Things aren’t going so great for No. 18 Ole Miss this weekend.
The Rebels came into Oxford hoping to steady themselves, but No. 6 Mississippi State has already taken the series with a one-run win Friday and a comfortable, pitching-driven win Saturday. Now Ole Miss has to worry about getting swept by its biggest rival, which is about as tough a spot as a ranked team can find itself in.
“We need a win tomorrow,” Ole Miss second baseman Dom Decker said after Saturday’s 6-1 loss. “This one hurts, and it’s going to sting for a bit. But we’ve got to come out ready to go because the next one is just as important. You’ve got to move on and be ready for the next opportunity.”
Sunday at least has one thing going for the Rebels and that’s the return of sophomore Cade Townsend to the mound for the first time in two weeks. Before leaving his start against then-No. 2 Texas after only one inning, Townsend was pitching like an ace pitcher. If he regains a similar form, the Rebels’ chances of avoiding a sweep will go up significantly.
Here’s everything to know about Sunday’s series finale at Swayze Field.
Weather Forecast
Game two of the series didn’t see nearly a strong wind as there was in Friday’s series opener and the Rebels still hit fewer home runs on Saturday.
On Sunday, the wind might actually be more helpful to both sides. From the National Weather Service, Sunday in Oxford will be “sunny, with a high near 76. South wind around 10 mph.”
Student-Athlete Availability Report
Mississippi State
Out
- P #28 Ryan McPherson
Ole Miss
Game Time Decision
- 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 (22-4, 5-2 SEC) at No. 18 Ole Miss Rebels (19-8, 3-4 SEC)
- When: 3 p.m., Sunday
- Where: Swayze Field, Oxford, Miss.
- TV: SECN+
- Radio: Live Radio
- Stats: Live Stats
- Series History: Mississippi State leads the all-time series 269-213-5
- Last Meeting: Mississippi State 6, Ole Miss 1 (Saturday)
- Last time out, Bulldogs: def. No. 11 Southern Miss, 12-0
- Last time out, Rebels: lost to Memphis, 6-2
Stand With Us 🗣️
At today's game, fill out our Stand Up To Cancer signs at the marketing table and join us at the conclusion of the 3rd inning to show our determination in the fight against cancer. pic.twitter.com/TwaA4PCsql
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) March 29, 2026
Pitching Matchup
RHP Duke Stone (4-0, 4.10 ERA, 0.99 WHIP) vs. RHP Cade Townsend (2-0, 0.92 ERA, 0.97 WHIP)
Ole Miss Batting Lineup
- TBA
Mississippi State Batting Lineup
- TBA
