No. 25 Ole Miss will put its six-game win streak on the line Friday night in Knoxville.
The Rebels open their weekend series against Tennessee at 5:30 p.m. in a matchup of two teams riding momentum, leaning on strong pitching and starting to find some rhythm at the plate.
No. 25 Ole Miss will put its six-game win streak on the line Friday night in Knoxville.
The Rebels open their weekend series against Tennessee at 5:30 p.m. in a matchup of two teams riding momentum, leaning on strong pitching and starting to find some rhythm at the plate.
Ole Miss comes in playing its best baseball of the season.
The Rebels have won eight of their last nine and are fresh off a midweek win over No. 22 Southern Miss, a game where Tristan Bissetta went 4-for-5 with two doubles, a homer and three runs scored.
The offense has been rolling since the LSU sweep, piling up 26 runs and 32 hits in that series, both the most by any SEC team in league play this year.
On the mound, Hunter Elliott sits fifth in the SEC with 68 strikeouts and owns a 13.21 K/9, the third‑best mark in the conference.
As a staff, Ole Miss has punched out 432 hitters, the second‑most in the SEC and fifth‑most nationally, while carrying a 3.70 ERA that ranks fourth in the league.
Here’s everything to know about the series opener between Ole Miss and Tennessee.
📍Knoxville, TN pic.twitter.com/icXeZODxWI
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) April 17, 2026
The Opponent: Tennessee
Tennessee rolls into the weekend playing its best baseball of the year. The Volunteers just swept No. 9 Mississippi State and followed it with an 11-1 run‑rule win over UNC Asheville.
They’re one of the cleanest defensive teams in the country, leading the SEC with a .984 fielding percentage. The pitching staff backs that up with the nation’s second‑best strikeout‑to‑walk ratio at 3.66 and only 2.91 walks per nine innings.
The rotation features Landon Mack and Tegan Kuhns on Friday and Saturday, with Evan Blanco on Sunday. All three sit below a 4.00 ERA. Mack leads the team with 64 strikeouts, Blanco has allowed the fewest hits, and Kuhns has issued only nine walks.
At the plate, Henry Ford drives the offense with 44 hits, 11 homers and 34 RBI. Blaine Brown adds nine home runs, and Manny Marin is the lone .300 hitter at .311. Power is spread throughout the lineup, with 15 different Volunteers hitting at least one home run this season.
Starting Pitchers
LHP Hunter Elliott vs. RHP Landon Mack
- Elliott: 3-1, 3.69 ERA, 1.38 WHIP, 46.1 IP, 37 H, 20 R, 19 ER, 27 BB, 68 SO, .219 Opp. BA
- Mack: 3-2, 3.75 ERA, 1.40 WHIP, 48 IP, 50 H, 22 R, 20 ER, 17 BB, 64 SO, .269 Opp. BA
SEC LEADERS IN CHASE % 🫡
🤝 @643charts pic.twitter.com/Q2LUvFulpB
— SEC on D1Baseball (@sec_d1baseball) April 16, 2026
Weather Forecast
There is some potential for rain this weekend, but Friday’s forecast is “mostly sunny, with a high near 87. Calm wind,” according to the National Weather Service.
How to Watch: No. 25 Ole Miss at Tennessee
- Who: No. 25 Ole Miss Rebels (27-11, 8-7 SEC) at Tennessee Volunteers (25-12, 7-8 SEC)
- When: 5:30 p.m., Friday
- Where: Lindsey Nelson Stadium, Knoxville, Tenn.
- TV: SECN+
- Radio: Live Radio
- Stats: Live Stats
- Series History: Ole Miss leads the all-time series 52-48-1
- Last Meeting: Tennessee 10, Ole Miss 8 (April 13, 2025)
- Last time out, Rebels: def. No. 22 Southern Miss, 10-3
- Last time out, Volunteers: def. UNC Asheville, 11-1 (8 innings)
Student-Athlete Availability Report
Ole Miss
Out
- P #17 Marko Sipila
- P #29 Grayson Gibson
Tennessee
- All available.
