“When you start the game, they don’t say ‘Work Ball!’ They say, ‘Play ball!” – Willie Stargell
It’s Friday in mid-February in Mississippi, and the temperatures are in the 60’s for the season opener of Ole Miss baseball. Holy hell in a handbasket, get a cold American lager in my hand and let’s go to Swayze Field to forget about the winter weather and doldrums of basketball season.
The Rebels are looking to bounce back from a disappointing postseason in 2025 where it hosted its first regional since 2021
only to fail to advance to the Super Regional round. The team that knocked Ole Miss out was Murray State led by Dom Decker who up and transferred to Oxford after last season. Decker posted a .351 batting average with 48 RBI’s for the Racers and adds some experience to the infield immediately.
Offensively, the Rebels have Judd Utermark and Austin Fawley coming back after both players hit more than 20 home runs last season. Throw in the likes of Will Furniss, Hayden Federico, Brayden Randle and Collin Reuter and the returning experience is built to stack another 40+ win season.
Joining Federico in the outfield is Tristan Bissetta and Daniel Pacella, which our X handle has already deemed as the “Spaghetti Outfield”, because you can’t tell me if you walked in an Olive Garden and ordered the Bissetta, Pacella and Federico feast you wouldn’t be treated like family. Bissetta is a senior transfer from Clemson where he compiled a .266 batting average in his career while Pacella transferred in from Illinois St. standing 6’4”, started more than 100 games at ISU and mashed 48 homers in his college career.
PROJECTED PITCHING MATCHUPS
Friday: LHP Hunter Elliott vs. RHP Dominic Desch
Saturday: RHP Cade Townsend vs. LHP Alessandro Castro
Sunday: LHP Wil Libbert vs. RHP Jordan Giacomini
The greatest news to Ole Miss fans is the return for another season of Hunter Elliott on the mound to start on Friday nights. He led the team in almost every major pitching stat category including 102 strikeouts, 10 wins and a 2.94 ERA last season. In 2022, he started the National Championship title clinching game against Oklahoma as a freshman and cemented his legacy forever with the program. If you remember or not, Elliott missed both the 2023 and 2024 seasons due to an elbow injury that needed surgery to repair. The NCAA in its ultimate wisdom has granted Elliott this season and next season to continue playing if he chooses.
Nevada will counter with Dominic Desch on the mound. A senior righty with a Great Value Tom Selleck lookin’ ass mustache Desch went 6-1 last season with a 4.15 ERA, but his career longest outing came against Cal when he went 3.1 IP with seven strikeouts. Ole Miss needs to chase him early, get to the bullpen and put some pressure on this pitching staff for Saturday and Sunday to try and start this season 3-0.
All three games will be streamed live on SEC Network+ with first pitch set for Friday at 4 p.m. CT, Saturday at 1:30 p.m. CT, and Sunday at 1:30 p.m. CT. There is some rain in the forecast for Saturday currently, so we’ll keep you updated on any changes.
