2 with a 2.51 ERA (47.1 IP), but the former has been the one missing the most bats, leading the team with 56 strikeouts. A trio of additional arms all bring a versatlie look, as Julie Kelley, Sydney Langdon and Carson Fall all have over 25 innings pitched each.
The two sides have played one of the more even series in the SEC, with neither side recording a sweep over the last five, three-game series and in 10 of the last 11 three-game sets.
Get rewarded for attending events by joining Rebel Rewards powered by Coca-Cola, the official fan loyalty program of the Ole Miss Rebels. Download the Ole Miss Sports mobile app, sign up for a Rebel Rewards account, and start earning points immediately that can be redeemed for exclusive prizes and experiences.
For all Ole Miss softball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball, on Facebook at Ole Miss Softball and on Instagram at @olemisssoftball. Also, follow head coach Jamie Trachsel on Twitter at @Jamie_Trachsel.
Players Mentioned
RHP/INF
/ Softball
C/UT
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
LHP/UT
/ Softball
INF
/ SoftballWhy Not Us? - Lexie Brady and Aliyah Binford (Softball)
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