Baseball Dominates Nevada in 2026 Season Opener

OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss baseball kicked off the 2026 season with a 11-3 victory over Nevada on opening night at Swayze Field.

The Rebels (1-0) have won the past six season opening games, dating to 2021. With the win, head coach Mike Bianco has earned his 950th career win at Ole Miss.

Won our opening game + Coach’s 950th win ?? pic.twitter.com/MKg561dBpb
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 14, 2026

Tristan Bissetta made a good first impression on Ole Miss fans, going 2-for-3 at the plate with four RBI and a pair of runs. He was one of six Rebels to record a hit against the Wolfpack (0-1), and one of three with multiple hits. The other Rebels with two hits were first baseman Will Furniss and shortstop Brayden Randle.

Hunter Elliott took the mound to start the new season and showed why he’s Ole Miss’ most recent All-American, earning the win. In 5.0 innings, he struck out seven of the 19 batters he faced, which is the most by any Rebel pitcher in a season opener since he had nine against Delaware in 2023. His only blemishes on the day came from allowing three hits, two walks and one earned run.

Hunter Elliott with 7K's in the season opener through 5 innings???? pic.twitter.com/T7DsIITG1E
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 13, 2026

Judd Utermark spent most of his at-bats on base, reaching on three occasions. He was Ole Miss’ top run scorer in the game, tying his career high with three. He’s the first Rebel to record a trio of runs in the season opener since Thomas Dillard had that many in 2018.

However, it was Brett Moseley, in his first-ever collegiate at-bat, to light the lamp for the first time this season, hitting a 400-plus foot bomb to right to round out the scoring.

first game, first homer in the Navy pic.twitter.com/in2fy0uKs5
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 14, 2026

After allowing a first inning home run, Bissetta and the Rebels responded in a big way with a four-run bottom half. Bissetta’s first at-bat as a Rebel drove in the first three runs of the year, a double which cleared the bases. Ole Miss added to its lead the following inning, thanks again to the bat of Bissetta, who drove in Utermark for his fourth RBI of the game.

Elliott found a rhythm in the second and third inning on the mound. He had about as many pitches in those two innings combined as he did in the first, and in that span, he allowed no runs and recorded a pair of strikeouts.

The Rebels had at least one baserunner in the first four innings of the game. Utermark reached after getting hit by a pitch in the bottom of the fourth and Furniss advanced him to third with his second single of the outing. After Hayden Federico took a walk, Daniel Pacella secured his first RBI as a Rebel with a sacrifice groundout to increase Ole Miss’ lead to six.

At the top of the sixth, Nevada began to make things interesting by narrowing the lead to 7-3. With runners in scoring position, Hudson Calhoun entered the game and immediately got the Rebels out of a jam by striking out the next two batters to bring Ole Miss back to the plate.

With the momentum from Calhoun’s pitching efforts, the Rebels reentered the scoring column in the bottom of the sixth after Pacella recorded his first hit as a Rebel, driving Bissetta in once more.

Just that kinda day for Tristan Bissetta?? pic.twitter.com/cw1rcVyakp
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 13, 2026

Calhoun maintained the status quo until the bottom of the eighth, when Ole Miss began to run the bases once more. Furniss walked, advanced on a wild pitch, then scored on a Federico single up the middle. Moseley took the plate in relief of Pacella, and on the first pitch of his collegiate career, launched the ball deep into right for Ole Miss’ first home run of the season. It traveled 403 feet and drove Federico and himself home.

Calhoun had a comfortable eight-run lead headed into the top of the ninth. Facing the bottom of the order, the junior right hander forced a groundout to the first batter, then allowed a single from the No. 9 batter. However, a 4-6-3 double-play would shut down Nevada’s attempt at adding runs and hand Calhoun his first career save.

Calhoun taking command pic.twitter.com/hYVBRdNGAF
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 14, 2026

Ole Miss and Nevada meet again on Saturday at noon CT for game two. The finale is set for 1:30 p.m. CT on Sunday, and both games will be streamed on SECN+.

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Team Stats

Will Furniss

Tristan Bissetta

Brayden Randle

Dom Decker

The University of Mississippi Athletics