Friday night was a historic one for No. 20 Ole Miss.
Starting pitcher Hunter Elliott etched his name into the Rebels’ record books and Ole Miss got a big series-opening win, moving one step closer to securing a NCAA Regional host assignment. Saturday may not bring any major historical achievements – that’ll depend on what Judd Utermark, who is one away from the all-time home run record, does – but one or two wins would be massively important for the Rebels.
But Saturday won’t be easy. The Aggies are sending their best starting pitcher to the mound against the Rebels’ starter that’s garnering first round MLB Draft buzz. And after that, they’ll do it again with Sunday’s game already moved up a day to avoid a rainy Sunday.
Here’s everything to know before Saturday’s double-header at Swayze Field.
Game One Recap
Ole Miss opened its series against Texas A&M with a 5-3 win Friday night, riding a dominant outing from Hunter Elliott and just enough timely hitting to stay in front. Elliott struck out 11 over six innings and allowed only one earned run, reaching the 300‑strikeout milestone in the process. He became just the third Rebel to hit that mark, joining Drew Pomeranz and Lance Lynn. Hudson Calhoun and Walker Hooks handled the final three innings, with Hooks earning his sixth save.
The Rebels scored in three of the first four innings, then answered Texas A&M’s two‑run fifth with a pair of insurance runs in the seventh. Will Furniss drove in two, including an RBI double in that seventh inning, while Dom Decker, Austin Fawley and Judd Utermark each finished with two hits. Ole Miss overcame three defensive errors by keeping the Aggies from capitalizing, stranding the tying run in the ninth on a sharp lineout to first.
Starting Pitchers
RHP Aiden Sims vs. RHP Cade Townsend
- Sims: 8-1, 3.60 ERA, 65 IP, 50 H, 30 R, 26 ER, 18 BB, 68 SO, .208 Opp. BA
- Townsend: 5-1, 2.42 ERA, .96 WHIP, 52 IP, 37 H, 17 R, 14 ER, 13 BB, 73 SO, .193 Opp. BA
The Weekend Starters pic.twitter.com/2QMkKvkFxZ
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 7, 2026
Weather Forecast
The Rebels and Aggies decided to move Sunday’s game up to Saturday because of inclement weather in the forecast for Mother’s Day. Saturday’s forecast is much more ideal for baseball. The National Weather Service forecast for Saturday in Oxford is “Mostly sunny, with a high near 80. Calm wind becoming west around 5 mph.”
How to Watch: No. 9 Texas A&M at No. 20 Ole Miss
- Who: No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies (36-11, 15-9 SEC) at No. 20 Ole Miss Rebels (33-17, 13-12 SEC)
- When: 2 p.m., Saturday (Game 3 to follow approx. 60 minutes after conclusion)
- Where: Swayze Field, Oxford, Miss.
- TV: SECN+
- Radio: Live Radio
- Stats: Live Stats
- Series History: Ole Miss leads the all-time series 22-20
- Last Meeting: Ole Miss 5, Texas A&M 3
- Last time out, Rebels: lost to No. 22 Arkansas, 5-4
- Last time out, Aggies: def. Prairie View A&M, 16-7
Student-Athlete Availability Report
Texas A&M
Out
- IF/P #2 Nico Partida
- P #12 Josh Stewart
- P #28 Caden McCoy
Ole Miss
Out
- P #17 Marko Sipila
- P #29 Grayson Gibson
The Opponent: Texas A&M
Texas A&M head coach Michael Earley is only in his second season, but he’s already stacked back‑to‑back 30‑win years and has this group sitting at 36-10 heading into the weekend. The Aggies are second in the SEC at 15-8 and have taken five of their last six league series, including sweeps of LSU, Texas and Missouri.
The formula has been pretty simple. They walk a lot, they hit a lot of home runs and they score in bunches. A&M ranks 11th nationally in walks and third in homers, which adds up to 422 runs on the year, good for 9.2 per game. The pitching and defense hold up their end too. The Aggies own the seventh‑best strikeout‑to‑walk ratio in the country at 3.23 and the third‑best fielding percentage in the SEC.
Junior outfielder Caden Sorrell leads the power surge with 21 home runs, second in the league and top 10 nationally. He’s one of five Aggies hitting over .300. Gavin Grahovac tops the lineup at .362 and brings plenty of pop with 17 homers, 13 doubles and three triples. Jake Duer, Nico Partida and Bear Harrison are also above .300, with Partida and Harrison both in double‑digit homers.
On the mound, Ethan Darden and Aiden Sims are lined up for Friday and Saturday. Darden has been a bullpen mainstay with a 2.88 ERA and a 4-0 record in 25 innings, and this would be his first start as an Aggie. Sims has made 12 starts and sits at 8-1, leading the team in both strikeouts with 68 and innings pitched with 65.
