OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss baseball is once again in the national spotlight.
The Rebels got the No. 10 national seed in Monday morning’s announcement of the NCAA Tournament field, will host the Oxford Regional at Swayze Field.
It is the 11th time as a regional host under Rebels coach Mike Bianco.
This year’s regional will also have No. 2 seed Georgia Tech, No. 3 seed Western Kentucky, and No. 4 seed Murray State.
The games kick off Friday with two opening-round games:
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3 p.m. (ESPN+): No. 2 Georgia Tech (40-17) vs. No. 3 Western Kentucky (46-12)
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7 p.m. (ESPN+): No. 1 Ole Miss (40-19) vs. No. 4 Murray State (39-13)
The double-elimination format ensures every game counts, with the winners advancing and the losers facing a tougher road through the bracket.
The regional runs through Monday with the winner moving on to the Super Regionals scheduled for June 6-9.
For ace pitcher Hunter Elliott, the opportunity to play postseason baseball in Oxford is especially meaningful.
“It would mean a lot,” Elliott said. “I’ve never played postseason baseball in Oxford. I’ve heard it’s truly special.
“It would be one of the best environments in college baseball next weekend. But, yeah, just me being from Mississippi, I grew up going to a ton of games, going to some really cool postseason games. It would mean the world for me to play in one.”
Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco, now in his 24th season, has built a program defined by consistency and resilience.
“You have to have some feel for the pulse of your team, but we have a system that goes beyond culture,” he said. “It’s not just emotion or a moral foundation. There is real structure to what we do.”
Bianco’s approach has paid dividends, most notably with the Rebels’ 2022 national championship — a run that saw Ole Miss win 10 of 11 postseason games and capture the program’s first title.
The lessons from that championship season continue to inform the team’s mindset as they prepare for another deep postseason run.
This year’s tournament highlights the strength of the SEC.
A record eight SEC teams, including Ole Miss, are hosting regionals—a testament to the conference’s depth and quality.
Vanderbilt is the No. 1 overall seed, with Texas, Arkansas, Auburn, and North Carolina rounding out the top five national seeds.
For Ole Miss, the path to Omaha begins at home but will require navigating a challenging field.
Georgia Tech brings a potent offense, Western Kentucky boasts an impressive 46-win season, and Murray State arrives with the confidence of a 39-13 record.
