The Ole Miss softball team will host Jacksonville State and ULM this weekend for the annual Ole Miss Classic at the Ole Miss Softball Stadium in Oxford. The tournament will run from February 27 to March 1, with each team scheduled to play four games. All games featuring Ole Miss will be available via SEC Network Plus.
Ole Miss enters the event with a 12-5 record, while Jacksonville State holds a 12-5 mark and ULM is at 13-5. This classic continues a nine-game home stretch for the Rebels as they prepare for the upcoming SEC season, which opens against Alabama from March 6-8.
Freshman Madi George has made an early impact for Ole Miss, leading the team with a .438 batting average, five home runs, and 18 RBIs over her first 17 collegiate games. Sophomore Persy Llamas has also contributed significantly, batting .426 with three home runs and sharing the team-high of 18 RBIs.
On February 22, Mackenzie Pickens matched a program single-game RBI record by driving in six runs during a win over Mercer. That victory also marked Ole Miss’s largest margin since their 15-0 win over Hawaii in 2024. Head coach Jamie Trachsel became the program’s all-time winningest coach earlier this month with her 188th win.
Senior pitcher Kyra Aycock has been key in the rotation, ranking second in complete games among SEC pitchers and eighth nationally in wins so far this season.
As SEC play approaches, this period is seen as critical preparation for Ole Miss. The Rebels are set to face top-10 teams including Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma, and Tennessee in their opening conference series after completing their current non-conference schedule.
Persy Llamas continues to anchor the offense after an impressive freshman year where she hit .354 with ten home runs and tied a new single-season RBI record at Ole Miss. Her postseason performances last year included key hits against ranked opponents Florida and Arizona. As recognition of her achievements, Llamas was named to both the All-SEC Preseason Team and received honors from Softball America as one of the nation’s top players at first base.
Madi George has established herself as another standout newcomer for Ole Miss. She leads several offensive categories for her team early into her college career and occupies multiple positions defensively.
Pitcher Lilly Whitten made history on February 13 by throwing only the sixth solo no-hitter in program history during an 8-0 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi. She currently holds a perfect record of three wins without losses and maintains an earned run average of just above two.
Mackenzie Pickens builds on last year’s breakout performance; she started this season hitting .385 with four home runs and repeated significant contributions both offensively and defensively during tournament play last year.
Jacksonville State comes into Oxford following a runner-up finish in last year’s CUSA championship game under head coach Julie Boland. The Gamecocks have strong hitters such as Kailey Martin (.385 average) along with Morgan Nowakowski (.451) and Emma Elrod (.421). Pitcher Jaliyah Holmes leads their staff but overall pitching remains an area of concern given their current ERA.
ULM arrives riding a six-game winning streak under head coach Molly Fichtner’s leadership. Their roster features several speedy players adept at stealing bases; Hollie Thomas stands out offensively along with Meagan Brown and Maryssa Zenzen as reliable contributors. The Warhawks’ pitching rotation has combined for three shutouts during their recent winning stretch.
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