Ole Miss outfielder Tristan Bissetta reacts to hitting a home run against No. 15 Kentucky at Swayze Field. | Ole Miss Athletics
Ole Miss outfielder Tristan Bissetta reacts to hitting a home run against No. 15 Kentucky at Swayze Field. | Ole Miss Athletics

Ole Miss Duo Earns SEC Honors After Tennessee Series Win

BY Taylor Hodges

Ole Miss didn’t need the SEC office to confirm what anyone watching this weeked already knew, but the league went ahead and did it anyway.

Tristan Bissetta and Cade Townsend were named SEC Co-Player and Co-Pitcher of the Week on Monday.

Their performances weren’t just impressive on paper. They were the backbone of a week that included a win over Southern Miss and a road series victory at Tennessee.

If you’re looking for the clearest example of how Ole Miss won that series, start with Bissetta.

He homered in every game the Rebels played last week and hit .500 with four home runs, three doubles, 10 RBI, and seven runs scored.

The numbers jump off the page, but the moments mattered even more. His 424-foot grand slam on Saturday didn’t just pad a stat line. It helped clinch the series.

This isn’t a one week blip either. Over his last eight games, Bissetta is hitting .438 with five home runs and four doubles. He’s on a five-game home run streak and looks like a hitter who’s fully settled into being the centerpiece of the lineup.

Townsend’s award tells a similar story.

Ole Miss doesn’t leave Knoxville with a series win without his start on Saturday. The sophomore carried a no hit bid into the sixth inning and finished with six shutout frames, allowing only four baserunners and striking out seven.

It was his third straight quality start and another sign that he’s becoming the steady arm this rotation needed.

Across his last three outings, Townsend has posted a 1.50 ERA with 21 strikeouts and only three earned runs in 18 innings.

Opponents are hitting .172 against him during that stretch. That’s not accidental. That’s a pitcher finding a rhythm at the exact moment Ole Miss needed stability.

So yes, the awards are nice. They’re also accurate. More than anything, they reinforce the obvious. Ole Miss won a road series at Tennessee because its two most reliable players played like it.

Bissetta powered the offense. Townsend anchored the pitching staff. The SEC just made official what the weekend already proved.

HOTTYTODDY.COM HEADLINES