Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco against Nevada
Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco against Nevada. | Dylan Cohron-HottyToddy.com Images

How to Watch No. 6 Mississippi State vs No. 18 Ole Miss: Time, TV, Pitching Matchup

BY Taylor Hodges

Rivalry weekend is here!

Mississippi State comes to Oxford playing clean, steady baseball and winning a lot because of it. The Bulldogs have taken five straight, including a sweep of Vanderbilt and a 12-0 win over No. 11 Southern Miss, and they’ve done it with balance more than star power.

The lineup produces up and down, led by Bryce Chance’s .452 average, while the pitching staff has been just as reliable behind a strong weekend rotation. Even with a key arm out, this is a group that doesn’t beat itself and doesn’t leave many openings.

Here’s everything to know about Friday night’s series-opener.

The Opponent: Mississippi State

Mississippi State rolls into the weekend on a five-game winning streak, and the résumé looks pretty healthy. There’s the sweep of Vanderbilt, the 12-0 handling of No. 11 Southern Miss, and a lineup and pitching staff that both feel settled. The numbers back that up. The Bulldogs sit top 10 nationally in a dozen categories, including batting average at third, strikeouts per nine at fifth, runs at sixth and hits at seventh.

It’s not a one-star operation at the plate. It’s more of a steady, across-the-board thing. Bryce Chance has been the most reliable bat with a .452 average, and he’s doing it without selling out for power. Ace Reese and Noah Sullivan bring most of the thump with 13 home runs between them, and Reese leads the team with 12 doubles. Reese and Reed Stallman have been the main run producers with 34 and 29 RBI. Even on the bases, it’s a group effort. Eight regulars have at least one steal, and Chance leads with seven.

The rotation has been just as consistent. Up until this weekend, the Bulldogs have run out Ryan McPherson on Fridays, Tomas Valincius on Saturdays and Duke Stone on Sundays. That trio is a combined 12-0 and has allowed only 25 earned runs across 94 innings, but the Bulldogs won’t have McPherson. Valincius has been the tone-setter with a 1.04 ERA and 47 strikeouts, which puts him third in the SEC.

Weather Forecast

It’s not a big chance, but there is a chance of rainfall during Friday night’s series-opening game at Swayze Field. According to the National Weather Service, there’s “a 20 percent chance of showers between 8pm and 9pm. Cloudy during the early evening, then gradual clearing, with a low around 40. North northeast wind around 15 mph, with gusts as high as 30 mph.”

Student-Athlete Availability Report

Mississippi State

Out
  • P #28 Ryan McPherson

Ole Miss

Questionable
  • P #10 Cade Townsend
  • P #17 Marko Sipila
  • P #29 Grayson Gibson

How to Watch: No. 6 Mississippi State at No. 18 Ole Miss

  • Who: No. 6 Mississippi State Bulldogs (21-4, 4-2 SEC) at No. 18 Ole Miss Rebels (19-7, 3-3 SEC)
  • When: 6:30 p.m., Friday
  • Where: Swayze Field, Oxford, Miss.
  • TV: SECN+
  • Radio: Live Radio
  • Stats: Live Stats
  • Series History: Mississippi State leads the all-time series 268-213-5
  • Last Meeting: Mississippi State 6, Ole Miss 5 (May 10, 2026)
  • Last time out, Bulldogs: def. No. 11 Southern Miss, 12-0
  • Last time out, Rebels: lost to Memphis, 6-2

Pitching Matchup

LHP Charlie Foster (0-0, 5.11 ERA, 2.03 WHIP, .265 Opp. BA) vs. LHP Hunter Elliot (3-0, 3.48 ERA, 1.32 WHIP, .194 Opp. BA)

Ole Miss Batting Lineup

  1. TBA

Mississippi State Batting Lineup

  1. TBA

Ole Miss Notable Relief Pitchers

  • Wil Libbert: 2-2, 6.41 ERA, 1.54 WHIP, 26.2 IP, 29 H, 20 R, 19 ER, 12 BB, 32 SO, 4 2B, 4 HR, .287 Opp. BA, 3 HBP, 1 BK
  • Landon Waters: 0-1, 0.00 ERA, 1.18 WHIP, 9 app., 1 SV, 9.1 IP, 6 H, 1 R, 5 BB, 15 SO, 1 2B, .188 Opp. BA, 2 WP
  • JP Robertson: 2-1, 2.93 ERA, 1.24 WHIP, 9 app. 15.1 IP, 13 H, 7 R, 5 ER, 6 BB, 22 SO, 3 2B, .232 Opp.BA, 1 HBP
  • Landon Koenig: 1-0, 4.35 ERA, 1.74 WHIP, 8 app., 2 SV, 10.1 IP, 16 H, 5 R, 5 ER, 2 BB, 17 SO, 3 2B, 1 HR, .348 Opp. BA
  • Taylor Rabe: 3-0, 2.00 ERA, 0.78 WHIP, 6 app., 2 SV, 18 IP, 12 H, 4 R, 4 ER, 2 BB, 24 SO, 1 2B, 1 HR, .188 Opp. BA, 2 WP, 2 HBP
  • Grayson Gibson: 1-1, 2.25 ERA, 0.75 WHIP, 6 app. 12 IP, 5 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 11 SO, 2 2B, .132 Opp. BA, 4 HBP

Mississippi State Notable Relief Pitchers

  • Dane Burns: 1-0, 0.00 ERA, .71 WHIP, 10 app., 5.2 IP, 4 BB, 7 SO, .000 Opp. BA, 1 WP, 1 HBP
  • Maddox Webb: 0-0, 1.93 ERA, 1.39 WHIP, 10 app., 1 SV, 9.1 IP, 9 H, 2 R, 2 ER, 4 BB, 13 SO, .250 Opp. BA, 1 HBP
  • Jack Gleason: 2-0, 1.93 ERA, .93 WHIP, 11 app. 14 IP, 9 H, 3 R, 3 ER, 4 BB, 25 SO, 2 2B, 2 HR, .180 Opp. BA, 4 HBP, 1 BK
  • Ben Davis: 0-1, 4.91 ERA, .82 WHIP, 7 app., 3 SV, 14.2 IP, 10 H, 8 R, 8 ER, 2 BB, 18 SO, 3 2B, 1 3B, 1 HR, .189 Opp. BA, 5 HBP
  • Brendan Sweeney: 0-0, 4.85 ERA, 1.15 WHIP, 8 app., 1 SV, 13 IP, 11 H, 8 R, 7 ER, 4 BB, 15 SO, 4 2B, 2 HR, .229 Opp. BA

Ole Miss Batting Leaders

  • Tristan Bissetta: .384/.859/.450, 1.309 OPS, 27 R, 38 H, 5 2B, 14 HR, 38 RBI, 12 BB, 32 SO, 2 SB
  • Collin Reuter: .329/.553/.434, .987 OPS, 14 R, 28 H, 10 2 B, 3 HR, 22 RBI, 13 BB, 5 HBP, 26 SO, 2 SB
  • Judd Utermark: .312/.688/.454, 1.142 OPS, 32 R, 29 H, 5 2B, 10 HR, 26 RBI, 20 BB, 5 HBP, 30 SO, 6 SB

Mississippi State Batting Leaders

  • Bryce Chance: .452/.589/.544, 1.133 OPS, 25 R, 33 H, 10 2B, 18 RBI, 11 BB, 5 HBP, 3 SO, 7 SB
  • Noah Sullivan: .386/.714/.526, 1.240 OPS, 23 R, 27 H, 5 2B, 6 HR, 25 RBI, 18 BB, 5 HBP, 15 SO, 6 SB
  • Reed Stallman: .375/.656,.463, 1.119 OPS, 12 R, 24 H, 6 2B, 4 HR, 29 RBI, 10 BB, 3 HBP, 15 SO, 3 SB
  • Aidan Teel: .359/.531/.494, 1.025 OPS, 24 R, 23 H, 2 2B, 3 HR, 17 RBI, 14 BB, 4 HBP, 15 SO, 5 SB
  • Ace Reese: .344/.688/.434, 1.122 OPS, 30 R, 33 H, 12 2B, 7 HR, 34 RBI, 15 BB, 1 HBP, 24 SO, 1 SB

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