Ole Miss baseball secured a 3-2 win over Missouri State on Sunday at Swayze Field, completing a series sweep and extending its season record to 8-0. The game was marked by home runs from Dom Decker and Judd Utermark, with both plays contributing significantly to the Rebels’ victory.
Decker opened the scoring in the first inning with his first collegiate home run, a 369-foot shot. This continues a trend for Ole Miss, which has managed to score in the opening inning of all eight games this season. Missouri State responded with a home run of their own in the second inning and later added another run after a throwing error in the fifth.
Judd Utermark tied the game at two runs apiece with his third home run of the series and sixth of the season. His performance marks the highest number of home runs by an Ole Miss player through eight games since at least 2012.
Brayden Randle delivered what would be the winning hit in the bottom of the eighth inning, driving in Collin Reuter with an RBI single. This is Randle’s second game-winning at-bat within a week; he previously contributed a sacrifice fly against Arkansas State.
On the mound, sophomore Wil Libbert matched his career high with seven strikeouts for a second consecutive Sunday start. He allowed two earned runs but did not surrender any hits or walks during his outing. Reliever Walker Hooks followed Libbert and struck out four batters across two innings without allowing any runs or hits.
JP Robertson closed out the game for Ole Miss, recording three strikeouts over two innings to earn his first career win. Missouri State pitcher Brock Lucas was charged with the loss.
Collin Reuter had two doubles during Sunday’s matchup, marking his fourth multi-hit game this year and helping set up key scoring opportunities for Ole Miss late in the contest.
The Rebels will attempt to extend their undefeated start when they face Southeast Missouri State on February 24. The upcoming game will be available via streaming on SECN+.
For ongoing updates about Ole Miss baseball, fans can follow team accounts on social media platforms including X (@OleMissBSB), Facebook (Facebook.com/OleMissBaseball), Instagram (Instagram.com/officialolemissbsb), TikTok (@olemissbsb), as well as head coach Mike Bianco’s account on X (@CoachMikeBianco).
