Ole Miss has taken the long way into the final day of the regular season, but Saturday still gives the Rebels everything they came to Tuscaloosa chasing.
After letting the opener slip away, they punched back with a 9-0 shutout on Friday night to even the series and keep their postseason goals in play.
Now it comes down to one more game against No. 18 Alabama, with hosting hopes and SEC Tournament positioning still hanging in the balance.
The Rebels have shown both sides of themselves this weekend, and the finale sets up as the tiebreaker. With Cade Townsend on the mound and a chance to head into Hoover with real momentum, Ole Miss gets one last shot to finish the regular season on its terms.
Here’s everything to know about the game.
Game One Recap
Ole Miss evened the series in emphatic fashion Friday night, rolling past Alabama 9-0 behind a dominant two‑hit shutout from Taylor Rabe and JP Robertson.
Rabe was nearly untouchable through six innings, striking out 13 and allowing just one hit, and Robertson closed the final three frames to finish off the Rebels’ fourth SEC shutout of the season.
Ole Miss evened the series in emphatic fashion Friday night, blanking Alabama 9-0 behind a dominant two‑hit shutout from Taylor Rabe and JP Robertson. Rabe struck out 13 over six innings and allowed just one hit, and Robertson finished the final three frames with one hit and three strikeouts to lock down the Rebels’ sixth SEC shutout of the season.
Will Furniss drove in five runs, including a three‑run homer in a four‑run fifth inning that broke the game open. Owen Paino added a solo shot, and Austin Fawley launched a two‑run homer in the eighth as Ole Miss piled up 11 hits.
Starting Pitchers
RHP Cade Townsend vs. RHP Myles Upchurch
- Townsend: 5-2, 3.25 ERA, 1.01 WHIP, 55.1 IP, 42 H, 24 R, 20 ER, 14 BB, 77 SO, .202 Opp. BA
- Upchurch: 7-3, 3.43 ERA, 1.34 WHIP, 57.2 IP, 41 H, 23 R, 22 ER, 36 BB, 62 SO, .197 Opp. BA
Weather Forecast
Ole Miss and Alabama can expect more of the same weather from its first two games for the regular season finale. The National Weather Service forecast is “Partly sunny, with a high near 85. Calm wind becoming south around 5 mph in the afternoon.”
How to Watch: No. 15 Ole Miss at No. 18 Alabama
- Who: No. 15 Ole Miss Rebels (36-19, 15-14 SEC) at No. 18 Alabama Crimson Tide (36-18, 17-12 SEC)
- When: 2 p.m., Saturday
- Where: Sewell-Thomas Stadium, Tuscaloosa, Ala.
- TV: SECN+
- Radio: Live Radio
- Stats: Live Stats
- Series History: Alabama leads the all-time series 219-157-2
- Last Meeting: Ole Miss 9, Alabama 0 (Friday)
- Last time out, Rebels: def. UT Martin, 17-6 (7 innings)
- Last time out, Crimson Tide: def. South Carolina, 7-6
The Opponent: Alabama
The Crimson Tide have stacked three straight 30‑win seasons under Rob Vaughn, including a 41‑18 finish and an NCAA Tournament trip last spring.
This year’s group has been steady again. Alabama enters the final weekend of the regular season at 35‑17 and sits fourth in the SEC with a 16‑11 league record. The formula has been pretty simple: pitch it well and defend at a high level. The Tide have turned 40 double plays, second‑most in the SEC, and their 4.08 ERA ranks inside the top 20 nationally.
The projected rotation is Tyler Fay, Zane Adams and Myles Upchurch, and all three carry ERAs under 4.50. Upchurch has been the most consistent with a 3.43 mark. Fay, the Thursday starter, leads the team with an 8‑3 record and 88 strikeouts, and he threw a complete‑game shutout against Florida in March.
Offensively, Alabama doesn’t lean on one star as much as a lineup full of steady hitters. Brady Neal leads the team with a .341 average. Justin Lebron has a team‑best 13 home runs after earning second‑team All‑America honors last season. Bryce Fowler is the other .300‑plus bat at .310, and he leads the Tide with 15 doubles.
Student-Athlete Availability Report
Ole Miss
Out
- P #17 Marko Sipila
- P #29 Grayson Gibson
Alabama
Out
- IF/OF #5 Sam Christiansen
- OF #15 Coleman Mizell
