Any concerns about Ole Miss overworking its pitching staff at the SEC Tournament are no longer valid. The same goes for whether the Rebels have done enough to host an NCAA Regional.
Missouri, the No. 16 seed in the SEC Tournament, defeated No. 17 Ole Miss 10-8 in Tuesday morning’s opening game.
What stands out most isn’t just the loss, but how Ole Miss lost.
The Rebels sent six different pitchers to the mound, and all but one were charged with giving up runs. Pitching has been the strength of Ole Miss for most of the season, but it faltered in a game the Rebels should have won.
Here’s how Ole Miss performed at the plate and on the mound.
At the Plate
Ole Miss didn’t have its best starters available Tuesday morning, but Missouri did and Josh McDevitt pitched like he was the Tigers’ best pitcher.
McDevitt kept the Rebels mostly at bay. Dom Decker started the game with a solo home run and Austin Fawley in the second.
And we're rollin' ‼️ @DominicDecker12 pic.twitter.com/SmRZ4xwSPF
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 19, 2026
The Rebels had its best inning against McDevitt in the fifth inning, after Missouri had taken a 7-2 lead. Most impressively, all four runs were scored with two outs recorded. Tristan Bissetta drove in one on double to left, centerfield. Hayden Federico pushed two runners across home plate with an outfield single.
Owen Paino nearly had a game-tying home run, but came up just short and turned into an automatic double.
That cut the Tigers’ lead to just one run.
After Missouri sneaked a solo home run over the left field wall to extend its lead to two runs, Federico tied the game with a two-run blast to left field. That gave the Rebels’ centerfielder four RBIs in the early Tuesday game.
On the Mound
The Rebels were facing a potentially long week in Hoover, needing to win five games in six days. To have any chance of doing that, they needed a quality start, at minimum, from starter Wil Libbert.
Ole Miss didn’t get it.
Libbert pitched four innings against Missouri and was charged with two runs on four hits, three walks and three strikeouts. His line might not have looked as damaging if the relievers behind him had shut down the Tigers, but they didn’t.
KNOTTED 🪢 @haydenfederico3 pic.twitter.com/bJ8tfKkjoR
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 19, 2026
JP Robertson recorded just one out and allowed three walks, one hit and four earned runs. Landon Waters was able to end the fifth inning, but not before giving up a grand slam that put Missouri ahead 7-2.
Landon Koenig settled things down for Ole Miss on the mound. He got the Rebels out of the sixth inning without any more damage, then did the same in the seventh. But a single through the right side of the infield ended his day and gave the Tigers the lead again.
Missouri added another run on a single to right field off Walker Hooks, a First Team All-SEC reliever, to build a 10-8 lead.
Pitching Decisions
- WP: Skidmore (3-0), 2.2 IP, BB, 5 K, 1 HP
- LP: Landon Koenig (3-1), 2 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 3 K
Ole Miss Batting Leaders
- Dom Decker: 2-5, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 1 HR, 1 K
- Tristan Bissetta: 1-4, 1 R, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 2 K, 1 HBP
- Hayden Federico: 2-5, 1 R, 4 RBI, 1 HR, 1 K
- Owen Paino: 1-3, 1 RBI, 1 2B, 2 K
