The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, February 20
Birmingham, Ala.
2 PM
Ole Miss
vs
Mercer
No. 25 Softball Travels to Green & Gold Classic
2/19/2026 | Softball
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The No. 25 Ole Miss softball program heads back out on the road for another early-season tournament, traveling to the Green & Gold Classic, hosted by UAB at Mary Bowers Field.
The Rebels (7-4, 0-0) open the weekend against Mercer (8-2, 0-0 SoCon) on Friday at 2 p.m. CT. From there, the Rebels face off with Southern Illinois (7-3, 0-0 MVC) at 9 a.m., and Missouri State (6-3, 0-0 CUSA) at 11:30 a.m. CT on Saturday. The weekend concludes on Sunday at 9 a.m. against Missouri State and 2 p.m. CT Mercer.
LEADING OFF
ACT TWO
Persy Llamas took the SEC by storm as a freshman and returns to anchor an offense with plenty of potent bats in 2026. Llamas not only hit .354 with 10 home runs, 10 doubles and 55 RBI last season, while striking out only 11 times, but also matched teammate Aliyah Binford in setting a new single-season RBI record at Ole Miss. Llamas also shined defensively, tallying a .990 fielding percentage at first base which has already put her among the Rebels all-time best.
Her efforts across the postseason were heroic. Llamas went from hitting a three-run blast against No. 4 Florida in the SEC Tournament win, to tallying three home runs in three games against No. 12 Arizona to secure the NCAA Regional, to driving in the first two runs ever scored by the Rebels in a Women's College World Series against No. 16 Oregon. Llamas took home All-SEC Second Team and NFCA All-South Region Second Team honors following the season.
As a result of her achievements, the nation has paid attention in 2026. Llamas was recently tabbed to the All-SEC Preseason Team, as well as earning a top-100 player and top-10 player at first base nod from Softball America this offseason. This season, Llamas has kept pace, hitting a sizzling .476 with three home runs and 15 RBI through 11 games, headlined by a walk-off double in a win over Miami.
A STAR IS BORN
After multiple NFCA All-Region honorees from last season's freshman class, the Rebels have unearthed another freshman star in Madi George.
George has quickly taken over in the early portion of her college career, hitting .485 with four home runs, seven extra-base hits, 14 RBI and seven walks. Entering play on Friday, George ranks in a tie for first among SEC freshmen in home runs and has quickly established her spot in the cleanup role of the lineup.
A natural first baseman who has seen most of her time in right field thus far, George is following in a similar path as the Rebels current first baseman, sophomore Persy Llamas. Llamas hit .471 with one home run and 12 RBI through her first 11 collegiate games last season.
WHITTEN IN STONE
Pitcher Lilly Whitten made history on Friday, Feb. 13, becoming just the sixth Rebel to ever throw a solo no-hitter, joining Brittany Barnhill, Aliyah Binford, Miali Guachino, Carly Hummel (twice) and Becky Nye. Additionally, she became part of just the ninth no-hitter of any kind in program history.
Whitten was thoroughly dominant in the 8-0 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, striking out three batters and commanding the circle. It has been a sterling start to Whitten's Ole Miss career, going 3-0 with a 2.41 ERA so far.
TWO-WAY TITANS
The Ole Miss softball program has created a tradition of developing dynamic two-way talents under head coach Jamie Trachsel, with 2026 set to continue the trend.
Previous Rebels Aynslie Furbush and Aliyah Binford earned All-Region honors both hitting and pitching in Oxford and this season's roster will be loaded with more two-way talent. The group is led by Division II National Player of the Year Emilee Boyer, who heads to Oxford after three seasons at West Texas A&M where she went 69-10 with a 2.39 ERA and hit .363 with 54 home runs and 197 RBI. Another transfer, Hope Jenkins, also brings veteran acumen after three seasons at UConn, where she earned All-Big East honors and went 28-9 in the circle, with a 3.50 ERA and hit .279, with 14 home runs and 67 RBI. Both will continue to hit and pitch in their first seasons in Oxford.
There is even more talent in the pipeline, as the Rebels added freshmen Payton Kennedy and Addi Linton to the mix this season, who will continue their two-way careers after prolific high school performances. Both were tabbed to the Softball America Freshman Watch List this season.
RETURN OF THE MACK
Another breakout star for the Rebels in 2025 was the dynamic Mackenzie Pickens, who stepped right into a key middle infield role and shined en route to NFCA All-South Region Third Team honors. This season, Pickens will take on an even bigger role on both sides of the ball.
Pickens delivered a sensational debut season in Oxford, hitting .328 with eight home runs, 10 doubles, 37 RBI and 12 stolen bases. That play has carried over into 2026 thus far, as Pickens opened the season hitting .353 with two home runs and seven RBI.
Pickens delivered signature moments in both the SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament. Her 8th inning, three-run blast helped the Rebels break the deadlock and win a thriller over No. 4 Florida in the SEC Tournament, while her 2-for-3 performance with a first inning home run helped the Rebels clinch the Tucson Regional against No. 12 Arizona in a decisive game three.
SCOUTING MERCER
After a historic campaign in which the Bears won a conference title for the first time and reached the NCAA Gainesville Regional final, Mercer enters 2026 with a new look and renewed expectations.
New head coach Chris Kuhlmeyer, who won 158 games over 7 seasons at UMBC, has taken the reins from former head coach Lindsay Fico, who took the Florida Gulf Coast job in the summer. Kuhlmeyer has the Bears on the right track early on, going 8-2 and most recently earning a walk-off win over Georgia Southern.
Sophomore Grace Jones has started quickly on offense with a .429 batting average, two home runs and 10 RBI. Senior Avery Barton leads the team with five home runs and 11 RBI.
Pitching has been more of a struggle for the Bears, who hold a 5.43 ERA as a unit. Junior Grace Roark has been the most effective so far, going 2-1 with a 3.73 ERA (15.0 IP).
SCOUTING SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
After falling in the MVC championship just one year ago, the Salukis have high expectations in 2026 under fifth year head coach Jen Sewell, who won 44 games just two seasons ago.
At 7-3 overall, the Salukis earned a pair of wins over Charlotte and are led by the dynamic Sydney Potter on offense. Potter is hitting .441 with eight home runs and 19 to lead the team, ranking third in the nation in home runs so far. The Creighton transfer is joined by reigning MVC Newcomer of the Year Emily Williams, who is hitting .469 with two home runs and 12 RBI.
In the circle, the Salukis are led by junior Emily Delgado and the exciting freshman Hailey Lucas. Lucas leads the team at 1-2 with a 1.70 ERA (24.2 IP), while Delgado is 0-0 with a 2.72 ERA (18.0 IP).
SCOUTING MISSOURI STATE
Second year head coach Kasey Griffith has quickly turned the Bears into a solid unit at 6-3 overall, entering on a six-game win streak.
The offense is balanced with five starters hitting over .300 so far. Sophomore Lauren Rowland leads the group, hitting .375 with two home runs and nine RBI. Four of the five are sophomores or lower, as the unit has quickly matured into regular starting roles.
Freshman Emily Koranda is the star of the show in the circle thus far at 3-1 with a 1.06 ERA (26.1 IP) in her debut campaign. The freshman has already shown big game potential, holding SEC side Georgia to one run over 2.2 innings of relief.
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 (7-4, 0-0) open the weekend against Mercer (8-2, 0-0 SoCon) on Friday at 2 p.m. CT. From there, the Rebels face off with Southern Illinois (7-3, 0-0 MVC) at 9 a.m., and Missouri State (6-3, 0-0 CUSA) at 11:30 a.m. CT on Saturday. The weekend concludes on Sunday at 9 a.m. against Missouri State and 2 p.m. CT Mercer.
LEADING OFF
- Ole Miss heads back out on the road to compete in the Green & Gold Classic, facing Mercer, Southern Illinois and Missouri State.
- Freshman Madi George has been the breakout star of the season thus far, hitting a sizzling .485 with a team-high four home runs and 14 RBI through the first 11 games of her career.
- Sophomore Persy Llamas remains scorching hot as well, hitting .476 through the first 11 games with three home runs and 15 RBI, while not striking out once.
- Llamas currently ranks sixth in the nation in total hits (20) and 35th in RBI (15).
- Lilly Whitten etched her name in the record books on Friday, throwing a six-inning no-hitter in a win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. She became the sixth Rebel in program history to throw a solo no-hitter and contributed the ninth no-hitter in program history.
- Head coach Jamie Trachsel became the program's all-time winningest coach on Feb. 13, recording her 188th win at the helm.
- Senior Kyra Aycock has jumped right into a key rotation role, leading the SEC in complete games (three), while also stepping up for four wins so far this season (12th in NCAA).
ACT TWO
Persy Llamas took the SEC by storm as a freshman and returns to anchor an offense with plenty of potent bats in 2026. Llamas not only hit .354 with 10 home runs, 10 doubles and 55 RBI last season, while striking out only 11 times, but also matched teammate Aliyah Binford in setting a new single-season RBI record at Ole Miss. Llamas also shined defensively, tallying a .990 fielding percentage at first base which has already put her among the Rebels all-time best.
Her efforts across the postseason were heroic. Llamas went from hitting a three-run blast against No. 4 Florida in the SEC Tournament win, to tallying three home runs in three games against No. 12 Arizona to secure the NCAA Regional, to driving in the first two runs ever scored by the Rebels in a Women's College World Series against No. 16 Oregon. Llamas took home All-SEC Second Team and NFCA All-South Region Second Team honors following the season.
As a result of her achievements, the nation has paid attention in 2026. Llamas was recently tabbed to the All-SEC Preseason Team, as well as earning a top-100 player and top-10 player at first base nod from Softball America this offseason. This season, Llamas has kept pace, hitting a sizzling .476 with three home runs and 15 RBI through 11 games, headlined by a walk-off double in a win over Miami.
A STAR IS BORN
After multiple NFCA All-Region honorees from last season's freshman class, the Rebels have unearthed another freshman star in Madi George.
George has quickly taken over in the early portion of her college career, hitting .485 with four home runs, seven extra-base hits, 14 RBI and seven walks. Entering play on Friday, George ranks in a tie for first among SEC freshmen in home runs and has quickly established her spot in the cleanup role of the lineup.
A natural first baseman who has seen most of her time in right field thus far, George is following in a similar path as the Rebels current first baseman, sophomore Persy Llamas. Llamas hit .471 with one home run and 12 RBI through her first 11 collegiate games last season.
WHITTEN IN STONE
Pitcher Lilly Whitten made history on Friday, Feb. 13, becoming just the sixth Rebel to ever throw a solo no-hitter, joining Brittany Barnhill, Aliyah Binford, Miali Guachino, Carly Hummel (twice) and Becky Nye. Additionally, she became part of just the ninth no-hitter of any kind in program history.
Whitten was thoroughly dominant in the 8-0 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, striking out three batters and commanding the circle. It has been a sterling start to Whitten's Ole Miss career, going 3-0 with a 2.41 ERA so far.
TWO-WAY TITANS
The Ole Miss softball program has created a tradition of developing dynamic two-way talents under head coach Jamie Trachsel, with 2026 set to continue the trend.
Previous Rebels Aynslie Furbush and Aliyah Binford earned All-Region honors both hitting and pitching in Oxford and this season's roster will be loaded with more two-way talent. The group is led by Division II National Player of the Year Emilee Boyer, who heads to Oxford after three seasons at West Texas A&M where she went 69-10 with a 2.39 ERA and hit .363 with 54 home runs and 197 RBI. Another transfer, Hope Jenkins, also brings veteran acumen after three seasons at UConn, where she earned All-Big East honors and went 28-9 in the circle, with a 3.50 ERA and hit .279, with 14 home runs and 67 RBI. Both will continue to hit and pitch in their first seasons in Oxford.
There is even more talent in the pipeline, as the Rebels added freshmen Payton Kennedy and Addi Linton to the mix this season, who will continue their two-way careers after prolific high school performances. Both were tabbed to the Softball America Freshman Watch List this season.
RETURN OF THE MACK
Another breakout star for the Rebels in 2025 was the dynamic Mackenzie Pickens, who stepped right into a key middle infield role and shined en route to NFCA All-South Region Third Team honors. This season, Pickens will take on an even bigger role on both sides of the ball.
Pickens delivered a sensational debut season in Oxford, hitting .328 with eight home runs, 10 doubles, 37 RBI and 12 stolen bases. That play has carried over into 2026 thus far, as Pickens opened the season hitting .353 with two home runs and seven RBI.
Pickens delivered signature moments in both the SEC Tournament and NCAA Tournament. Her 8th inning, three-run blast helped the Rebels break the deadlock and win a thriller over No. 4 Florida in the SEC Tournament, while her 2-for-3 performance with a first inning home run helped the Rebels clinch the Tucson Regional against No. 12 Arizona in a decisive game three.
SCOUTING MERCER
After a historic campaign in which the Bears won a conference title for the first time and reached the NCAA Gainesville Regional final, Mercer enters 2026 with a new look and renewed expectations.
New head coach Chris Kuhlmeyer, who won 158 games over 7 seasons at UMBC, has taken the reins from former head coach Lindsay Fico, who took the Florida Gulf Coast job in the summer. Kuhlmeyer has the Bears on the right track early on, going 8-2 and most recently earning a walk-off win over Georgia Southern.
Sophomore Grace Jones has started quickly on offense with a .429 batting average, two home runs and 10 RBI. Senior Avery Barton leads the team with five home runs and 11 RBI.
Pitching has been more of a struggle for the Bears, who hold a 5.43 ERA as a unit. Junior Grace Roark has been the most effective so far, going 2-1 with a 3.73 ERA (15.0 IP).
SCOUTING SOUTHERN ILLINOIS
After falling in the MVC championship just one year ago, the Salukis have high expectations in 2026 under fifth year head coach Jen Sewell, who won 44 games just two seasons ago.
At 7-3 overall, the Salukis earned a pair of wins over Charlotte and are led by the dynamic Sydney Potter on offense. Potter is hitting .441 with eight home runs and 19 to lead the team, ranking third in the nation in home runs so far. The Creighton transfer is joined by reigning MVC Newcomer of the Year Emily Williams, who is hitting .469 with two home runs and 12 RBI.
In the circle, the Salukis are led by junior Emily Delgado and the exciting freshman Hailey Lucas. Lucas leads the team at 1-2 with a 1.70 ERA (24.2 IP), while Delgado is 0-0 with a 2.72 ERA (18.0 IP).
SCOUTING MISSOURI STATE
Second year head coach Kasey Griffith has quickly turned the Bears into a solid unit at 6-3 overall, entering on a six-game win streak.
The offense is balanced with five starters hitting over .300 so far. Sophomore Lauren Rowland leads the group, hitting .375 with two home runs and nine RBI. Four of the five are sophomores or lower, as the unit has quickly matured into regular starting roles.
Freshman Emily Koranda is the star of the show in the circle thus far at 3-1 with a 1.06 ERA (26.1 IP) in her debut campaign. The freshman has already shown big game potential, holding SEC side Georgia to one run over 2.2 innings of relief.
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.
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/ SoftballHIGHLIGHTS: Softball vs. Miami (2/16/26)
Monday, February 16
Persy Llamas Walk-Off vs. Miami
Monday, February 16
HIGHLIGHTS: SB at UL (02-14-2026)
Saturday, February 14
Madi George's Home Run at UL
Saturday, February 14