The University of Mississippi Athletics
Ole Miss
Murray State
No. 10 Seed Baseball Opens Oxford Regional Against Murray State Friday Night
5/29/2025 | Baseball
OXFORD, Miss. – For the first time since 2021, Ole Miss (40-19) will be hosting a regional at Swayze Field. The No. 10-seeded Rebels will welcome Georgia Tech (40-17), Western Kentucky (46-12), and Murray State (39-13) to Oxford this weekend. Regional action begins on Friday May 30 with first pitch between the Rebels and the Racers set for 7 p.m.
LEADING OFF
- Ole Miss went 3-1 last week at the SEC Tournament in Hoover, making it all the way to the championship game on Sunday where they lost to Vanderbilt 3-2.
- Last week was the first time the Rebels have played in the SEC Tournament final since 2019.
- They shut out No. 1 LSU in the semifinals for their first win over a No. 1 ranked team since 2021 and their first shut out of an SEC opponent since 2022.
- The pitching staff as a whole posted a 1.29 ERA over four games at the tournament, allowing just five earned runs over 35 innings. They struck out 35 batters while issuing just nine walks and holding opponents to a .151 batting average.
- Connor Spencer earned three saves in back-to-back-to-back games in Hoover, closing out the wins over Florida, Arkansas, and LSU and nearly doubling his regular season total.
- Judd Utermark is hitting .400 (14-for-35) and slugging .629 with 12 RBI and nine runs scored over his last eight games.
- Campbell Smithwick is hitting .455 (10-for-22) with an OPS of 1.065 and six RBI over his last eight games.
- Hunter Elliott has not given up an earned run over his last two starts, allowing just six hits and posting a strikeout-to-walk ratio of 16:3.
- Will McCausland has posted a 1.37 ERA over his last 13 appearances and has not given up an earned run over his last five outings.
- Hudson Calhoun hasn’t given up an earned run over his last seven outings and has struck out 20 of the last 42 batters he faced for a 47.6% strikeout rate.
- Ole Miss finished with a 16-14 record in conference play. It was the first time since 2021 that the Rebels finished with a winning record in SEC games.
- The Rebels won five SEC series during the regular season surpassing their combined total from the previous two seasons. It is the first time they have won five series since 2021.
- The Rebels have won 40 games for the first time since 2022 and for the 10th time under head coach Mike Bianco.
- The Rebels are just three home runs shy of tying and four home runs from breaking the program single season record of 108 set by the 2022 team.
- The Rebels are ranked second in the SEC in total walks drawn as a team with 321 free passes so far this season.
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUP
RHP Riley Maddox (6-5, 5.26 ERA) vs. RHP Nic Schutte (7-3, 4.02 ERA)
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Friday’s game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Derek Jones (PxP) and Jay Walker (analyst) on the call.
Fans can listen to all Ole Miss Baseball games on the Ole Miss Radio Network with David Kellum (PxP) and Brad Henderson (analyst) on the call.
TOURNEY TIME
The Rebel pitching staff was the story of the week at the SEC Tournament last week in Hoover, Alabama. The staff as a whole posted a 1.29 ERA over four games, allowing just five earned runs over 35 innings. They struck out 35 batters while issuing just nine walks and holding opponents to a .151 batting average.
The bullpen posted a 0.59 ERA, giving up just one earned run over 15.1 innings while striking out 14 and allowing just three walks. Connor Spencer closed three games in four days, earning the save in all three appearances and nearly doubling his save total from the regular season. He allowed just one baserunner over three combined innings.
The starting rotation of Hunter Elliott, Riley Maddox, Cade Townsend, and Walker Hooks put up a 1.83 ERA giving up just four earned runs over 19.2 innings of work. They gave up just 10 hits and struck out 21 batters. Townsend worked 4.2 scoreless innings against No. 1-ranked LSU in what was the first weekend start of his career.
KEEP IT 100
The Rebels hit three home runs in the final weekend of the regular season to reach the 100-home run mark for just the second time in program history.
With 105 total home runs on the season, the Rebels are now just three home runs shy of the single season record of 108 set by the 2022 team. That team reached the 100-home run mark in their 60th game of the season and averaged 1.66 home runs per game.
The current edition of the Rebel offense reached the 100-home run mark in their 54th game of the season and are currently averaging 1.78 home runs per game.
BASH BROS
For the first time in program history, three different Rebels have hit 15 or more home runs in a season. Austin Fawley leads the team with 17 while Judd Utermark has 16 and Mitchell Sanford has 15.
This is also the first time in program history that six different Rebels have hit double digit home runs. In addition to Utermark, Fawley, and Sanford, Ryan Moerman and Isaac Humphrey have each hit 11, and Will Furniss has hit 10.
BIG GAME HUNTER
Hunter Elliott has allowed just five earned runs and only 14 hits over his last five starts, working 29.2 innings and striking out 36 batters during that stretch.
The Ole Miss ace now owns the seventh-lowest ERA in the SEC and is one of five pitchers in the conference to have an opponent batting average below .200 (.188). His 1.12 WHIP is eighth-best in the SEC and he also ranks top 10 in strikeouts (94) and innings pitched (78.2).
Over his career, Elliott now owns a 5-1 record and a 2.13 ERA with 51 strikeouts and just 10 earned runs given up over seven starts (42.1 innings) in the month of May.
Hunter Elliott In May
| W-L | ERA | IP | H | ER | BB | K | BAA | |
| 2022 | 2-0 | 3.06 | 17.2 | 12 | 6 | 9 | 21 | .194 |
| 2025 | 3-1 | 1.46 | 24.2 | 12 | 4 | 10 | 30 | .143 |
| Career | 5-1 | 2.13 | 42.1 | 24 | 10 | 19 | 51 | .164 |
When Elliott makes his inevitable start in this weekend’s regional, he will have a chance to make Ole Miss history. If he picks up the win and strikes out six or more batters, Elliott will become just the fifth Rebel ever to put together a season in which he compiled 10 wins and 100 strikeouts. The only four Rebels to accomplish the task previously are Doug Nikhazy in 2021, Ryan Rolison in 2018, Pete Montrenes in 2001, and Jamey Price in 1995.
If Elliott reaches the 100 strikeout mark this season he will also become just the fourth Rebel ever to put together two 100+ strikeout seasons in their career.
FOR THE CAUSE
Will McCausland has posted a 1.37 ERA over his last 13 appearances, allowing just three earned runs over 19.2 innings of work. He has 21 strikeouts to just four walks and is holding opponents to a .191 batting average during that stretch.
The junior has not given up an earned run over his last five appearances and has only given up two earned runs since April 18.
ON THE HUDSON
Hudson Calhoun has posted a 1.74 ERA over his last nine appearances, allowing just two earned runs over 10.1 innings. He has struck out 20 of the last 42 batters he has faced for a strikeout rate of 47.6 percent.
Calhoun has not allowed a run to score since April 27.
SWIPE!
Ole Miss has stolen 70 bases so far in 2025, already reaching their highest season total since 2019 when they stole 93 bases. The Rebels have only reached the 50 steals mark once in the previous five seasons (2024, 50).
The Rebels stole eight bases in their win over Tennessee, three shy of the single-game record of 11 set in 1966. Hayden Federico stole four bases in the game, one shy of the individual single-game record. Luke Hill leads the team with 18 swipes and Federico and Mitchell Sanford each have 12.
Federico has tied the Ole Miss single-season freshman record set by Jordan Henry in 2007.
WE’LL TAKE IT
The Rebels are ranked second in the SEC in walks drawn with 321 total walks on the season. That number is the 22nd highest in the NCAA.
Luke Hill leads the team with 43 walks, Will Furniss has 39, and Mitchell Sanford has 34. Hill is the only Rebel with more walks than strikeouts.
Ole Miss drew 18 walks on April 1 against Jackson State, one shy of the program record set last season against High Point. Furniss set a new single-game record for walks in the Saturday finale of the Mississippi State series, drawing five walks in the game.
WASTING NO TIME
The Rebels are outscoring opponents 73-30 in the first inning and 113-60 over the first two innings of games this season, jumping on opponents early. They are 24-5 when scoring in the first inning and 32-4 when they score the first run of a game.
NEVER SAFE
The Rebels have picked off 24 runners this season, their highest total since 2002. They lead the SEC in total pickoffs by a wide margin with the next highest total being 11. Hunter Elliott leads the team with 12 pickoffs, the most by a Rebel pitcher in the Bianco Era.
ALL-SEC HONORS
Three Ole Miss baseball players were selected to the 2025 All-SEC Baseball Team prior to the start of the tournament.
Luke Hill and Mason Morris were each named to the Second Team at their respective positions while Hayden Federico was named to the All-Freshman Team.
Hill is the first third baseman to earn All-SEC honors since Justin Bench in 2021 and Morris is the first pitcher since Doug Nikhazy in 2021 and the first relief pitcher since Parker Caracci in 2018. Federico is the first Rebel freshman to earn conference honors since Hunter Elliott in 2022.
Hill finished the regular season in the top 14 of the SEC in batting average (.345), on base percentage (.473), runs scored (59), hits (71), walks (42), and stolen bases (18). His 12 stolen bases during conference play were the most in the SEC.
Morris has been Ole Miss’ primary option out the bullpen all season long, working the most innings by any Rebel outside of the starting rotation. He finished the regular season with a 5-1 record and a 3.60 ERA with one save and 65 strikeouts. His 65 punchouts and five wins are second-most on the team, trailing only Hunter Elliott, despite pitching almost 30 fewer innings. Morris made 11 appearances during SEC play, second-most on the team.
Morris struck out at least four batters in nine of his 11 appearances during SEC play and issued more than two walks only once. He allowed more than three hits in just two of his appearances all season long.
Federico has appeared in 46 games as a freshman for Ole Miss, starting in 39 of them, primarily as the designated hitter. He finished the regular season with a .247 batting average, 29 runs scored, and 11 stolen bases. His 29 walks are the sixth-most on the team and his 11 stolen bases are the third-most on the team. Federico is one stolen base shy of the Ole Miss freshman record set by Jordan Henry in 2007.
Federico hit four home runs and three of them were leadoff blasts, including one on the first pitch he saw in SEC play.
POWER SURGE
Judd Utermark and Austin Fawley have each hit home runs in four consecutive games this season. Utermark accomplished the feat first, hitting five home runs in four games from February 28 to March 5. Fawley later matched with four home runs in four games from April 11 to April 17. They join Andrew Fischer, Logan Power, and Michael Rosamond as the only Rebels to hit a home run in four-straight games since 1997.
NOT JUST YOUR SUNDAY STARTER
Mason Nichols has been recognized by the NCAA, the SEC, and the University of Mississippi recently for his achievements in the classroom. He was one of 90 Ole Miss students to be awarded the 2025 Taylor Medal, the highest academic honor awarded by the university.
The senior was also named one of the two recipients of the NCAA’s Walter Byers Graduate Scholarship, one of the highest academic honors awarded by the NCAA and was named the male winner of the 2024-25 SEC H. Boyd McWhorter Scholar-Athlete of the Year Award.
Nichols has been a mainstay in the Rebels' starting rotation this season, making a start in every weekend series so far. In 12 starts, he has posted a record of 3-1 while striking out 45 batters over 43.1 innings of work. On March 2, in a start against Wright State Nichols struck out a career-high 10 hitters and is one of only two Rebel pitchers to reach double-digit strikeouts in a game this season.
Nichols will graduate with a degree in biological sciences in May. A three-year team representative on Ole Miss's Student-Athlete Advisory Committee, Nichols' community involvement has included volunteering at events for individuals with special needs, church activities for the elderly and team projects to give back to low-income families.
STAY CONNECTED
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Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss baseball on X at @OleMissBSB, on Facebook at Facebook.com/OleMissBaseball, on Instagram at Instagram.com/officialolemissbsb and on TikTok at @olemissbsb. Also, follow head coach Mike Bianco on X at @CoachMikeBianco.
