The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, February 13
Oxford, Miss.
4 PM
Ole Miss
vs
Nevada
Baseball Hosts Nevada for 2026 Opening Weekend
2/12/2026 | Baseball
OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss Baseball is back as the Rebels return to Swayze Field this weekend, hosting reigning Mountain West Champion Nevada for a three-game series as a part of NCAA Division I Opening Weekend.
LEADING OFF
Game 1: LHP Hunter Elliott vs. RHP Dominic Desch
Game 2: RHP Cade Townsend vs. LHP Alessandro Castro
Game 3: LHP Wil Libbert vs. RHP Jordan Giacomini
BROADCAST INFORMATION
All three games will be streamed live on SEC Network+ with Jake Hromada (PxP) and Keith Kessinger (analyst) on the call.
Fans can listen to all Ole Miss Baseball games, home and away, on the Ole Miss Radio Network with David Kellum (PxP) and Brad Henderson (analyst) on the call.
SCOUTING REPORT
Jordan Getzelman is in his first season at the helm of Nevada's baseball program, his fourth season overall with the team. Prior to being named head coach, Getzelman served as the team's hitting coach and recruiting coordinator.
Last season, Nevada won its most games since 2016, going 34-23 with a 19-11 mark against Mountain West opponents. The Wolfpack earned one win in the Credit Union 1 Mountain West Conference Tournament but fell to San Jose State and eventual champion Fresno State.
With the drastic improvement Nevada showed in 2025, it was selected by league coaches as the conference favorite to win the Mountain West baseball title. All five of Nevada's all-conference selections from last season have returned, including Freshman All-American and Mountain West Freshman of the Year Sean Yamaguchi.
Last season, Yamaguchi started in 51 games for the Wolfpack, hitting .324 for the year with 72 hits. He had 27 extra base hits, including a team-leading 13 home runs. He was also solid in the field, recording 27 putouts and 96 assists, recording a 96.9 fielding percentage.
All-conference duo Jayce Dobie and Billy Ham are back with Nevada as well, with the former earning first team status and the latter claiming second team. The pair had a combined 14 hits and 82 RBI. Ham had an impressive 1.010 OPS on top of a .340 batting average.
One of Nevada's most productive pitchers from last season, Alessandro Castro, has also returned for his redshirt junior season. After transferring from Arizona, and previously Pima Community College, Castro became one of Nevada's most reliable pitchers en route to an All-Mountain West First Team nod. He struck out 43 batters in 72.2 innings pitched.
This is the first all-time meeting on the baseball diamond between Ole Miss and Nevada.
BIG GAME HUNTER
Hunter Elliott returns to the Ole Miss rotation as the most experienced pitcher on the staff. He turned in one of the best seasons in Rebel history last year, becoming just the fifth pitcher to record a 10-win, 100-strikeout season finishing with a 10-3 record and 102 punchouts. He also became just the fourth pitcher in program history to record 100+ strikeouts in two different seasons. His 2.94 ERA was the lowest by a Rebel starting pitcher since his freshman season when he finished with an ERA of 2.70.
Elliott is the only returning pitcher in the country to have earned 10+ wins and struck out 100+ hitters in 2025.
BRING THE BOOM
The Ole Miss offense set a new program record for home runs in a season in 2025, crushing 124 home runs. It was just the second time in program history that an Ole Miss team has cracked the 100-home run mark.
The Rebels finished fifth nationally in total home runs, ninth nationally in home runs per game (1.94), and 13th nationally in walks drawn (345). They were one of just four programs in the country to have two 20+ home run hitters and one of six programs to finish with 100+ home runs, 100+ doubles, and 100+ hit by pitches.
There are only 16 returning players who hit 20 or more home runs in 2025 and three of them will be in Ole Miss' Opening Day lineup: Judd Utermark, Austin Fawley, and Daniel Pacella.
BASH BROS
Judd Utermark and Austin Fawley both broke the 20-home run mark in 2025, becoming the first pair of Rebel teammates in program history to each hit 20+ home runs in a single season.
Utermark finished with 22 home runs, the second-most by a Rebel in a single season, just two shy of the program record of 24 set by Tim Elko in 2022.
The 2025 Rebels finished with three hitters with 15+ home runs for the first time in program history and six hitters with 10+ home runs, also for the first time in program history.
IMPROVEMENT ON THE MOUND
In the first season under pitching coach Joel Mangrum, the Ole Miss pitching staff finished sixth nationally in total strikeouts. They struck out 669 hitters, 127 more than their total from 2024, which was the largest increase in the country.
The staff also finished 12th nationally in strikeouts per nine innings, averaging 10.8 strikeouts per game.
D1BASEBALL PRESEASON PLAYER RANKINGS
Ole Miss was well represented in D1Baseball's annual Preseason Player Rankings, placing at least one player at almost every position. Hunter Elliott was the highest ranked Rebel coming in at No. 5 on the list of Starting Pitchers. Cade Townsend also made the list at No. 117.
Austin Fawley was ranked as the No. 8 Catcher, Judd Utermark was ranked as the No. 10 Third Baseman, Dom Decker was ranked the No. 26 Second Baseman, and Will Furniss was ranked the No. 30 First Baseman. Daniel Pacella came in at No. 59 on the list of Outfielders and Landon Koenig (#51) and Owen Kelly (#78) each made the list of Relief Pitchers.
PRESEASON AWARDS
Hunter Elliott has been one of the most decorated players heading into the 2026 season. He was named to the 2026 Golden Spikes Award Watch List and earned Preseason All-America honors from the NCBWA, Perfect Game, D1Baseball, The Diamond Report, and Just Baseball Media. He was also named to the Preseason All-SEC Team that is voted on by the league's head coaches.
Judd Utermark was named a Preseason All-American by the NCBWA and Will Furniss was named to the Preseason All-SEC Team at first base. Austin Fawley was one of 10 catchers in the country to make the 2026 Buster Posey Preseason Watch List.
NEW FACES IN THE DUGOUT
Ole Miss added 19 new faces to the roster for the 2026 season, 10 transfers and nine freshmen. With 21 overall letterwinners lost from the 2025 season, the newest Rebels will look to make an immediate impact on the field.
Daniel Pacella and Tristan Bissetta, both Division I transfers, will man the corner outfield positions in 2026. Pacella comes from Illinois State where he hit .310 with 48 home runs over 107 games for the Redbirds. He hit 20 home runs in 2025, the second-most in program history. Bissetta spent his first three seasons at Clemson, hitting .266 over 87 games. He hit .298 in 2024 before his 2025 season was cut short by an arm injury.
Dom Decker will be injected into the infield after having a breakout season with Murray State in 2025. He started in 60 games for the Racers, hitting .351 with an on-base percentage of .496 which was top 40 in the NCAA.
Wil Libbert opens the season as the third member of the weekend rotation after spending his two seasons at Missouri. He worked 53.2 innings over 11 starts in 2025, striking out 55 hitters and posting a record of 3-4.
STAY CONNECTED
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.
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.
LEADING OFF
- Ole Miss is coming off a successful 2025 campaign in which they hosted a regional for the first time since 2021.
- The Rebels won 40+ games for the first time since 2022 and for the 10th time under head coach Mike Bianco.
- 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 2025 regular season surpassing their combined total from the previous two seasons. It was the first time they won five series since 2021.
- Ole Miss finished 6th nationally in total strikeouts on the pitching side and 5th nationally in total home runs on the offensive side. They were one of just three teams to finish in the top six in both categories (Tennessee and Arkansas).
- Judd Utermark and Austin Fawley each hit 20+ home runs and became the first pair of teammates to accomplish the task in the same season.
- Hunter Elliott won 10 games and struck out 102 hitters to become just the fifth pitcher in Ole Miss history to hit the 10 win and 100 strikeout mark in a single season.
- Nine Rebels were drafted in the 2025 MLB Draft, the highest total since 2014.
- Elliott was named to the 2026 Golden Spikes Award Watch List and earned Preseason All-America honors from the NCBWA, Perfect Game, D1Baseball, The Diamond Report, and Just Baseball Media.
- Utermark was named a Preseason All-American by the NCBWA and Will Furniss was named to the Preseason All-SEC Team.
- Fawley was one of 10 catchers to be named to the 2026 Buster Posey Award Preseason Watch List.
- Between transfers and freshmen Ole Miss welcomes 19 newcomers to the roster, joining 19 returners (15 letterwinners and four redshirts).
Game 1: LHP Hunter Elliott vs. RHP Dominic Desch
Game 2: RHP Cade Townsend vs. LHP Alessandro Castro
Game 3: LHP Wil Libbert vs. RHP Jordan Giacomini
BROADCAST INFORMATION
All three games will be streamed live on SEC Network+ with Jake Hromada (PxP) and Keith Kessinger (analyst) on the call.
Fans can listen to all Ole Miss Baseball games, home and away, on the Ole Miss Radio Network with David Kellum (PxP) and Brad Henderson (analyst) on the call.
SCOUTING REPORT
Jordan Getzelman is in his first season at the helm of Nevada's baseball program, his fourth season overall with the team. Prior to being named head coach, Getzelman served as the team's hitting coach and recruiting coordinator.
Last season, Nevada won its most games since 2016, going 34-23 with a 19-11 mark against Mountain West opponents. The Wolfpack earned one win in the Credit Union 1 Mountain West Conference Tournament but fell to San Jose State and eventual champion Fresno State.
With the drastic improvement Nevada showed in 2025, it was selected by league coaches as the conference favorite to win the Mountain West baseball title. All five of Nevada's all-conference selections from last season have returned, including Freshman All-American and Mountain West Freshman of the Year Sean Yamaguchi.
Last season, Yamaguchi started in 51 games for the Wolfpack, hitting .324 for the year with 72 hits. He had 27 extra base hits, including a team-leading 13 home runs. He was also solid in the field, recording 27 putouts and 96 assists, recording a 96.9 fielding percentage.
All-conference duo Jayce Dobie and Billy Ham are back with Nevada as well, with the former earning first team status and the latter claiming second team. The pair had a combined 14 hits and 82 RBI. Ham had an impressive 1.010 OPS on top of a .340 batting average.
One of Nevada's most productive pitchers from last season, Alessandro Castro, has also returned for his redshirt junior season. After transferring from Arizona, and previously Pima Community College, Castro became one of Nevada's most reliable pitchers en route to an All-Mountain West First Team nod. He struck out 43 batters in 72.2 innings pitched.
This is the first all-time meeting on the baseball diamond between Ole Miss and Nevada.
BIG GAME HUNTER
Hunter Elliott returns to the Ole Miss rotation as the most experienced pitcher on the staff. He turned in one of the best seasons in Rebel history last year, becoming just the fifth pitcher to record a 10-win, 100-strikeout season finishing with a 10-3 record and 102 punchouts. He also became just the fourth pitcher in program history to record 100+ strikeouts in two different seasons. His 2.94 ERA was the lowest by a Rebel starting pitcher since his freshman season when he finished with an ERA of 2.70.
Elliott is the only returning pitcher in the country to have earned 10+ wins and struck out 100+ hitters in 2025.
BRING THE BOOM
The Ole Miss offense set a new program record for home runs in a season in 2025, crushing 124 home runs. It was just the second time in program history that an Ole Miss team has cracked the 100-home run mark.
The Rebels finished fifth nationally in total home runs, ninth nationally in home runs per game (1.94), and 13th nationally in walks drawn (345). They were one of just four programs in the country to have two 20+ home run hitters and one of six programs to finish with 100+ home runs, 100+ doubles, and 100+ hit by pitches.
There are only 16 returning players who hit 20 or more home runs in 2025 and three of them will be in Ole Miss' Opening Day lineup: Judd Utermark, Austin Fawley, and Daniel Pacella.
BASH BROS
Judd Utermark and Austin Fawley both broke the 20-home run mark in 2025, becoming the first pair of Rebel teammates in program history to each hit 20+ home runs in a single season.
Utermark finished with 22 home runs, the second-most by a Rebel in a single season, just two shy of the program record of 24 set by Tim Elko in 2022.
The 2025 Rebels finished with three hitters with 15+ home runs for the first time in program history and six hitters with 10+ home runs, also for the first time in program history.
IMPROVEMENT ON THE MOUND
In the first season under pitching coach Joel Mangrum, the Ole Miss pitching staff finished sixth nationally in total strikeouts. They struck out 669 hitters, 127 more than their total from 2024, which was the largest increase in the country.
The staff also finished 12th nationally in strikeouts per nine innings, averaging 10.8 strikeouts per game.
D1BASEBALL PRESEASON PLAYER RANKINGS
Ole Miss was well represented in D1Baseball's annual Preseason Player Rankings, placing at least one player at almost every position. Hunter Elliott was the highest ranked Rebel coming in at No. 5 on the list of Starting Pitchers. Cade Townsend also made the list at No. 117.
Austin Fawley was ranked as the No. 8 Catcher, Judd Utermark was ranked as the No. 10 Third Baseman, Dom Decker was ranked the No. 26 Second Baseman, and Will Furniss was ranked the No. 30 First Baseman. Daniel Pacella came in at No. 59 on the list of Outfielders and Landon Koenig (#51) and Owen Kelly (#78) each made the list of Relief Pitchers.
PRESEASON AWARDS
Hunter Elliott has been one of the most decorated players heading into the 2026 season. He was named to the 2026 Golden Spikes Award Watch List and earned Preseason All-America honors from the NCBWA, Perfect Game, D1Baseball, The Diamond Report, and Just Baseball Media. He was also named to the Preseason All-SEC Team that is voted on by the league's head coaches.
Judd Utermark was named a Preseason All-American by the NCBWA and Will Furniss was named to the Preseason All-SEC Team at first base. Austin Fawley was one of 10 catchers in the country to make the 2026 Buster Posey Preseason Watch List.
NEW FACES IN THE DUGOUT
Ole Miss added 19 new faces to the roster for the 2026 season, 10 transfers and nine freshmen. With 21 overall letterwinners lost from the 2025 season, the newest Rebels will look to make an immediate impact on the field.
Daniel Pacella and Tristan Bissetta, both Division I transfers, will man the corner outfield positions in 2026. Pacella comes from Illinois State where he hit .310 with 48 home runs over 107 games for the Redbirds. He hit 20 home runs in 2025, the second-most in program history. Bissetta spent his first three seasons at Clemson, hitting .266 over 87 games. He hit .298 in 2024 before his 2025 season was cut short by an arm injury.
Dom Decker will be injected into the infield after having a breakout season with Murray State in 2025. He started in 60 games for the Racers, hitting .351 with an on-base percentage of .496 which was top 40 in the NCAA.
Wil Libbert opens the season as the third member of the weekend rotation after spending his two seasons at Missouri. He worked 53.2 innings over 11 starts in 2025, striking out 55 hitters and posting a record of 3-4.
STAY CONNECTED
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.
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.
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/ BaseballPRESSER | Mike Bianco - Ole Miss Baseball Media Day (02-10-26)
Tuesday, February 10
PRESSER | Hunter Elliott - Ole Miss Baseball Media Day (02-10-26)
Tuesday, February 10
PRESSER | Judd Utermark - Ole Miss Baseball Media Day (02-10-26)
Tuesday, February 10
PRESSER | Will Furniss - Ole Miss Baseball Media Day (02-10-26)
Tuesday, February 10