More than a month ago, Judd Utermark and Tristan Bissetta kicked off their race to hit more home runs than the other one.
“He wants to mess with the big dog, he’s about to find out,” Utermark said jokingly after him and Bissetta hit a pair of home runs against Jackson State.
Bissetta found out for about two weeks as Utermark stayed ahead of the Clemson transfer. At one point, he was third in the nation and moved within nine home runs of the all-time record for Ole Miss.
However, it’s been nine games since Utermark last hit a home run and in that same time span, Bissetta has hit eight.
shhhh our favorite show is on 🍿 pic.twitter.com/Ntq7f0bKsh
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 22, 2026
After hitting three home runs in a weekend series against then-No. 15 Kentucky, Bissetta now leads the Rebels with 14 long balls. That also ranks second in the SEC and fourth in the nation. Cincinnati’s Quinton Coats leads the nation with 18 and Georgia’s Daniel Jackson leads the SEC with 15.
“It’s all about competing. In this league, you’ve got to show up every day,” Bissetta said after hitting two home runs a series-opening win against Kentucky. “There are always little things with your swing, but the biggest thing is having a clear mind so you can compete. Hitting is hard enough as it is, so just being mentally clear helps you give your team the best chance to win.”
Daily routine. https://t.co/USpyELiMxc pic.twitter.com/itPHBDhTqE
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 21, 2026
Back to the Jackson State postgame presser, Utermark said he hoped Bissetta would keep swinging a hot bat because good things would happen.
“If he beats me by about 10 home runs (this season), boy, we’re going to be a really good team,” Utermark said.
The gap isn’t 10 home runs, but good things happened when Bissetta smashed a home run. The Rebels have lost just once when he hits a home run (Southern Miss).
As a team, the Rebels are still sitting high in the leaderboards. Their 46 homers ranks third in the SEC and tied for seventh most nationally.
Here’s where Ole Miss ranks in the major SEC batting categories, as well as its pitching ranks and standings in the conference.
Ole Miss Batting Stats (SEC Rank)
- BA: .275 (14)
- SLG%: .500 (7)
- On-Base %: .400 (12)
- Doubles: 38 (15)
- Home Runs: 46 (3)
- RBI: 175 (10)
- Walks: 143 (7)
- Strikeouts: 228 (1)
- Stolen Bases: 24 (11)
- Fielding %: .970 (11)
Ole Miss Pitching Stats (SEC Rank)
- ERA: 3.56 ERA (7)
- Strikeouts: 293 (2)
- HR Allowed: 18 (T7)
- Opp. BA: .227 (10)
- Total WP: 8 (4)
- HBP: 22 (T6)
SEC Standings
T1. Texas (4-2)
T1. Mississippi State (4-2)
T1. Auburn (4-2)
T1. Kentucky (4-2)
T1. Georgia (4-2)
T1. Oklahoma (4-2)
T7. Arkansas (3-3)
T7. Florida (3-3)
T7. Ole Miss (3-3)
T7. Alabama (3-3)
T7. Tennessee (3-3)
T12. Texas A&M (2-4)
T12. LSU (2-4)
T12. Vanderbilt (2-4)
T15. Missouri (1-5)
T15. South Carolina (1-5)
SEC RPI Rankings
1. Texas (20-3)
2. Auburn (19-4)
5. Ole Miss (19-6)
10. Mississippi State (20-4)
11. Alabama (18-7)
12. Florida (19-6)
14. Kentucky (19-4)
17. Texas A&M (18-5)
43. Georgia (20-5)
61. Arkansas (18-7)
93. South Carolina (13-12)
110. LSU (16-9)
118. Missouri (16-8)
177. Vanderbilt (13-12)
