That loud warning alarm is warning the newly ranked Ole Miss baseball team of a trap game.
Ahead of its first true tests of the season against Baylor, Ohio State and No. 16 Coastal Carolina this weekend, No. 25 Ole Miss will host Southeast Missouri State on Tuesday.
Trap games aren’t as common in baseball as they are in other sports where teams play just one game instead of a series. But with college baseball having midweek games, trap games are much more prevalent.
That’s what SEMO presents to the Rebels, an opponent capable of ruining that newly gained top 25 ranking and the good vibes surrounding the program headed into a big weekend.
Here’s everything to know about Tuesday’s game.
The Opponent: SE Missouri State
SEMO comes in looking like a team still trying to find its footing after a 30‑25 campaign a year ago, one that ended earlier than expected with a first‑round exit in the OVC Tournament.
The league’s coaches still like the Redhawks’ upside. They were picked second in the preseason poll and even grabbed a few first‑place votes. A lot of that confidence comes from what they return on the mound.
The All‑OVC duo of Jackson Kranawetter and Nathan Mertens anchors the staff again, though it’s been Mason Pennington setting the early tone. Pennington has been SEMO’s most reliable arm through two starts, logging nine innings with a win and nine strikeouts. Kranawetter has been sharp in limited work as well, yet to allow an earned run across his first two outings.
Offensively, the Redhawks are still sorting out who will carry the load. Carson Schrack is the top returning bat from last season, but it’s been Joe Hall doing most of the early lifting. Hall has started all eight games and is off to a .414 start, already in double digits in hits alongside Caleb Klein. The rest of the lineup is still trying to find consistency.
SEMO enters Tuesday at 3‑5, though the record comes with a notable bright spot: an 11‑3 rout of Saint Louis last week where the Redhawks piled up 17 hits and seven extra‑base knocks. That version of SEMO is the one they’re hoping shows up more often as the season settles in.
Weather Report
The forecast for Tuesday afternoon calls for what’s nearly ideal weather conditions. According to the National Weather Service, it’ll be “mostly sunny, with a high near 56. South southwest wind around 10 mph.”
How to Watch: SE Missouri State at No. 25 Ole Miss
- Who: SE Missouri State Redhawks (3-5) at No. 25 Ole Miss Rebels (8-0)
- When: 4 p.m., Tuesday
- Where: Swayze Field, Oxford, Miss.
- TV: SECN+
- Radio: Live Radio
- Stats: Live Stats
- Series History: Ole Miss leads the all-time series 17-3
- Last Meeting: SE Missouri 13, Ole Miss 3
- Last time out, Rebels: Ole Miss 3, Missouri State 2
- Last time out, Redhawks: Western Kentucky 11, SE Missouri 8
Pitching Matchup
- RHP Caden Kickhaefer (0-0, 9.82 ERA) vs. RHP Terry Hayes Jr. (0-0, 3.00 ERA)
Ole Miss Batting Lineup
- 2B Dom Decker
- 3B Judd Utermark
- 1B Will Furniss
- LF Tristan Bissetta
- C Colin Reuter
- RF Cannon Goldin
- DH Topher Jones
- SS Brayden Randle
- CF Hayden Federico
Lineup vs. SEMO pic.twitter.com/Qgu3ILeKOV
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 24, 2026
