The University of Mississippi Athletics
Tuesday, April 7
Oxford, Miss.
7:30 PM
Ole Miss
vs
Samford
Softball Welcomes Samford for Tuesday Night Clash
4/6/2026 | Softball
OXFORD, Miss. – Fresh off a non-conference sweep last week, the Rebels return home to welcome Samford to open a five-game homestand on Tuesday night.
The Rebels (25-15, 2-10 SEC) host the Bulldogs (17-23, 7-2 SoCon) at 7:30 p.m. CT, with the game set to be televised on the SEC Network. It's the Rebels first game in six days following the team's SEC bye week.
LEADING OFF
RUNNING THE GAUNTLET
The Rebels head into game three of a stretch of three, key non-conference midweeks before returning to its grueling SEC schedule next week with three games against nationally ranked Texas A&M. The Rebels own the most difficult schedule in nation, retaking the top spot over the weekend.
Ole Miss has three non-conference midweeks remaining as SEC play gets into full gear, with each game generating added importance in the face of at least three more series against top-25 teams in SEC play.
The Rebels have already filled the schedule with road opportunities, going 13-5 outside of Oxford in non-conference play. The Rebels have nine games remaining against the current RPI top-25, with Texas A&M, LSU and Mississippi State highlighting the group.
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 14-3 when Llamas tallies an RBI and 11-12 when she does not, while the Rebels are 14-5 when George tallies an RBI and 10-11 when she does not.
Additionally, if only one of the two drive in a run, the Rebels are 21-6 in those games and 4-9 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 .408 with five home runs and 30 RBI through 40 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 .991 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 .369 with 10 home runs, 16 total extra-base hits, 31 RBI and 21 walks. George leads the Rebels in home runs, walks, RBI, slugging percentage and OBP. George is now just one home run away from entering the single season top-10 at Ole Miss.
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 .383 with five home runs and 38 RBI through her first 40 collegiate games last season.
SCOUTING SAMFORD
Head coach Megan Curry has eyes on a Southern Conference title, leading her 17-23 Samford Bulldogs into Oxford with a 7-2 record in SoCon play, just one game off the top behind UNC Greensboro.
The Bulldogs challenged themselves in the non-conference slate, facing Florida State, Mississippi State (twice), Alabama, Georgia and Oregon (twice), with a return trip from Alabama still to come in April. That experience has paid off for Samford, winning its first three SoCon series, including over defending champion Mercer.
Junior Katie Campbell continues to get better and is in the middle of a breakout season, hitting .328 with 13 home runs, 34 RBI and seven doubles. She's joined by fellow junior Oliva Shaw, who leads the team with a .361 batting average, 13 doubles, six home runs and 36 RBI. Junior Brandy Phillips has also tacked on eight home runs to support the offense.
Pitching has been a harder group thus far, only holding a combined 4.78 ERA as a unit. The aforementioned Phillips has been the leader in the circle, going 4-5 with a 3.93 ERA (62.1 IP). Six pitchers have made nine or more appearances this season, including Olivia Treece (1-4, 6.05 ERA) and Sara Bond (4-2, 4.56 ERA), who each appeared in the last meeting between the Rebels and Bulldogs in 2025.
As winners of eight of the last 10 games, the Bulldogs come into Oxford with momentum, looking to remain sharp. Samford is slated to face SoCon leaders UNC Greensboro in the final weekend of the regular season in what could decide the regular season crown.
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 (25-15, 2-10 SEC) host the Bulldogs (17-23, 7-2 SoCon) at 7:30 p.m. CT, with the game set to be televised on the SEC Network. It's the Rebels first game in six days following the team's SEC bye week.
LEADING OFF
- Ole Miss returns after five road games, welcoming Samford for a midweek clash.
- 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 followed it up with another home run the next day at Central Arkansas.
- Freshman Madi George has been the breakout star of the season thus far, hitting .369 with a team-high 10 home runs and 21 walks, while adding 31 RBI through the first 40 games of her career.
- Sophomore Persy Llamas remains hot as well, hitting .408 through 40 games with five home runs and 30 RBI. Llamas leads the team with 53 hits and seven doubles.
- Llamas is now 8-for-12 (.667) over the last three games, and .556 (10-for-18) over her last five games.
- The Rebels have hit 48 home runs in 2026, averaging 1.20 home runs per game. The Rebels set a program record last season with 67 home runs in 63 games (1.06 per game).
- Defense has become paramount for the Rebels, who are 16-3 when they don't make an error, versus 9-12 when making one or more errors.
RUNNING THE GAUNTLET
The Rebels head into game three of a stretch of three, key non-conference midweeks before returning to its grueling SEC schedule next week with three games against nationally ranked Texas A&M. The Rebels own the most difficult schedule in nation, retaking the top spot over the weekend.
Ole Miss has three non-conference midweeks remaining as SEC play gets into full gear, with each game generating added importance in the face of at least three more series against top-25 teams in SEC play.
The Rebels have already filled the schedule with road opportunities, going 13-5 outside of Oxford in non-conference play. The Rebels have nine games remaining against the current RPI top-25, with Texas A&M, LSU and Mississippi State highlighting the group.
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 14-3 when Llamas tallies an RBI and 11-12 when she does not, while the Rebels are 14-5 when George tallies an RBI and 10-11 when she does not.
Additionally, if only one of the two drive in a run, the Rebels are 21-6 in those games and 4-9 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 .408 with five home runs and 30 RBI through 40 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 .991 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 .369 with 10 home runs, 16 total extra-base hits, 31 RBI and 21 walks. George leads the Rebels in home runs, walks, RBI, slugging percentage and OBP. George is now just one home run away from entering the single season top-10 at Ole Miss.
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 .383 with five home runs and 38 RBI through her first 40 collegiate games last season.
SCOUTING SAMFORD
Head coach Megan Curry has eyes on a Southern Conference title, leading her 17-23 Samford Bulldogs into Oxford with a 7-2 record in SoCon play, just one game off the top behind UNC Greensboro.
The Bulldogs challenged themselves in the non-conference slate, facing Florida State, Mississippi State (twice), Alabama, Georgia and Oregon (twice), with a return trip from Alabama still to come in April. That experience has paid off for Samford, winning its first three SoCon series, including over defending champion Mercer.
Junior Katie Campbell continues to get better and is in the middle of a breakout season, hitting .328 with 13 home runs, 34 RBI and seven doubles. She's joined by fellow junior Oliva Shaw, who leads the team with a .361 batting average, 13 doubles, six home runs and 36 RBI. Junior Brandy Phillips has also tacked on eight home runs to support the offense.
Pitching has been a harder group thus far, only holding a combined 4.78 ERA as a unit. The aforementioned Phillips has been the leader in the circle, going 4-5 with a 3.93 ERA (62.1 IP). Six pitchers have made nine or more appearances this season, including Olivia Treece (1-4, 6.05 ERA) and Sara Bond (4-2, 4.56 ERA), who each appeared in the last meeting between the Rebels and Bulldogs in 2025.
As winners of eight of the last 10 games, the Bulldogs come into Oxford with momentum, looking to remain sharp. Samford is slated to face SoCon leaders UNC Greensboro in the final weekend of the regular season in what could decide the regular season crown.
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
INF
/ Softball
RHP
/ Softball
RHP/INF
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RHP/UT
/ Softball
C
/ Softball
INF
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LHP/UT
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INF
/ Softball
INF
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