Ranked Baseball Teams Clash: No. 18 Faces No. 6 Mississippi State This Weekend

Oxford will host a marquee SEC series this weekend as No. 18 Ole Miss welcomes No. 6 Mississippi State to Swayze Field. The matchup marks the first time both teams enter ranked since 2021. First pitch on Friday is at 6:30 p.m., Saturday at 1:30 p.m., and Sunday at 3:00 p.m.

Series overview

Ranked baseball teams clash this weekend in a storied SEC rivalry. Ole Miss enters at 19-7 overall and 3-3 in conference play. Mississippi State is 21-4 and 4-2 in the SEC.

Broadcast and coverage

Friday and Saturday will stream on SEC Network+. Jake Hromada will provide play-by-play. Keith Kessinger will serve as analyst for those broadcasts.

Sunday’s game airs on SEC Network with Richard Cross and Todd Walker on the call. All Ole Miss games are available on the Ole Miss Radio Network.

Ole Miss notes

The Rebels lost a midweek game at Memphis, 6-2, collecting four hits. Ole Miss began the season 16-0 at home, the best home start in program history.

Tristan Bissetta has been a major power source. He has multiple multi-homer games and reached 13 home runs in just 23 games.

Judd Utermark and Bissetta have combined for more than half of the team’s home runs. Dom Decker ranks among SEC leaders in walks.

Pitching and defense

Ole Miss has recorded two shutouts this season, over Ohio State and Kentucky. Taylor Rabe closed out both games.

The pitching staff has amassed 298 strikeouts, second-most in the SEC and fourth nationally. Hunter Elliott leads weekend plans as Friday’s projected starter.

Mississippi State preview

Brian O’Connor is in his first season at Mississippi State after 22 years at Virginia. The Bulldogs have started 21-4 and climbed into the top 10 nationally.

Mississippi State operates as a balanced lineup rather than a single standout. Bryce Chance leads the team with a .452 batting average.

Bulldogs pitching

Tomas Valincius anchors Saturday with a 5-0 record and a 1.04 ERA. He also leads the team with 47 strikeouts and ranks among SEC leaders.

Mississippi State’s weekend rotation has featured right-handers who combined for a perfect 12-0 mark entering this slate. The staff has limited opponents to few earned runs.

Projected pitching matchups

• Game 1 — LHP Hunter Elliott (3-0, 3.48 ERA) vs. LHP Charlie Foster (0-0, 5.11 ERA)
• Game 2 — TBA vs. LHP Tomas Valincius (5-0, 1.04 ERA)
• Game 3 — TBA vs. RHP Duke Stone (4-0, 4.10 ERA)

Player milestones and context

Hunter Elliott recently moved into fifth on Ole Miss’ career strikeout list. He sits at 260 career punchouts and continues to climb.

Judd Utermark now has 39 career home runs and is closing in on the program’s all-time leaders. Several Rebels hit their first collegiate home runs earlier in the season.

International experience

Two Ole Miss players pitched in the World Baseball Classic. Dylan DeLucia worked 7.2 innings with eight strikeouts for Team Italy. Josh Mallitz threw two scoreless innings for Team Israel.

Key storylines

This weekend will test Ole Miss’ depth against a disciplined Mississippi State club. The Bulldogs rank among the nation’s best in several offensive and pitching categories.

Expect small-ball and power to mix. No. 18 Ole Miss needs timely offense at home against No. 6 Mississippi State’s consistent staff.

Follow the series

Filmogaz.com will provide game coverage and updates throughout the weekend. Fans can stream on SEC Network+ and SEC Network, or listen on the Ole Miss Radio Network.