After a day off, Ole Miss and Evansville are set to conclude their three-game weekend series Sunday afternoon.
The Rebels swept Friday’s double-header, 7-2 and 14-2, against the Purple Aces and will look to secure the sweep with Sunday’s game set to start at 1:30 p.m.
Games like this won’t make or break a team’s season, but no team wants to go into the Rebels’ upcoming week on a sour note. They face No. 10 Southern Miss on Tuesday and begin SEC play on the road against No. 3 Texas.
So, yes, Sunday’s game does matter.
Weather Forecast
Most of the Magnolia State spent the better part of Saturday under dark, rainy skies Saturday, but Sunday brings a much different weather forecast.
From the National Weather Service, skies will be “cloudy, then gradually becoming mostly sunny, with a high near 71. North wind around 5 mph.” That should make things fairly comfortable for both teams and fans.
How to Watch: Evansville at Ole Miss
- Who: Evansville Purple Aces (3-10) at Ole Miss Rebels (14-2)
- When: 1:30 p.m., Sunday
- Where: Swayze Field, Oxford, Miss.
- TV: SECN+
- Radio: Live Radio
- Stats: Live Stats
- Series History: Ole Miss leads the all-time series 7-2
- Last Meeting: Ole Miss 14, Evansville 2 (Friday)
- Last time out, Rebels: def. North Alabama, 8-5
- Last time out, Purple Aces: lost to SE Missouri, 13-4
Pitching Matchup
LHP Wil Libbert (1-1, 4.91 ERA) vs. LHP Kevin Reed (2-1, 5.68 ERA)
Ole Miss Batting Order
TBA
The Opponent: Evansville
Evansville is only two years removed from its 2024 run, when the Purple Aces won the MVC Tournament and made their first NCAA Regional Championship appearance after taking the Greenville (N.C.) Regional. That stretch earned head coach Wes Carroll the ABCA/ATEC Midwest Regional Coach of the Year award.
Since then, things have leveled out a bit. The Aces went 17-37 last season, including a 10-17 mark in conference play, and they’ve opened this year at 3-8. They dropped their first five games before edging No. 18 Kentucky 1-0 to avoid a sweep, and they’re coming off a series win over Milwaukee. Even with the slow start, they haven’t been swept yet.
Offensively, Evansville is still trying to find its footing. No one on the roster is hitting above .300. Spike Magil leads the team at .286, though he’s only played in nine games. Utility man Wyatt Pennington has been the most reliable everyday bat at .244, and outfielder Reid Haire leads the team with two home runs.
On the mound, the Aces have settled into a weekend rotation of left‑handers Kenton Deverman on Friday and Kevin Reed on Sunday, with right‑hander Max Hansmann in between. Hansmann has been their best arm so far, posting a 2.12 ERA with a team‑high 19 strikeouts. As a group, the trio is 3-3, with Deverman struggling early at 0-2 and an 11.12 ERA. In the bullpen, Owen Byberg has been a bright spot, allowing just two earned runs in four outings with a 1.32 ERA and holding opponents to a .208 average.
