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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Tuesday, April 21
Oxford, Miss.
6:30 PM
Ole Miss
vs
Murray State
No. 17 Baseball Hosts Murray State for Midweek Contest
4/20/2026 | Baseball
OXFORD, Miss. – No. 17 Ole Miss Baseball (29-12, 10-8 SEC) hosts Murray State (24-16, 10-5 MVC) Tuesday night in a 2025 Oxford Regional rematch at Swayze Field. First pitch is set for 6:30 p.m.
LEADING OFF
RHP Owen Kelly (1-1, 3.66 ERA) vs. RHP Preston Chaudoin (0-0, 3.60 ERA)
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Tuesday's game 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
Eighth-year head coach Dan Skirka has established his tenure as one defined by milestones and sustained success. He's guided the Racers to over 230 wins, 44 of which came last season to set Murray State's program record for the most ever, and two of the wins came over Ole Miss in the Oxford Regional.
Murray State made its inaugural appearance in Omaha last season, capturing its first Missouri Valley Conference championship in the process. The Racers are once again one of the top teams in the MVC, holding the highest win-to-loss percent entering this week at 24-16. Murray State also has one of the most potent offenses in the MVC, scoring 7.0 runs per game.
The main catalyst for Murray State's offensive output is senior infielder Luke Mistone, who paces the Racers in batting average (.357) and RBI (38). He had a five-hit game for Murray State in March against Kentucky State, plating nine runs for his efforts. Behind Mistone is Colby Ott and Kainen Jorge, the latter of which leads the team in home runs with eight.
On the mound, the Racers have forced three shutouts, which leads the MVC. However, none of their shutouts have come in midweek competitions this season.
SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK (x2)
Tristan Bissetta was named SEC Co-Player of the Week and Cade Townsend was named SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week after the two led the Rebels to wins over Southern Miss and Tennessee.
Townsend was the first Rebel to earn Pitcher of the Week honors since Gunnar Hoglund in May of 2021. Bissetta was the first to be named Player of the Week since Issac Humphrey won it in March of last year.
Bissetta hit a home run in each game the Rebels played last week, hitting .500 with four home runs, three doubles, 10 RBI, and seven runs scored. He slugged 1.333 with an OPS of 1.883 and launched a 424-foot grand slam on Saturday to help clinch the series.
Over his last eight games, Bissetta is hitting .438 (14-for-32) with five home runs, four doubles, 12 RBI, and 13 runs scored. He is currently on a five-game home run streak with dingers in each of his last five games.
Townsend put together his third-consecutive quality start on Saturday against Tennessee, locking down the series win for the Rebels. The sophomore took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning and would leave the game after six shutout innings. He allowed just four baserunners while striking out seven.
Over his last three starts, Townsend has posted an ERA of 1.50 with 21 strikeouts and just three earned runs over 18 innings of work. He has issued just three walks and held opponents to a .172 batting average during that stretch.
APRIL SHOWERS
The Ole Miss offense has bloomed in the month of April, hitting .283 with 78 runs scored, 14 home runs, and 18 doubles as a unit. They are slugging .451 with an on base percentage of .396 over their last 11 games.
They have scored at least five runs in every game except for one (2-0 loss to Florida) and have reached double-digit hits in five of the 11 games.
Hayden Federico is hitting .500 with 10 RBI and an OPS of 1.247 in the month of April. Judd Utermark is hitting .378 with three home runs, 16 runs scored, and an OPS of 1.051 in the month of April. Tristan Bissetta is hitting .375 with five home runs, 12 RBI, 15 runs scored, four stolen bases, and an OPS of 1.360 in the month of April.
RICO SUAVE
Over his last 12 games, Hayden Federico has hit .515 (17-for-33) with eight walks, four HBPs, 10 RBI, and six runs scored. He has struck out just three times and posted an OPS of 1.297 during that stretch. The sophomore switch hitter has raised his batting average 82 points to .295 and is currently hitting .500 in the month of April.
HOOK 'EM
Walker Hooks has earned three wins, four saves, and pitched to a 1.37 ERA over his last nine appearances out of the bullpen. He has struck out 23 batters and walked just two over 19.2 innings of work.
Hooks has allowed more than one earned run just twice this season over 15 appearances and has emerged as the team's best closing option. He has converted a save in each of his last three outings.
KING OF NEW YORK
Since March 31, Owen Paino has appeared in 10 of the Ole Miss' 11 games, getting starts at either DH or shortstop in nine of them. During that time, the sophomore is hitting .286 (8-for-28) with an OPS of 1.066. He has hit two home runs, three doubles, driven in eight runs, and scored eight times with nine walks and a stolen base.
HIGH QUALITY
For the first time since 2019, all three Rebel starting pitchers in a series put together quality starts in Ole Miss' sweep of LSU. All three had very similar lines, working six innings, allowing two runs, and just one walk each.
Hunter Elliott worked six innings and allowed eight hits and two earned runs on Friday night. He struck out eight batters and issued just one walk. It was his second quality start of the season.
Cade Townsend worked six innings and allowed six hits and two earned runs on Saturday. He also struck out eight batters and issued just one walk. It was his second consecutive quality start of the season.
Taylor Rabe took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning on Sunday but did not record an out in the seventh giving him six innings with two earned runs. He struck out five batters while also issuing just one walk in what was the first quality start of his career.
MOVING ON UP
Hunter Elliott struck out five in his start against Tennessee last weekend to move further up the all-time strikeout list. Elliott will soon become just the third pitcher in program history to reach the 300-strikeout mark.
Ole Miss Career Strikeout List
1. Drew Pomeranz 344
2. Lance Lynn 332
3. Hunter Elliott 289
4. Jeff Calhoun 282
5. Mark Holliman 281
6. Doug Nikhazy 259
7. Scott Bittle 257
8. Brett Bukvich 245
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
After homering twice last weekend, Judd Utermark now sits at 44 career home runs which is four shy of the Ole Miss all-time record. He most recently passed Matt Smith and Matt Snyder to move into sole possession of third place.
Utermark is just the seventh Rebel to hit 40 home runs in their career.
Ole Miss Career Home Run List
1. Kyle Gordon 48
2. Tim Elko 46
3. Judd Utermark 44
4. Matt Smith & Matt Snyder 41
5. Brad Henderson & Jacob Gonzalez 40
6. Kevin Graham 38
7. Burney Hutchinson & Stephen Head 37
8. David Dellucci & Michael Rosamond 36
CAPTAIN CLUTCH
Brayden Randle has had six game-winning or game-tying hits this season that have set up Ole Miss for wins down the line. Three of them have come in conference games in the month of April.
It started on February 17 against Arkansas State with a walk-off sacrifice fly to beat the Red Wolves 7-6. His next came on February 22 against Missouri State when he hit a game-winning RBI single in the eighth inning as Ole Miss defeated the Bears 3-2. On March 4 against North Alabama, Randle broke a 4-4 tie in the sixth inning with an RBI single to set up an 8-5 win over the Lions.
Following Judd Utermark's game-tying home run on April 4 against Florida, Randle broke the 2-2 tie in the ninth inning with a sacrifice fly to give Ole Miss a lead they would not relinquish.
He had two more clutch hits in the sweep over LSU, tying the game on April 11 with a single in the fourth inning and driving in the game-winning run on April 12 with a single that completed the sweep.
WORLD BASEBALL REBS
Ole Miss had two representatives in the recently completed World Baseball Classic, Dylan DeLucia and Josh Mallitz.
DeLucia pitched for Team Italy, making two appearances including a start against Great Britain. Over two outings for the Italians, DeLucia worked 7.2 innings with eight strikeouts and a 2.35 ERA. In the quarterfinals against Puerto Rico, DeLucia worked four scoreless innings and earned a hold for his efforts.
Mallitz made two appearances for Team Israel allowing just two baserunners over two innings of work.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW
Brett Moseley and Tate Sirmans each launched a home run for their first collegiate hit Opening Weekend against Nevada. Moseley hit a pinch-hit, two-RBI home run in the eighth inning of game one and Sirmans hit a solo shot in the fourth inning of game two. It was also Sirmans' first career start.
Moseley and Sirmans join a decent sized list of Rebels who hit a home run for their first career hit. Will Furniss and Judd Utermark each hit a pinch-hit home run for their first hits in 2023 when they were freshmen. Austin Fawley also hit a home run for his first career hit as a redshirt freshman at Kentucky in 2024.
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.
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 has won 10 of their last 12 games after taking two of three in a road series against Tennessee last weekend.
- It was their first series win over Tennessee since 2018 and their first in Knoxville since 2016.
- Tristan Bissetta was named Co-SEC Player of the Week for his performance last week. He hit a home run in each game the Rebels played last week, hitting .500 with four home runs, three doubles, 10 RBI, and seven runs scored.
- Cade Townsend was named Co-SEC Pitcher of the Week for his performance last week. He put together his third-consecutive quality start, taking a no-hit bid into the sixth inning. He allowed just four baserunners while striking out seven.
- Walker Hooks earned two more saves last weekend, and he now has four saves and three wins over his last nine appearances.
- Over his last 12 games, Hayden Federico has hit .515 (17-for-33) with eight walks, four HBPs, 10 RBI, and six runs scored.
- Judd Utermark and Tristan Bissetta have combined to hit 34 of Ole Miss' 64 (53%) home runs this season.
- Cade Townsend now owns the second-lowest ERA (1.73), the third-lowest WHIP (0.91), and the fourth-lowest hits per nine innings (6.05) in the SEC.
- Hunter Elliott is ranked sixth in the SEC in strikeouts with 73 punchouts on the season.
- The Ole Miss pitching staff has struck out 463 batters, second-most in the SEC and fifth in the NCAA. Their K/9 of 11.7 is the second-highest in the SEC and their ERA of 3.88 is the fifth-lowest in the conference.
RHP Owen Kelly (1-1, 3.66 ERA) vs. RHP Preston Chaudoin (0-0, 3.60 ERA)
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Tuesday's game 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
Eighth-year head coach Dan Skirka has established his tenure as one defined by milestones and sustained success. He's guided the Racers to over 230 wins, 44 of which came last season to set Murray State's program record for the most ever, and two of the wins came over Ole Miss in the Oxford Regional.
Murray State made its inaugural appearance in Omaha last season, capturing its first Missouri Valley Conference championship in the process. The Racers are once again one of the top teams in the MVC, holding the highest win-to-loss percent entering this week at 24-16. Murray State also has one of the most potent offenses in the MVC, scoring 7.0 runs per game.
The main catalyst for Murray State's offensive output is senior infielder Luke Mistone, who paces the Racers in batting average (.357) and RBI (38). He had a five-hit game for Murray State in March against Kentucky State, plating nine runs for his efforts. Behind Mistone is Colby Ott and Kainen Jorge, the latter of which leads the team in home runs with eight.
On the mound, the Racers have forced three shutouts, which leads the MVC. However, none of their shutouts have come in midweek competitions this season.
SEC PLAYER OF THE WEEK (x2)
Tristan Bissetta was named SEC Co-Player of the Week and Cade Townsend was named SEC Co-Pitcher of the Week after the two led the Rebels to wins over Southern Miss and Tennessee.
Townsend was the first Rebel to earn Pitcher of the Week honors since Gunnar Hoglund in May of 2021. Bissetta was the first to be named Player of the Week since Issac Humphrey won it in March of last year.
Bissetta hit a home run in each game the Rebels played last week, hitting .500 with four home runs, three doubles, 10 RBI, and seven runs scored. He slugged 1.333 with an OPS of 1.883 and launched a 424-foot grand slam on Saturday to help clinch the series.
Over his last eight games, Bissetta is hitting .438 (14-for-32) with five home runs, four doubles, 12 RBI, and 13 runs scored. He is currently on a five-game home run streak with dingers in each of his last five games.
Townsend put together his third-consecutive quality start on Saturday against Tennessee, locking down the series win for the Rebels. The sophomore took a no-hit bid into the sixth inning and would leave the game after six shutout innings. He allowed just four baserunners while striking out seven.
Over his last three starts, Townsend has posted an ERA of 1.50 with 21 strikeouts and just three earned runs over 18 innings of work. He has issued just three walks and held opponents to a .172 batting average during that stretch.
APRIL SHOWERS
The Ole Miss offense has bloomed in the month of April, hitting .283 with 78 runs scored, 14 home runs, and 18 doubles as a unit. They are slugging .451 with an on base percentage of .396 over their last 11 games.
They have scored at least five runs in every game except for one (2-0 loss to Florida) and have reached double-digit hits in five of the 11 games.
Hayden Federico is hitting .500 with 10 RBI and an OPS of 1.247 in the month of April. Judd Utermark is hitting .378 with three home runs, 16 runs scored, and an OPS of 1.051 in the month of April. Tristan Bissetta is hitting .375 with five home runs, 12 RBI, 15 runs scored, four stolen bases, and an OPS of 1.360 in the month of April.
RICO SUAVE
Over his last 12 games, Hayden Federico has hit .515 (17-for-33) with eight walks, four HBPs, 10 RBI, and six runs scored. He has struck out just three times and posted an OPS of 1.297 during that stretch. The sophomore switch hitter has raised his batting average 82 points to .295 and is currently hitting .500 in the month of April.
HOOK 'EM
Walker Hooks has earned three wins, four saves, and pitched to a 1.37 ERA over his last nine appearances out of the bullpen. He has struck out 23 batters and walked just two over 19.2 innings of work.
Hooks has allowed more than one earned run just twice this season over 15 appearances and has emerged as the team's best closing option. He has converted a save in each of his last three outings.
KING OF NEW YORK
Since March 31, Owen Paino has appeared in 10 of the Ole Miss' 11 games, getting starts at either DH or shortstop in nine of them. During that time, the sophomore is hitting .286 (8-for-28) with an OPS of 1.066. He has hit two home runs, three doubles, driven in eight runs, and scored eight times with nine walks and a stolen base.
HIGH QUALITY
For the first time since 2019, all three Rebel starting pitchers in a series put together quality starts in Ole Miss' sweep of LSU. All three had very similar lines, working six innings, allowing two runs, and just one walk each.
Hunter Elliott worked six innings and allowed eight hits and two earned runs on Friday night. He struck out eight batters and issued just one walk. It was his second quality start of the season.
Cade Townsend worked six innings and allowed six hits and two earned runs on Saturday. He also struck out eight batters and issued just one walk. It was his second consecutive quality start of the season.
Taylor Rabe took a no-hit bid into the seventh inning on Sunday but did not record an out in the seventh giving him six innings with two earned runs. He struck out five batters while also issuing just one walk in what was the first quality start of his career.
MOVING ON UP
Hunter Elliott struck out five in his start against Tennessee last weekend to move further up the all-time strikeout list. Elliott will soon become just the third pitcher in program history to reach the 300-strikeout mark.
Ole Miss Career Strikeout List
1. Drew Pomeranz 344
2. Lance Lynn 332
3. Hunter Elliott 289
4. Jeff Calhoun 282
5. Mark Holliman 281
6. Doug Nikhazy 259
7. Scott Bittle 257
8. Brett Bukvich 245
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
After homering twice last weekend, Judd Utermark now sits at 44 career home runs which is four shy of the Ole Miss all-time record. He most recently passed Matt Smith and Matt Snyder to move into sole possession of third place.
Utermark is just the seventh Rebel to hit 40 home runs in their career.
Ole Miss Career Home Run List
1. Kyle Gordon 48
2. Tim Elko 46
3. Judd Utermark 44
4. Matt Smith & Matt Snyder 41
5. Brad Henderson & Jacob Gonzalez 40
6. Kevin Graham 38
7. Burney Hutchinson & Stephen Head 37
8. David Dellucci & Michael Rosamond 36
CAPTAIN CLUTCH
Brayden Randle has had six game-winning or game-tying hits this season that have set up Ole Miss for wins down the line. Three of them have come in conference games in the month of April.
It started on February 17 against Arkansas State with a walk-off sacrifice fly to beat the Red Wolves 7-6. His next came on February 22 against Missouri State when he hit a game-winning RBI single in the eighth inning as Ole Miss defeated the Bears 3-2. On March 4 against North Alabama, Randle broke a 4-4 tie in the sixth inning with an RBI single to set up an 8-5 win over the Lions.
Following Judd Utermark's game-tying home run on April 4 against Florida, Randle broke the 2-2 tie in the ninth inning with a sacrifice fly to give Ole Miss a lead they would not relinquish.
He had two more clutch hits in the sweep over LSU, tying the game on April 11 with a single in the fourth inning and driving in the game-winning run on April 12 with a single that completed the sweep.
WORLD BASEBALL REBS
Ole Miss had two representatives in the recently completed World Baseball Classic, Dylan DeLucia and Josh Mallitz.
DeLucia pitched for Team Italy, making two appearances including a start against Great Britain. Over two outings for the Italians, DeLucia worked 7.2 innings with eight strikeouts and a 2.35 ERA. In the quarterfinals against Puerto Rico, DeLucia worked four scoreless innings and earned a hold for his efforts.
Mallitz made two appearances for Team Israel allowing just two baserunners over two innings of work.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW
Brett Moseley and Tate Sirmans each launched a home run for their first collegiate hit Opening Weekend against Nevada. Moseley hit a pinch-hit, two-RBI home run in the eighth inning of game one and Sirmans hit a solo shot in the fourth inning of game two. It was also Sirmans' first career start.
Moseley and Sirmans join a decent sized list of Rebels who hit a home run for their first career hit. Will Furniss and Judd Utermark each hit a pinch-hit home run for their first hits in 2023 when they were freshmen. Austin Fawley also hit a home run for his first career hit as a redshirt freshman at Kentucky in 2024.
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.
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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/ BaseballHIGHLIGHTS: Baseball at Tennessee (4/18/2026)
Saturday, April 18
HIGHLIGHTS: Baseball at Tennessee (4/17/2026)
Friday, April 17
HIGHLIGHTS: Baseball vs. LSU (4/12/26)
Sunday, April 12
PRESSER | Dom Decker - LSU Game 3 Postgame (4/12/26)
Sunday, April 12