The Magnolia State rivalry heats up once again as No. 24 Ole Miss travels to Starkville this weekend for a three-game SEC showdown against Mississippi State.
First pitch is set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, followed by 2 p.m. and 1 p.m. starts on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.
The Rebels enter the series looking for back-to-back wins over their in-state rival after a dramatic 10-inning walk-off in the 2025 Governor’s Cup last month.
Friday’s opener features a marquee lefty matchup as Hunter Elliott (6-3, 3.71 ERA) squares off with Mississippi State’s Pico Kohn (5-2, 3.90 ERA).
Elliott has been nearly untouchable lately, allowing just three earned runs over his last 11 innings while punching out 13.
He also leads the SEC with eight pickoffs this season.
Behind the plate, sophomore slugger Austin Fawley continues his campaign.
He knocked two more home runs last weekend, pushing his season total to 15.
Judd Utermark also made some noise earlier this year, homering in four straight games.
Fawley matched him a coupe weeks later.
Ole Miss has made a habit of starting early. The Rebels have outscore opponents 95-52 across the first two innings.
That fast start has translated to wins, 19-4 when scoring in the first and 25-3 when they score first overall.
State will have to keep a close eye on their pockets as Ole miss has had 63 steals already.
Luke Hill leads the charge with 16 swipes, while Mitchell Sanford (12) and Hayden Federico (11) aren’t far behind.
The young Federico is only one steal away from tying the school’s freshman record.
Consistency has been Luke Hill’s calling card. He’s reached base in 32 straight games — one of the longest streaks by a Rebel since 1997 — and carries a nine-game hit streak into the weekend.
Over that stretch, he’s batting .294 with seven walks and six runs scored, proving he can impact the game in multiple ways.
Mississippi State, currently 29-19 overall and 10-14 in the SEC, enters the series fresh off a sweep of Kentucky. The Bulldogs put up 26 runs in three games last weekend.
Last season’s series in Oxford was anything but calm and easy—an opening shutout, a 12-inning battle, and a Sunday run-rule left fans breathless.
Expect nothing less this time around.
Friday night’s contest will air live on SEC Network. Saturday and Sunday’s games stream on SEC Network+. Listen live to all three games on the Ole Miss Radio Network.
