The University of Mississippi Athletics
Tuesday, March 3
Oxford, Miss.
2 PM
Ole Miss
vs
UT Martin
Softball Welcomes UT Martin for Tuesday Doubleheader
3/2/2026 | Softball
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss softball program continues the home swing by hosting a doubleheader against UT Martin on Tuesday at the Ole Miss Softball Stadium.
The Rebels (16-5, 0-0 SEC) will open up action against the Skyhawks (12-7, 0-0 OVC) at 2 p.m. CT, with game two to follow roughly 40 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Both games will be streamed via SEC Network Plus.
LEADING OFF
The Rebels are barreling towards the start of SEC play, as the Rebels are in the midst of a ten-game home swing that carries into the opener of a grueling SEC slate that begins with Alabama from Mar. 6-8.
While the Rebels will have eight non-conference midweeks after the Alabama series, this stretch marks a critical period for the Rebels. The first four series to open SEC play are against top-10 opponents - Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee. The five remaining non-conference games prior to March 6 have added importance in the face of 12 very challenging SEC games. The Rebels launched their historic 2025 season on the back of a season-opening SEC series victory over then No. 10 Arkansas.
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 .993 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 .425 with four home runs and 20 RBI through 21 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 as the cleanup hitter in the early portion of her college career, hitting .450 with seven home runs, 10 total extra-base hits, 21 RBI and 13 walks. George leads the Rebels in home runs, walks, slugging percentage and OBP.
A natural first baseman who has seen most of her time split between right field and designated player thus far, George is following in a similar path as the Rebels current first baseman, sophomore Persy Llamas, who went on to a very successful freshman season. Llamas hit .382 with four home runs and 23 RBI through her first 21 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 4-0 with a 1.71 ERA so far.
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 .355 with six home runs and a team-high 24 RBI. Pickens matched the single-game program record with six RBI in a win over Mercer on Feb. 22.
Pickens delivered signature moments in both the 2025 SEC Tournament and 2025 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 UT MARTIN
Year three under head coach Chelsea Farmer has been a roaring success for the Skyhawks thus far, going 12-7 to open the season after just 16 wins all of 2025. UT Martin boasts a road win over Stetson this season and enters Oxford after taking all three games against Akron over the weekend.
Senior Avary Makarewicz has been the star of the show on offense, leading the team with a .414 batting average, four home runs and 21 RBI, as well as seven doubles and eight walks. However, Makarewicz makes up 57 percent of the team's home runs and just under 27 percent of her side's RBI. The Skyhawks feature a great deal of speed, led by St. Bonaventure transfer Karena Recrosio, who has 13 stolen bases and senior Kennedy Brown, who is a perfect 10-for-10 on the base paths.
The Skyhawks have mixed and matched in the circle to start the season with some early success. Senior Ashtyn Green has seen the most action at 3-1 with a 3.65 ERA (30.2 IP), but junior John A. Logan transfer Sami Scholtz has seen the most success at 3-1 with a 2.59 ERA (27.0 IP). Seven different pitchers have seen action in total thus far.
Eight of the 12 Skyhawk wins have come by three runs or less, with UT Martin finding tremendous success in closing out wins.
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 (16-5, 0-0 SEC) will open up action against the Skyhawks (12-7, 0-0 OVC) at 2 p.m. CT, with game two to follow roughly 40 minutes after the conclusion of game one. Both games will be streamed via SEC Network Plus.
LEADING OFF
- Ole Miss is set for the final non-conference clash before SEC play begins, hosting UT Martin for a doubleheader.
- Freshman Madi George has been the breakout star of the season thus far, hitting a sizzling .450 with a team-high seven home runs and 13 walks, while adding 21 RBI through the first 21 games of her career.
- Sophomore Persy Llamas remains scorching hot as well, hitting .425 through the first 21 games with four home runs and 20 RBI. Llamas leads the team with 31 hits.
- The Ole Miss pitching staff has shined since the home opener against Miami, holding opponents to three runs or less in each of the last 11 games. That is the longest streak by the program since 2023.
- Head coach Jamie Trachsel became the program's all-time winningest coach on Feb. 13, recording her 188th win at the helm and now stands just two wins from 200 at Ole Miss.
- Senior Emilee Boyer eclipsed 500 strikeouts in her collegiate career in the win over ULM on Sunday. Boyer recorded 461 strikeouts over three seasons at West Texas A&M.
- Senior Kyra Aycock has jumped right into a key rotation role, ranking eighth in the nation with eight wins, while also ranking in the top-10 in the SEC in complete games (four).
The Rebels are barreling towards the start of SEC play, as the Rebels are in the midst of a ten-game home swing that carries into the opener of a grueling SEC slate that begins with Alabama from Mar. 6-8.
While the Rebels will have eight non-conference midweeks after the Alabama series, this stretch marks a critical period for the Rebels. The first four series to open SEC play are against top-10 opponents - Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee. The five remaining non-conference games prior to March 6 have added importance in the face of 12 very challenging SEC games. The Rebels launched their historic 2025 season on the back of a season-opening SEC series victory over then No. 10 Arkansas.
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 .993 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 .425 with four home runs and 20 RBI through 21 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 as the cleanup hitter in the early portion of her college career, hitting .450 with seven home runs, 10 total extra-base hits, 21 RBI and 13 walks. George leads the Rebels in home runs, walks, slugging percentage and OBP.
A natural first baseman who has seen most of her time split between right field and designated player thus far, George is following in a similar path as the Rebels current first baseman, sophomore Persy Llamas, who went on to a very successful freshman season. Llamas hit .382 with four home runs and 23 RBI through her first 21 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 4-0 with a 1.71 ERA so far.
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 .355 with six home runs and a team-high 24 RBI. Pickens matched the single-game program record with six RBI in a win over Mercer on Feb. 22.
Pickens delivered signature moments in both the 2025 SEC Tournament and 2025 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 UT MARTIN
Year three under head coach Chelsea Farmer has been a roaring success for the Skyhawks thus far, going 12-7 to open the season after just 16 wins all of 2025. UT Martin boasts a road win over Stetson this season and enters Oxford after taking all three games against Akron over the weekend.
Senior Avary Makarewicz has been the star of the show on offense, leading the team with a .414 batting average, four home runs and 21 RBI, as well as seven doubles and eight walks. However, Makarewicz makes up 57 percent of the team's home runs and just under 27 percent of her side's RBI. The Skyhawks feature a great deal of speed, led by St. Bonaventure transfer Karena Recrosio, who has 13 stolen bases and senior Kennedy Brown, who is a perfect 10-for-10 on the base paths.
The Skyhawks have mixed and matched in the circle to start the season with some early success. Senior Ashtyn Green has seen the most action at 3-1 with a 3.65 ERA (30.2 IP), but junior John A. Logan transfer Sami Scholtz has seen the most success at 3-1 with a 2.59 ERA (27.0 IP). Seven different pitchers have seen action in total thus far.
Eight of the 12 Skyhawk wins have come by three runs or less, with UT Martin finding tremendous success in closing out wins.
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
RHP
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RHP/INF
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RHP/UT
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INF
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RHP
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LHP/UT
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INF
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RHP
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