When looking for reasons why Ole Miss could win this College World Series, its bullpen full of elite, shutdown-caliber arms was near the top of the list.
Against North Carolina on Friday, it became the reason Ole Miss is headed to the loser’s bracket after a 6-2 loss.
Taylor Rabe gave Ole Miss exactly what it needed: one run allowed over 5.2 innings against a national seed. But the moment the Rebels turned to the bullpen, the game shifted on them.
HYPE. HIM. UP. 😤
📺 ESPN#MCWS x @OleMissBSB pic.twitter.com/Vm2D1t5aRf
— NCAA Baseball (@NCAABaseball) June 13, 2026
Hudson Calhoun got a strikeout to end the sixth, then opened the seventh with a full-count walk. A wild pitch moved that runner up, another walk followed, and Mike Bianco didn’t wait around. Calhoun was gone after 17 pitches.
It was the opposite of what Ole Miss needed after pushing the go-ahead run into scoring position in the top half of the inning.
In another universe, this story is about Dom Decker ripping another double and Judd Utermark driving in the winning run. It would’ve been fitting — Decker is one of only two players who’ll be back next season, and last year his biggest moment in Omaha was breaking up Gage Wood’s perfect game.
Rebs on the board first! pic.twitter.com/CtCErBJwjc
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 12, 2026
Instead, we’re left wondering what went wrong with a bullpen that was supposed to be an elite-level strength.
Saves leader Walker Hooks entered in a near-impossible spot. Two runners on base. No outs. That’s not an ideal situation for any pitcher to walk into.
A sacrifice bunt moved both Tar Heel runners into scoring position, a sac fly tied the game, and a single gave UNC a 3-2 lead. That was enough, especially with freshman Caden Glauber on the mound — North Carolina is now 25-0 when he pitches. The three runs the Tar Heels scored off Hooks in the eighth were just insurance.
Maybe if Hooks doesn’t give up a home run to a team with the second-fewest homers in Omaha, Ole Miss rallies. Or maybe the game plays out the same way.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗰𝗵 😤@GallaherGavin gives us our first lead! pic.twitter.com/m5gzZeueRO
— Carolina Baseball (@DiamondHeels) June 13, 2026
There’ll be a question asked about whether or not Rabe stayed in too long. His only run allowed came on a leadoff homer in the sixth, and he was already near 100 pitches.
And the Rebels’ bats missed chances of their own. They went 2-for-8 with runners in scoring position and 4-for-13 with two outs. They outhit UNC 8-5 and struck out only twice more, but the Tar Heels had four two-out RBIs and doubled Ole Miss’ walk total.
So, no, like any sport there’s no one reason why Ole Miss lost Friday. The bullpen faltered and the offense’s bats didn’t have the same timeliness they had in the Auburn Super Regional. However, one of those things is something Ole Miss fans are used to seeing. The other is not.
That’s why the Rebels’ bullpen is getting a spotlight on it. Because we haven’t seen it slip up like it did Friday.
They’ll get a chance at redemption, though. The loss sends Ole Miss to the loser’s bracket where it’ll face Troy at 1 p.m. Sunday. If you thought Bianco had a short leash Friday, the leashes Sunday will be a lot shorter.
Ole Miss, at the time of this writing, hasn’t announced a starting pitcher yet. (This writer bets it’ll be Hunter Elliott.) Both Calhoun and Hooks should be available to pitch Sunday.
And, no, what happened against North Carolina shouldn’t deter Bianco or pitching coach Joel Mangrum from sending them back out. They’ve shown the ability to dominate in high-pressure situations, and one game doesn’t mean they’re not elite.
One game, though, does mean the road just got a lot harder for Ole Miss to win its second national championship.
