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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, April 24
Auburn, Ala.
6 PM
Ole Miss
at
Auburn
Softball Set for Critical SEC Series at Auburn
4/23/2026 | Softball
AUBURN, Ala. – The Ole Miss softball program heads out on the road for the final time in the regular season, traveling to Auburn to open a three-game series.
The Rebels (28-21, 2-16 SEC) will matchup with the Tigers (24-22, 3-15 SEC) for a three-game series that has big implications for SEC Tournament seeding. Game one is set for Friday at 6 p.m. CT, while Saturday is set for 2 p.m. and Sunday's finale is set for 12 p.m. CT. The first two games will be streamed via SEC Network Plus, while the finale will be televised on the SEC Network.
LEADING OFF
RUNNING THE GAUNTLET
With just six games left in SEC play, the Rebels are closing in on postseason play, while continuing its daunting schedule. The Rebels own the third-most difficult schedule in nation, trailing only Arkansas and Texas.
Ole Miss has six remaining games, with three apiece against Auburn and Mississippi State. While the Rebels are guaranteed to play on day one of the SEC Tournament, the Rebels can occupy any of seeds 10-15 with two series against fellow competitors.
The Rebels have already played 18 games against the RPI Top-25 and 22 games against the Top-50, with several other teams sitting just outside the top-50. The Rebels will face the No. 19 RPI team (Mississippi State) and No. 29 (Auburn to end the regular season.
RED HOT REBS
The Rebel offense is surging heading into the final six games of the regular season. Ole Miss tallied eight home runs in the series against No. 13 Texas A&M, good for its largest home run total in an SEC series in program history and added seven at No. 15 LSU.
Additionally, freshman Madi George made history, becoming the first Rebel tally a multi-home run game in an SEC game since Paige Smith in 2021 and the first Rebel freshman to accomplish the same feat since Madi Osias in 2013. George did it a second time in the series at LSU.
Several Rebels are heating up, including Cassie Reasner, who is hitting .487 with six home runs and 15 RBI over the last 11 games. Kennedy Bunker is also swinging a hot bat, hitting .400 at LSU and hitting .324 with two home runs and eight RBI over her last 11 games. Laylonna Applin is also on a 10-game on-base streak, hitting .310 with two home runs over that span.
NO HARD KNOX
The Rebels made history on March 28, securing its first ever series win in Knoxville in taking two of three games from No. 4 Tennessee from Mar. 27 to Mar. 29.
The series was marked by tremendous pitching and defense from the Rebels. Emilee Boyer led the way with a complete game victory in game one, while Kyra Aycock outdueled Lady Vols All-American pitching Karlyn Pickens for another complete game victory in game two. On defense, the Rebels backed up their pitchers, generating four double plays alongside tremendous catches from Laylonna Applin and Emilee Boyer.
On offense, the Rebels were powered by home runs from Kennedy Bunker and Madi George, as well as .333 hitting from Persy Llamas and .286 hitting from Applin.
NATIONAL NODS
The Rebels have earned national recognition as the program gets into April, with three Rebels being tabbed to Softball America's March Position Power Rankings. Leading the charge is freshman Madi George, who was named as the No. 11 utility player in the nation according to Softball America. Persy Llamas was tabbed as the No. 12 first baseman, while Mackenzie Pickens was selected as the No. 14 second baseman in the country. Additionally, George was named as the No. 19 outfielder in the nation in the April Position Power Rankings.
FINDING THE FORMULA
The Rebels have found their success when the two middle of the order hitters, Persy Llamas and Madi George, are able to drive in runs. The Rebels are 15-6 when Llamas tallies an RBI and 13-15 when she does not, while the Rebels are 17-8 when George tallies an RBI and 10-14 when she does not.
Additionally, if only one of the two drive in a run, the Rebels are 24-11 in those games and 4-10 overall when neither tallies an RBI.
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.
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 .377 with eight home runs, seven doubles and 37 RBI through 49 games, headlined by a walk-off double in a win over Miami.
Llamas already has eyes on the all-time record books at Ole Miss, standing just three home runs away from entering the top-10 in program history. Additionally, her .992 fielding percentage at first base has already put her among the Rebels all-time best.
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 .394 with 20 home runs, 28 total extra-base hits, 50 RBI and 25 walks. George leads the Rebels in home runs, walks, RBI, slugging percentage and OBP.
George broke the all-time single season program home run record at Ole Miss last week at No. 15 LSU, originally held by Lexie Brady in 2025 (17). From there, George (125) broke the total bases record held by Aliyah Binford in 2025 (122) on Tuesday against Southern Miss. George also has her eyes set on other single season records at Ole Miss, standing in fifth on the RBI ranks and is just five away from matching Binford and Persy Llamas (55) in 2025.
George's work has begun to generate national attention. George was one of seven from the SEC to be tabbed to the NFCA's Top-25 Finalists for the National Freshman of the Year award. George is just the third Rebel to ever be named to the list, joining Miali Guachino in 2025 and Hailey Lunderman in 2016.
SCOUTING AUBURN
Year two under co-head coaches Chris and Kate Malveaux has seen tremendous highs and lows as the 24-22 Tigers enter a critical stretch of games in search of a possible NCAA Tournament berth.
The Tigers have yo-yoed between tremendous victories over ranked sides Florida, Clemson and Oregon, to lows of losing to North Florida, Troy and a sweep at the hands of Missouri SEC play. Much is contingent on the play of the rotation, who when are their best, can be lethal. Rutgers transfer Ella Harrison has delivered some signature performances, including in the shutout of Florida and stands at 11-11 with a 3.64 ERA (132.2 IP).
The Tigers have sought a reliable rotation for much of the season, with SJ Guerin as the key No. 2 arm of the group at 5-7 and a 4.38 ERA (70.1 IP). However, as a unit the Tigers have a 4.37 ERA, ranking last in the SEC. Arms like Abby Herndon and Charley Buter will be critical to carry Auburn into NCAA play.
Offensively, the Tigers have shined in a number of areas. The Tigers have two hitters, McKaela Walker and Ma'Nia Womack, who have each tallied 10 or more home runs. Junior and Lipscomb transfer Alyssa Hastings is having a breakout season, hitting .378 with five home runs and 22 RBI. Sophomore Kylie Shaw has also broken out since joining the team via Florida, surging to a .333 batting average.
Across the board, Auburn draws a number of walks with 194 on the season to rank fifth in the SEC. However, the 227 team strikeouts rank last in the SEC.
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 (28-21, 2-16 SEC) will matchup with the Tigers (24-22, 3-15 SEC) for a three-game series that has big implications for SEC Tournament seeding. Game one is set for Friday at 6 p.m. CT, while Saturday is set for 2 p.m. and Sunday's finale is set for 12 p.m. CT. The first two games will be streamed via SEC Network Plus, while the finale will be televised on the SEC Network.
LEADING OFF
- Ole Miss is set for the final SEC road series of the season, traveling for three games at Auburn.
- Junior Cassie Reasner is red hot and on the heels of a historic performance in which she tallied two home runs and an Ole Miss single game record seven RBI in a win at Memphis. Reasner is hitting .487 with six home runs and 15 RBI over her last 11 games.
- Freshman Madi George (20) set the single season Ole Miss home run record last week, passing Lexie Brady (17 - 2025). George now has 10 home runs in her last nine games and also set the total bases record (125) in the win over Southern Miss.
- The Rebels have hit 71 home runs in 2026, averaging 1.45 home runs per game and setting a new program-record, passing last season's mark (67). Ole Miss ranks 17th nationally in the figure.
- As a unit, the Rebels have hit at least one home run in 12 consecutive games dating back to March 29 at Tennessee. The Rebels most recently tallied back-to-back games with four home runs at LSU and vs. Southern Miss, marking its second-largest output in a game this season.
- Defense has become paramount for the Rebels, who are 17-7 when they don't make an error, versus 11-14 when making one or more errors.
RUNNING THE GAUNTLET
With just six games left in SEC play, the Rebels are closing in on postseason play, while continuing its daunting schedule. The Rebels own the third-most difficult schedule in nation, trailing only Arkansas and Texas.
Ole Miss has six remaining games, with three apiece against Auburn and Mississippi State. While the Rebels are guaranteed to play on day one of the SEC Tournament, the Rebels can occupy any of seeds 10-15 with two series against fellow competitors.
The Rebels have already played 18 games against the RPI Top-25 and 22 games against the Top-50, with several other teams sitting just outside the top-50. The Rebels will face the No. 19 RPI team (Mississippi State) and No. 29 (Auburn to end the regular season.
RED HOT REBS
The Rebel offense is surging heading into the final six games of the regular season. Ole Miss tallied eight home runs in the series against No. 13 Texas A&M, good for its largest home run total in an SEC series in program history and added seven at No. 15 LSU.
Additionally, freshman Madi George made history, becoming the first Rebel tally a multi-home run game in an SEC game since Paige Smith in 2021 and the first Rebel freshman to accomplish the same feat since Madi Osias in 2013. George did it a second time in the series at LSU.
Several Rebels are heating up, including Cassie Reasner, who is hitting .487 with six home runs and 15 RBI over the last 11 games. Kennedy Bunker is also swinging a hot bat, hitting .400 at LSU and hitting .324 with two home runs and eight RBI over her last 11 games. Laylonna Applin is also on a 10-game on-base streak, hitting .310 with two home runs over that span.
NO HARD KNOX
The Rebels made history on March 28, securing its first ever series win in Knoxville in taking two of three games from No. 4 Tennessee from Mar. 27 to Mar. 29.
The series was marked by tremendous pitching and defense from the Rebels. Emilee Boyer led the way with a complete game victory in game one, while Kyra Aycock outdueled Lady Vols All-American pitching Karlyn Pickens for another complete game victory in game two. On defense, the Rebels backed up their pitchers, generating four double plays alongside tremendous catches from Laylonna Applin and Emilee Boyer.
On offense, the Rebels were powered by home runs from Kennedy Bunker and Madi George, as well as .333 hitting from Persy Llamas and .286 hitting from Applin.
NATIONAL NODS
The Rebels have earned national recognition as the program gets into April, with three Rebels being tabbed to Softball America's March Position Power Rankings. Leading the charge is freshman Madi George, who was named as the No. 11 utility player in the nation according to Softball America. Persy Llamas was tabbed as the No. 12 first baseman, while Mackenzie Pickens was selected as the No. 14 second baseman in the country. Additionally, George was named as the No. 19 outfielder in the nation in the April Position Power Rankings.
FINDING THE FORMULA
The Rebels have found their success when the two middle of the order hitters, Persy Llamas and Madi George, are able to drive in runs. The Rebels are 15-6 when Llamas tallies an RBI and 13-15 when she does not, while the Rebels are 17-8 when George tallies an RBI and 10-14 when she does not.
Additionally, if only one of the two drive in a run, the Rebels are 24-11 in those games and 4-10 overall when neither tallies an RBI.
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.
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 .377 with eight home runs, seven doubles and 37 RBI through 49 games, headlined by a walk-off double in a win over Miami.
Llamas already has eyes on the all-time record books at Ole Miss, standing just three home runs away from entering the top-10 in program history. Additionally, her .992 fielding percentage at first base has already put her among the Rebels all-time best.
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 .394 with 20 home runs, 28 total extra-base hits, 50 RBI and 25 walks. George leads the Rebels in home runs, walks, RBI, slugging percentage and OBP.
George broke the all-time single season program home run record at Ole Miss last week at No. 15 LSU, originally held by Lexie Brady in 2025 (17). From there, George (125) broke the total bases record held by Aliyah Binford in 2025 (122) on Tuesday against Southern Miss. George also has her eyes set on other single season records at Ole Miss, standing in fifth on the RBI ranks and is just five away from matching Binford and Persy Llamas (55) in 2025.
George's work has begun to generate national attention. George was one of seven from the SEC to be tabbed to the NFCA's Top-25 Finalists for the National Freshman of the Year award. George is just the third Rebel to ever be named to the list, joining Miali Guachino in 2025 and Hailey Lunderman in 2016.
SCOUTING AUBURN
Year two under co-head coaches Chris and Kate Malveaux has seen tremendous highs and lows as the 24-22 Tigers enter a critical stretch of games in search of a possible NCAA Tournament berth.
The Tigers have yo-yoed between tremendous victories over ranked sides Florida, Clemson and Oregon, to lows of losing to North Florida, Troy and a sweep at the hands of Missouri SEC play. Much is contingent on the play of the rotation, who when are their best, can be lethal. Rutgers transfer Ella Harrison has delivered some signature performances, including in the shutout of Florida and stands at 11-11 with a 3.64 ERA (132.2 IP).
The Tigers have sought a reliable rotation for much of the season, with SJ Guerin as the key No. 2 arm of the group at 5-7 and a 4.38 ERA (70.1 IP). However, as a unit the Tigers have a 4.37 ERA, ranking last in the SEC. Arms like Abby Herndon and Charley Buter will be critical to carry Auburn into NCAA play.
Offensively, the Tigers have shined in a number of areas. The Tigers have two hitters, McKaela Walker and Ma'Nia Womack, who have each tallied 10 or more home runs. Junior and Lipscomb transfer Alyssa Hastings is having a breakout season, hitting .378 with five home runs and 22 RBI. Sophomore Kylie Shaw has also broken out since joining the team via Florida, surging to a .333 batting average.
Across the board, Auburn draws a number of walks with 194 on the season to rank fifth in the SEC. However, the 227 team strikeouts rank last in the SEC.
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
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