The energy in Oxford is set to surge this weekend as No. 23 Ole Miss welcomes No. 9 Vanderbilt to Swayze Field for a pivotal three-game series that will have major implications in the SEC standings. With first pitches scheduled for Friday at 6:30 p.m., Saturday at 5 p.m., and Sunday at 1:30 p.m., the matchup between two ranked teams arrives just as the Rebels are hitting their stride both offensively and on the mound.
Fresh off a dramatic 8–7 extra-innings win over Mississippi State in the annual Governor’s Cup, the Rebels are riding momentum into their showdown with the Commodores. Austin Fawley tied Tuesday’s game with a two-run homer in the ninth, and Will Furniss sealed the deal with a walk-off single in the 10th. That victory marked the Rebels’ 29th win of the season, already eclipsing their 2024 win total and marking their best performance since 2022.
This season, Ole Miss has established itself as one of the SEC’s most dangerous offenses. The team leads the conference in walks drawn with 257 and has slugged 80 home runs, placing them among the top ten nationally in home runs per game. Fawley has been a revelation lately, going deep in six of his last seven games, including a grand slam against South Carolina. Meanwhile, Luke Hill continues to provide consistent production, reaching base in 25 straight games while ranking among the league’s best in hits, walks, and runs scored.
On the mound, the Rebels are anchored by Hunter Elliott, Riley Maddox, and Mason Nichols, with Elliott recently earning a spot on the Golden Spikes Midseason Watch List. Elliott has struck out 53 batters in 43.2 innings and leads the SEC with seven pickoffs. Nichols, Sunday’s projected starter, is not only excelling on the mound but also in the classroom. The senior recently earned the NCAA’s Walter Byers Graduate Scholarship and was one of just 90 Ole Miss students to receive the prestigious Taylor Medal. Over his last nine starts, Nichols has logged 44 strikeouts in 40.2 innings and has been a stabilizing presence in the rotation.
Vanderbilt enters the weekend 30–11 overall and 11–7 in the SEC. Though the Commodores dropped a midweek contest to Middle Tennessee, they bring a strong pedigree under longtime head coach Tim Corbin. The last meeting between the two programs came in March 2023, when Vanderbilt swept Ole Miss in Nashville. The Rebels haven’t hosted the Commodores since 2021, and this weekend’s series provides a chance for redemption and statement-making.
The games will be broadcast across SEC platforms, with Friday and Sunday available on SEC Network+ and Saturday’s contest airing nationally on SEC Network. All three games will also be broadcast on the Ole Miss Radio Network.
Off the field, Oxford will be alive with activity as the Double Decker Arts Festival fills The Square with music, food, and art from Friday afternoon through Saturday night. Adding to the weekend’s impact, Saturday’s game at Swayze Field will serve as Ole Miss Baseball’s annual Stand Up To Cancer® game. Fans in attendance will participate in a Placard Moment™ between the third and fourth innings to honor those affected by cancer. Placards will be placed at each seat, with extras available at stadium entrances, and digital versions can be created at StandUpToCancer.org.
In addition to their power hitting, the Rebels have been aggressive on the basepaths, with 58 steals so far this year—their most since 2019. Hayden Federico is just one swipe away from tying the school’s freshman single-season record. Meanwhile, the team continues to flash leather and pitch efficiently, leading the SEC in pickoffs and ranking among the top 10 in strikeouts per nine innings and strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Among individual standouts, Isaac Humphrey was named SEC Player of the Week and NCBWA Dick Howser Trophy Player of the Week after a four-game stretch in which he hit .389 with four home runs and 13 RBI. His offensive explosion helped power a series sweep of Missouri, Ole Miss’ first SEC sweep since 2022.
The Rebels have shown a knack for fast starts, outscoring opponents 59–20 in the first inning and 91–41 over the first two. They’re an impressive 23–3 when scoring first and 18–4 when putting up a run in the opening frame. Their 29-run outburst against Alcorn State earlier this month set a new program record, breaking the previous mark that had stood since 1989.
This weekend offers Ole Miss an opportunity to continue its resurgence, strengthen its postseason resume, and deliver for a home crowd already fired up by a city-wide festival. With a red-hot offense, standout individual performances, and the SEC spotlight shining, the Rebels will look to take a major step forward as Vanderbilt rolls into town.
