Four years ago, a popular phrase took root as Ole Miss went on a national championship run. “Don’t let the Rebs get hot.”
The Rebels caught fire in 2022 and surprised the college baseball world going from last team in the tournament to being the last team standing in Omaha. It may already be too late to keep the Rebels from getting hot again.
Ole Miss didn’t have any drama getting into the NCAA Tournament this time, but it got hot in the Lincoln NCAA Regional going 3-0 and then stayed hot against Auburn, sweeping the Tigers in two games.
If the fire is still burning inside the Rebels, their fans may be celebrating more than just winning Rocco’s Jello shot contest. We’re close to finding out the answer to that.
First pitch between Ole Miss and North Carolina in a first-round College World Series game is a couple hours away. Here’s everything to know about the game.
CWS Threads 🧵 pic.twitter.com/lTplGnYLAD
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 12, 2026
The Opponent: North Carolina
North Carolina arrives in Omaha looking exactly like a national seed should. The Tar Heels are 50-12, the No. 5 overall seed, and winners of 22 ACC games. They dropped only one series all season, and that came back in early March. Since then, they’ve played like a group built for this stage, sweeping their regional and surviving a tense super regional capped by a walk-off after USC misplayed a foul ball. This is UNC’s 13th trip to the College World Series and their ninth since 2006, so nothing about the moment is new to them.
Offensively, the Tar Heels lean on two hitters who almost never miss. Owen Hull enters Omaha hitting .390 with a 1.094 OPS, and Jake Schaffner isn’t far behind at .358 and 1.038. Power is spread throughout the lineup, with four players in double-digit home runs and Cooper Nicholson leading the way with 16. It’s not a top-heavy order. It’s nine hitters who make you work.
On the mound, UNC has a true ace in Jason DeCaro, a junior right-hander with a 2.28 ERA who just threw a complete game with the season on the line. Ryan Lynch gives them a steady No. 2 option, and the bullpen is anchored by two big-time arms: freshman Caden Glauber, who holds opponents to a .184 average, and Walker McDuffie, who has 82 strikeouts in 65.1 innings. If UNC has a lead late, those are the names Ole Miss will see. It’s a deep, balanced, experienced team — exactly the kind you expect to run into in Omaha.
Projected Starting Pitchers
RHP Taylor Rabe vs. RHP Jason DeCaro
- Rabe: 5-3, 3.71 ERA, 1.02 WHIP, 70.1 IP, 61 H, 29 R, 29 ER, 11 BB, 98 SO, .229 Opp. BA
- DeCaro: 11-2, 2.28 ERA, 1.28 WHIP, 87 IP, 73 H, 28 R, 22 ER, 38 BB, 84 SO, .233 Opp. BA
Weather Forecast
It’s game day and Mother Nature isn’t going to get in anyone’s way Friday.
The National Weather Service forecast for Friday is for it to be “Sunny, with a high near 86. Light and variable wind becoming south southwest 5 to 8 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 16 mph.”
There is still inclement weather in Saturday’s forecast with “A 50 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms, mainly after 7am. Partly sunny, with a high near 81. Light and variable wind becoming north 6 to 11 mph in the afternoon. Winds could gust as high as 20 mph. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.”
How to Watch: Ole Miss vs. North Carolina, College World Series
- Who: Ole Miss Rebels (41-21) vs. North Carolina Tar Heels (50-12-1)
- When: 6 p.m., Friday
- Where: Charles Schwab Field Omaha, Nebraska
- TV: ESPN
- Radio: Live Radio
- Stats: Live Stats
- Series History: Ole Miss leads the all-time series 4-0
- Last Meeting: Ole Miss 5, North Carolina 2 (May 31, 1969)
- Last time out, Rebels: won Auburn Super Regional vs. Auburn (6-4, 5-3)
- Last time out, Tar Heels: won Chapel Hill Super Regional vs. USC (5-9, 4-0, 4-3)
Odds, Spread, Totals
Odds via FanDuel Sportsbook
Spread
- Ole Miss: +1.5 (-178)
- North Carolina: -1.5 (+138)
Moneyline
- Ole Miss: +122
- North Carolina: -156
Total
- Over: 7.5 (-125)
- Under: 7.5 (-102)
