The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, April 25
Oxford, Miss.
6 PM
Ole Miss
vs
Tennessee
Home Slate Concludes for No. 16 Softball Against No. 1 Tennessee
4/24/2025 | Softball
OXFORD, Miss. – The No. 16 Ole Miss softball programs wraps up their regular season home slate with the biggest test of the season, welcoming No. 1 Tennessee to Oxford for a three-game series at the Ole Miss Softball Stadium.
The Rebels (33-12, 9-9 SEC) will open play against the Lady Volunteers (37-10, 12-6 SEC) on Friday at 6 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed via SEC Network Plus. Game two is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. CT and the finale is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.
LEADING OFF
BRADY BOMBS
Perhaps the most critical bat for the Rebels is the veteran Lexie Brady, who brings a powerful bat to the middle of the lineup. Brady launched 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 .351 with a career-high 15 home runs and 45 RBI. After starting the season 0-11 at Florida Atlantic, Brady has surged to a .390 batting average in the 39 games since and has 14 home runs in her last 31 games.
Brady continues to pound the ball at the plate and has at least one extra-base hit in 17 of her last 31 games played. Her 15 home runs are the most by any Rebel since 2003 and match the single-season record set by DeDe Justice in 2003. Brady also made added history with six RBI in game one against No. 23 Georgia, matching the Ole Miss single game record.
A WEEKEND TO REMEMBER
The series win at No. 23 Georgia provided some historic moments, particularly in game one, as the Rebels opened with a thrilling, 20-11 win over the Bulldogs. Not only was it the most runs scored by the Rebels in SEC play since 2019 against Mississippi State, but it was also the most runs ever given up in a single game by the Bulldogs.
The two teams matched the most runs scored in an SEC game with 31, while Lexie Brady led the way with six RBI to tie the single game program record. Additionally, the Rebels matched a program record with 12 walks, which had been done three times, but was last accomplished in 2017 against Colgate.
Game one was also notable in that the Rebels recovered from an early 8-2 deficit, marking their largest comeback victory in SEC play under head coach Jamie Trachsel.
To make even more impressive, the 29 runs scored over the three game series win were the most runs scored by the Rebels in an SEC series since scoring 31 against Arkansas in 2014.
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 .342 start, hitting 12 doubles, three triples, six home runs, 43 RBI and slugging .589, while also holding an 8-2 record and 3.39 ERA through 18 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 that 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.
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 the weekend at 13-8 with a 2.89 ERA (118.2 IP) and has struck out 159 batters, which is third in the SEC and ranks 20th in the nation. Guachino has tallied 11 complete games, six solo shutouts and has four performances with 10 or more strikeouts.
FRESHMAN SENSATION
Persy Llamas has been a revelation in her first season in Oxford, from the moment she stepped on a field. From her very first collegiate at-bat, where she hit a pinch hit three-run home run to take the lead in a 3-2 win over No. 25 Clemson to now ranking second on the Rebels in total RBI (43), Llamas has proven to be a highly capable batter at first base.
In fact, her 43 RBI already rank tied for seventh on the Rebels all-time single season chart and are the most by a Rebel freshman in program history.
Clutch play from Llamas has continued in SEC play, as the freshman hit a go-ahead, solo home run to power the Rebels past Missouri in game two and clinch the series. As a result, Llamas was named the SEC's Co-Freshman of the Week on Apr. 1.
Llamas opened her collegiate career with 81 at-bats without a strikeout, good for the most by a Rebel since Hailey Lunderman in 2016 and remains one of the most difficult to strikeout in the nation.
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 .336 with five home runs and 26 RBI, while becoming the first SEC Freshman of the Week from Ole Miss since Blaise Biringer in 2021.
SCOUTING TENNESSEE
Entering the weekend as the No. 1 team in the nation in two of four major polls, the Tennessee Lady Volunteers are riding high and hold a 37-10 record, including 12-6 in the SEC.
Despite the lofty ranking, the Lady Vols sit a game and a half out of first place in the SEC and fourth overall. A loss on Tuesday to Clemson also proved to be a setback as Tennessee enters the home stretch.
Nevertheless, the Lady Vols have defeated countless top opponents, including series wins over Texas and Oklahoma. Tennessee features one of the top pitchers in the nation in Karlyn Pickens, whose prolific velocity has made national headlines. Pickens is 18-5 with a 0.96 ERA (147.0 IP), striking out 193 batters and allowing just four home runs all season to Jordy Bahl (Nebraska), Lexi Hastings (UConn), Courtney Day (Arkansas), Abigale Dayton (Oklahoma).
Pickens isn't the only star in the rotation, as sophomore Sage Mardjetko is 10-2 with a 2.71 ERA (75.0 IP), while freshman Erin Nuwer is 5-3 with a 2.26 ERA (49.2 IP). The trio has led the Lady Vols to owning the top ERA in the nation at 1.70 overall.
Offensively, the Lady Vols are led by Taylor Pannell, who is hitting a blistering .443 with 14 home runs, 26 extra-base hits and 52 RBI. Sophia Nugent is also a key bat, hitting .301 with 11 home runs and 45 RBI, while Saviya Morgan is the leading base stealer with 23 on the year.
Head coach Karen Weekly enters her 29th season as a head coach and has racked up 1,345 wins in her illustrious tenure. Weekly is looking to lead the Lady Vols back to the College World Series for the first time since 2023.
The Rebels have faced the Lady Vols as the No. 1 team in the nation three times, going 1-2 in those games, all of which came in 2007. The Rebels won a 5-4 decision, in Oxford against the No. 1 Lady Vols that year.
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 (33-12, 9-9 SEC) will open play against the Lady Volunteers (37-10, 12-6 SEC) on Friday at 6 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed via SEC Network Plus. Game two is set for Saturday at 2 p.m. CT and the finale is set for Sunday at 1 p.m. CT.
LEADING OFF
- With just six regular season games remaining, the Rebels face their fourth top-10 opponent of the season - No. 1 Tennessee.
- Ole Miss is seeking its first win over a No. 1 team since defeating No. 1 Florida on May 11, 2017 at the SEC Tournament.
- Jaden Pone enters the weekend on fire, hitting .486 in the month of April, while riding an 11-game hitting streak. Six of her 12 multi-hit games have come in SEC play, including a 4-for-4 day vs. No. 6 Florida.
- Lexie Brady remains one of the hottest hitters in the SEC, hitting 14 home runs in her last 31 games and has hit .390 with all 15 of her home runs since opening the season 0-for-11.
- Lair Beautae is set to face off against her former team this weekend. Beautae and Lexie Brady are the lone players on the Rebels to play in the last series against Tennessee in 2023.
- Persy Llamas continues to be a force at the plate, reaching safely in 37 of 45 collegiate games played.
- At 159 strikeouts, Miali Guachino already has the most strikeouts in a single season by a Rebel since Molly Jacobsen (166) in 2019. Guachino recently entered the top-10 single season list at Ole Miss and currently stands in fifth.
BRADY BOMBS
Perhaps the most critical bat for the Rebels is the veteran Lexie Brady, who brings a powerful bat to the middle of the lineup. Brady launched 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 .351 with a career-high 15 home runs and 45 RBI. After starting the season 0-11 at Florida Atlantic, Brady has surged to a .390 batting average in the 39 games since and has 14 home runs in her last 31 games.
Brady continues to pound the ball at the plate and has at least one extra-base hit in 17 of her last 31 games played. Her 15 home runs are the most by any Rebel since 2003 and match the single-season record set by DeDe Justice in 2003. Brady also made added history with six RBI in game one against No. 23 Georgia, matching the Ole Miss single game record.
A WEEKEND TO REMEMBER
The series win at No. 23 Georgia provided some historic moments, particularly in game one, as the Rebels opened with a thrilling, 20-11 win over the Bulldogs. Not only was it the most runs scored by the Rebels in SEC play since 2019 against Mississippi State, but it was also the most runs ever given up in a single game by the Bulldogs.
The two teams matched the most runs scored in an SEC game with 31, while Lexie Brady led the way with six RBI to tie the single game program record. Additionally, the Rebels matched a program record with 12 walks, which had been done three times, but was last accomplished in 2017 against Colgate.
Game one was also notable in that the Rebels recovered from an early 8-2 deficit, marking their largest comeback victory in SEC play under head coach Jamie Trachsel.
To make even more impressive, the 29 runs scored over the three game series win were the most runs scored by the Rebels in an SEC series since scoring 31 against Arkansas in 2014.
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 .342 start, hitting 12 doubles, three triples, six home runs, 43 RBI and slugging .589, while also holding an 8-2 record and 3.39 ERA through 18 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 that 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.
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 the weekend at 13-8 with a 2.89 ERA (118.2 IP) and has struck out 159 batters, which is third in the SEC and ranks 20th in the nation. Guachino has tallied 11 complete games, six solo shutouts and has four performances with 10 or more strikeouts.
FRESHMAN SENSATION
Persy Llamas has been a revelation in her first season in Oxford, from the moment she stepped on a field. From her very first collegiate at-bat, where she hit a pinch hit three-run home run to take the lead in a 3-2 win over No. 25 Clemson to now ranking second on the Rebels in total RBI (43), Llamas has proven to be a highly capable batter at first base.
In fact, her 43 RBI already rank tied for seventh on the Rebels all-time single season chart and are the most by a Rebel freshman in program history.
Clutch play from Llamas has continued in SEC play, as the freshman hit a go-ahead, solo home run to power the Rebels past Missouri in game two and clinch the series. As a result, Llamas was named the SEC's Co-Freshman of the Week on Apr. 1.
Llamas opened her collegiate career with 81 at-bats without a strikeout, good for the most by a Rebel since Hailey Lunderman in 2016 and remains one of the most difficult to strikeout in the nation.
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 .336 with five home runs and 26 RBI, while becoming the first SEC Freshman of the Week from Ole Miss since Blaise Biringer in 2021.
SCOUTING TENNESSEE
Entering the weekend as the No. 1 team in the nation in two of four major polls, the Tennessee Lady Volunteers are riding high and hold a 37-10 record, including 12-6 in the SEC.
Despite the lofty ranking, the Lady Vols sit a game and a half out of first place in the SEC and fourth overall. A loss on Tuesday to Clemson also proved to be a setback as Tennessee enters the home stretch.
Nevertheless, the Lady Vols have defeated countless top opponents, including series wins over Texas and Oklahoma. Tennessee features one of the top pitchers in the nation in Karlyn Pickens, whose prolific velocity has made national headlines. Pickens is 18-5 with a 0.96 ERA (147.0 IP), striking out 193 batters and allowing just four home runs all season to Jordy Bahl (Nebraska), Lexi Hastings (UConn), Courtney Day (Arkansas), Abigale Dayton (Oklahoma).
Pickens isn't the only star in the rotation, as sophomore Sage Mardjetko is 10-2 with a 2.71 ERA (75.0 IP), while freshman Erin Nuwer is 5-3 with a 2.26 ERA (49.2 IP). The trio has led the Lady Vols to owning the top ERA in the nation at 1.70 overall.
Offensively, the Lady Vols are led by Taylor Pannell, who is hitting a blistering .443 with 14 home runs, 26 extra-base hits and 52 RBI. Sophia Nugent is also a key bat, hitting .301 with 11 home runs and 45 RBI, while Saviya Morgan is the leading base stealer with 23 on the year.
Head coach Karen Weekly enters her 29th season as a head coach and has racked up 1,345 wins in her illustrious tenure. Weekly is looking to lead the Lady Vols back to the College World Series for the first time since 2023.
The Rebels have faced the Lady Vols as the No. 1 team in the nation three times, going 1-2 in those games, all of which came in 2007. The Rebels won a 5-4 decision, in Oxford against the No. 1 Lady Vols that year.
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
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RHP/INF
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C/UT
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UT
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RHP
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LHP/UT
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INF
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UT
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