OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss is on the brink of a remarkable turnaround in the 2025 NCAA Tournament.
They have clawed their way out of the loser’s bracket to force a decisive Oxford Regional championship game against Murray State.
The Rebels had to hang on for a 19-8 slugfest win over the Racers at Swayze Field on Sunday night to set up the final game Monday at 5 p.m. for a berth in a Super Regional next weekend.
Ole Miss (43-20) entered the Oxford Regional as a host and favorite, but the tournament’s opening night saw Murray State hand the Rebels a stinging defeat, sending them to the loser’s bracket.
“Teams have made [it] to the Super Regional round out of the loser’s bracket before and the Rebels would have to be the next one to do so,” Rebels coach Mike Bianco said later.
From that moment, Ole Miss played like they were the last animal trying to get on Noah’s Ark.
“Proud they played so well today,” Bianco said after Sunday’s doubleheader sweep. “Proud they played the 18 innings.
“What I mean by that is it didn’t seem like we had lulls. Didn’t seem like we were sleeping through innings on both sides of the ball. We were really good.”
Ole Miss’s offense has ranked in the Top 10 nationally in home runs, slugging percentage, and wRC+ all season.
The team’s ability to change games with one swing was on full display in the regional.
Against Georgia Tech, a clutch RBI single by Will Furniss in the seventh inning secured an 11-9 victory, ending the storied career of Yellow Jackets coach Danny Hall and sending Ole Miss to a rematch with Murray State.
“Our offense always seems to come back,” Furniss said. “When you have as much firepower as our offense does. I believe we actually have the school record of single-season home runs.
“It’s one swing of the bat. It can change in an instant. We never really feel like we’re too far out of a game.”
That belief was justified in Sunday’s nightcap, as the Rebels battered Murray State 19-8, collecting 18 hits and launching five home runs.
The fourth inning featured back-to-back-to-back first-pitch home runs from Furniss, Judd Utermark, and Isaac Humphrey—an exclamation point on a record-setting season.
Mitchell Sanford’s leadoff homer earlier in the regional tied the school record for most home runs in a season, and the Rebels quickly surpassed that mark, finishing the day with 109 home runs on the year.
Utermark and Sanford have been key contributors, each boasting slugging percentages over .540 and providing crucial power in the heart of the lineup.
While the Rebels’ bats have drawn headlines, their pitching has been equally crucial.
Ole Miss ranks 10th nationally in strikeout rate, led by ace Hunter Elliott, who has racked up 94 strikeouts in 78.2 innings.
Elliott’s ability to miss bats and pitch deep into games has helped stabilize the staff, even as the bullpen has been tested by the double-elimination format.
The Rebels’ pitching staff has shown both dominance and vulnerability, with a walk rate that ranks 74th nationally.
However, when locked in, the staff’s strikeout ability and depth have allowed them to navigate high-pressure situations and keep the team in games.
The Oxford Regional has been one of the most competitive in the tournament, featuring high-powered offenses and resilient pitching staffs.
The Rebels are one win away from advancing to the Super Regional, with their season — and championship hopes — on the line.
As Bianco put it, the job is not finished.
But after surviving the loser’s bracket and setting a new standard for power hitting, Ole Miss has shown it has the talent and toughness to keep its postseason dreams alive.
