Ole Miss softball finally gets back to SEC play this weekend, and the timing feels a little strange.
Nearly two weeks without a conference series in the middle of April is unusual, and it leaves you wondering what version of the Rebels we’ll see when they take the field again.
Rusty? Rested? Maybe a little of everything?
Either way, the opponent won’t make the transition easy. No. 13 Texas A&M rolls into Oxford for a three‑game set starting Friday night, and the Aggies look every bit like a team that expects to be playing deep into May.
Ole Miss enters the weekend at 26‑15 overall and 2‑10 in SEC play. Texas A&M sits at 27‑12 and 8‑4 in the league. First pitch is set for 6 p.m. Friday, followed by a 2 p.m. game Saturday and a 1 p.m. finale Sunday. All three stream on SECN+.
Isn't she lovely 😮💨 💍 #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/Jcw32wjShD
— Ole Miss Softball (@OleMissSoftball) April 9, 2026
Rebels’ Bats Stay Hot Despite the Break
If there’s one thing Ole Miss hopes didn’t cool off during the layover, it’s the middle of the order.
Cassie Reasner is coming off the best week of her career, a stretch that included two home runs and a program‑record seven RBI in a win at Memphis. She followed that with another homer at Central Arkansas and now has three straight multi‑hit games for the first time in her career.
Freshman Madi George continues to look like the breakout star of the season. She’s hitting .377 with 11 home runs, 34 RBI, and 21 walks. Those 11 homers already put her in the single‑season top ten at Ole Miss, and there’s still a month left to play.
Then there’s Persy Llamas, who has been the most consistent hitter on the roster. She’s batting .406 with 54 hits, seven doubles, and 30 RBI. Over her last four games, she’s 9‑for‑15. Over her last six, she’s hitting .524. She’s seeing the ball as well as anyone in the SEC right now.
The Rebels have 50 home runs on the season, averaging 1.22 per game. Last year’s team set the program record with 67. This group is ahead of that pace.
The question is whether the defense can match the offense. Ole Miss is 16‑3 when it plays clean and 10‑12 when it doesn’t. Against a lineup like Texas A&M’s, giving away outs is a quick way to fall behind.
Aggies Bring Power, Balance, and Momentum
Texas A&M’s offense is built around two big bats: junior Mya Perez and senior Oklahoma State transfer Micaela Wark. Perez is hitting .455 with 14 home runs and 42 RBI. Wark has 16 home runs and 53 RBI. That’s a lot of damage in the middle of the order.
But the Aggies aren’t just a two‑player show. Seniors Kennedy Powell (.423, 17 steals) and Tallen Edwards (.370, 28 RBI) give them a lineup that stays dangerous one through nine.
In the circle, junior Sidne Peters and sophomore Sydney Lessentine have been steady. Peters is 10‑4 with a 2.57 ERA and 90 strikeouts. Lessentine is 11‑3 with a 2.90 ERA. The numbers dip in SEC play, though, where the staff ERA jumps to 4.03 and the long ball becomes a problem. A&M has allowed 17 home runs in 12 conference games and 39 overall, the second‑highest total in the league.
That’s something Ole Miss can exploit if the bats stay hot.
The Aggies arrive with confidence after taking two of three from then‑No. 11 Georgia and stealing a game from then‑No. 1 Texas. The one thing they haven’t done much is win on the road. They’re 3‑4 in true road games this season.
