Ole Miss hasn’t had the season it hoped for, but there’s still a chance to make the ending feel a whole lot better.
Beating Mississippi State always changes the temperature around Oxford, and doing it right after taking a road series at Auburn would give the Rebels something real to hang onto heading into the postseason.
That’s the setup this weekend as Ole Miss closes the regular season with a three‑game home series against No. 16 Mississippi State at the Ole Miss Softball Stadium.
The Rebels sit at 30-22 overall and 4-17 in SEC play, but they finally found some momentum last weekend. Winning two of three at Auburn was one of their best stretches of the year, and now they get their biggest rival in their own park.
The series starts Thursday at 6 p.m. and continues Friday at 6 p.m., both on SECN+. Saturday’s finale is at 2 p.m. on SEC Network and doubles as Senior Day.
In-state rivalry 😤
🆚 No. 16 Mississippi State
⏰ 6pm
📍 Oxford, MS
📺 SECN+
🎟️ https://t.co/4pt0sA2Wq2 pic.twitter.com/nuS5SoQBoD— Ole Miss Softball (@OleMissSoftball) April 30, 2026
If Ole Miss is going to make noise this weekend, it starts with the player who has carried the offense for a month.
Freshman Madi George has turned the last two weeks into her own highlight reel. She broke the single‑season home run record, now sitting at 21, and has hit 11 homers in her last 12 games. She enters the series as the reigning National Freshman of the Week across three major outlets.
The Rebels have followed her lead. They’ve hit 75 home runs this season, a new program record, and rank 20th nationally in homers per game.
When the defense holds up, the results follow. Ole Miss is 18-7 when it plays clean and 12-15 when it doesn’t. The Rebels have also turned 27 double plays, one shy of the program record.
Pitching and free passes have been another dividing line. Ole Miss is 19-4 when issuing two walks or fewer, compared to 11-18 otherwise.
With the second‑toughest schedule in the country, the margins have been thin all year, and they will be again this weekend.
The best model 🥰
Bring an animal shelter donation and get a free pet bandana! #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/J6QIN3FQkB
— Ole Miss Softball (@OleMissSoftball) April 29, 2026
The Opponent: Mississippi State
Mississippi State comes in at 36-15 and 8-13 in SEC play, and the Bulldogs are fighting to stay in the mix to host a regional.
They’ve dropped seven of their last 10, but the strength of their team is obvious.
The Bulldogs lean heavily on its pitching staff, especially transfers Peja Goold and Alyssa Faircloth. Both have thrown more than 130 innings. Goold is 15-10 with a 2.15 ERA and 159 strikeouts, while Faircloth is 11-5 with a 2.56 ERA and 210 strikeouts. Another transfer, Leila Ammon, has been lights out in a smaller role at 8-0 with a 1.70 ERA.
Offensively, the Bulldogs have been streaky. They’re hitting .285 overall but just .223 in SEC play. Seniors Kiara Sells and Nadia Barbary carry most of the load, combining for 25 home runs and 65 RBI. When Mississippi State scores, it usually wins, but the offense has averaged only 2.81 runs per SEC game.
The Bulldogs’ formula is simple. In all but one SEC win, they’ve held opponents to three runs or fewer. If Ole Miss can push past that number, the Rebels will give themselves a real shot.
With three games left, Ole Miss is locked into playing on day one of the SEC Tournament and can land anywhere from the 12 to 14 seed.
But this weekend is about more than seeding.
It’s about finishing strong, honoring the seniors and taking a series from Mississippi State to salvage something meaningful from a tough season.
A rivalry weekend at home is a good place to try.
