Ole Miss Baseball will host Missouri State this weekend at Swayze Field for a three-game series. The Rebels enter the matchup with a 5-0 record, having swept Nevada during Opening Weekend and recorded wins against Arkansas State and Jackson State.
The pitching staff has been effective early in the season, allowing just four earned runs against Nevada and collecting 35 strikeouts, their highest total for an opening weekend three-game series since 2023. Relievers Taylor Rabe and Hudson Calhoun both delivered long relief outings without giving up an earned run.
Freshmen Brett Moseley and Tate Sirmans made notable debuts by hitting home runs as their first career hits. Senior transfer Tristan Bissetta has started strong, batting .529 with three home runs and 12 RBI in five games. Bissetta also matched a rare feat by hitting two home runs in one inning, becoming the first Rebel to do so since Nick Fortes in 2017.
Judd Utermark leads the SEC in runs scored with 11 over five games. The team has hit at least one home run in each of its first five games for the first time since 2022, totaling ten homers so far. Ole Miss is also perfect on stolen bases, going eight-for-eight to start the season.
Missouri State arrives with a 3-1 record under head coach Joey Hawkins, who led the Bears to a conference title game appearance last year before moving to Conference USA (CUSA). Key hitters include Caden Bogenpohl and Gabe Roessler, both averaging above .330 at the plate through four games. Taeg Follert leads the team with seven RBI. Two-way player Max Knight has contributed both offensively and on the mound.
Michael Yusypchuk is expected to start Friday’s game for Missouri State after pitching six scoreless innings in his season debut against Louisiana.
The projected pitching matchups are: Hunter Elliott (Ole Miss) vs. Michael Yusypchuk (Missouri State) on Friday; Cade Townsend (Ole Miss) vs. TBA on Saturday; Wil Libbert (Ole Miss) vs. TBA on Sunday.
All three games will be streamed live on SEC Network+ with Jake Hromada and Matt McLaughlin providing commentary. Radio broadcasts are available via the Ole Miss Radio Network with David Kellum and Brad Henderson calling the action.
Several Ole Miss players have received preseason recognition from D1Baseball’s annual rankings, including Hunter Elliott ranked No. 5 among starting pitchers, Austin Fawley as No. 8 catcher, Judd Utermark as No. 10 third baseman, Dom Decker as No. 26 second baseman, Will Furniss as No. 30 first baseman, Daniel Pacella among outfielders at No. 59, Landon Koenig at No. 51 among relief pitchers, and Owen Kelly at No. 78 among relievers.
Hunter Elliott was named to multiple preseason All-America teams and included on watch lists such as the Golden Spikes Award Watch List and Preseason All-SEC Team voted by league coaches.
This season’s roster features significant changes for Ole Miss after losing 21 letterwinners from last year’s squad; they added ten transfers and nine freshmen ahead of this campaign.
Last year’s Rebels set a program record with 124 home runs in a single season—fifth nationally—and were among only four programs nationwide to feature two players who hit more than twenty homers each: Judd Utermark finished with twenty-two while Austin Fawley joined him past that mark for the first time ever by two teammates at Ole Miss.
Pitching improvements were also noted last year under new coach Joel Mangrum: Ole Miss finished sixth nationally in total strikeouts with an increase of over one hundred compared to their previous season.
Fans can stay updated via official social media channels or join Rebel Rewards through the Ole Miss Sports mobile app for exclusive prizes tied to event attendance.
