Ole Miss is headed to the NCAA Super Regionals for the first time since 2022 after beating Arizona State in extra innings Sunday for the second on the weekend.
Afterwards, Mike Bianco talked about the win and his players with two important ones from Sunday’s game sitting next to him.
Wil Libbert pitched three innings of scoreless baseball to keep Arizona State at bay and Dom Decker drove in the game-winning run with a sacrifice fly. Here’s everything the trio of Rebels had to say late Sunday night.
This is why we do it 🤟 pic.twitter.com/nMOULLEJJP
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 1, 2026
Mike Bianco, Head Coach
Opening statement…
Before I talk about my guys, I just want to congratulate the entire field, but obviously a really, really good Arizona State team that competed their rear ends off all weekend long. Also, I want to thank the University of Nebraska and all the people. We know how many hands go into putting on an event like this, and they’ve been awesome here in every way. The atmosphere last night was awesome, and it was just a pleasure to be here. Obviously, I’m really proud of my guys. We played well. Probably a better word than “well” is “tough” the entire weekend. It wasn’t easy, but I’ve said so many times this week and throughout the year that our guys handle hard well. I think in our conference, you have to, just to survive. We needed that. If we didn’t have to go through what we went through this year with our schedule and our conference and everything, I don’t know if we could have gotten through this. They’ve handled the adversity.
One of the weird things is, I guess I eat a little crow tonight. I’ve talked so much, and I shared this with the guys, about how if you don’t play well, you lose. Well, tonight, we didn’t play well. Tonight, we made a lot of mistakes. We didn’t make plays, didn’t make pitches and had some tough at-bats at the wrong time. But credit the players for their toughness and perseverance to overcome some bad play.
I thought Townsend wasn’t his normal self tonight, but it may be the gutsiest performance of his career against a really, really good offense. We talk about leaving it on the field and emptying the tank, and he certainly did that tonight. Of course, sitting next to me, Wil Libbert, I thought, was the difference in the game for us. And then J.P. Robertson at the end, another great outing and just eating up innings for us. I’m just super proud of my guys for hanging in there, making plays, having great at-bats and making some pitches when it meant the most.
On advancing to NCAA Super Regionals…
It’s hard when you’re on the other side. Unfortunately, we all have that, right? Only one team gets to win its final game. Everybody loses their final game except for one team. Usually when that happens, you’re not prepared for it as a coach or as players. That’s why you can see the emotion from an Arizona State team that just absolutely left it on the field tonight. You feel for those guys. We’ve been there. We were there last year and watched Dom and his former team celebrate, and it’s tough. The players, the coaches, administrators and families have invested so much of their lives for these moments, and sometimes it doesn’t work out. So yeah, it’s a tough moment, but it’s also what makes sports so great and so competitive, because you know that feeling. That’s why this feeling feels so, so good. I’m super proud and so happy that my players could experience that. A year ago, we experienced the other part of it. For those older guys like Furniss, Utermark and Hunter Elliott to feel it again — so many older guys to experience that — it’s pretty cool.
On Cannon Goldin pinch-running…
When we were contemplating trying to set up the next inning, we moved Mosley in — who’s really a defensive replacement — a few innings ago and knew when that spot came up. Then we started to figure out if Randle got on. Obviously, Foley can’t come out of the game, but if Randle comes on, there were a couple pinch-running scenarios. Goldin is the fastest, so we ran him out there and hoped we would get a long single or a ball in the gap. But as Dom said, once he got to third, we couldn’t draw it up better. I mean that sincerely. You’ve got maybe your fastest guy at third base, and you’ve got probably the guy who swings and misses the least on the team at the plate. So it was a pretty good situation for us.
On Dom Decker helping keep Ole Miss season alive instead of ending it…
I just gave him a big hug out there and said, “Hey, thanks for coming over to the other side.” A lot of guys in this era — not just Dom, but we have other guys who played at other schools last year — it’s cool to see them experience this. Not just today, but throughout the year. As Dom said, his goal was to play in the SEC. To watch guys realize their goals as coaches, that’s what you’re in it for — to watch the players experience these experiences. It’s been neat.
On players talking about play for each other…
I know people tend to think it’s coachspeak or just a saying. I wasn’t a football player or basketball player, but I know in our game, you can’t win if you’re not a good team. You can have superstar players. You can have future major leaguers. But there’s too much invested in the belief. In that scenario I just talked about with Goldin at third and Dom at the plate, I don’t think there was a guy in that dugout wearing our uniform who didn’t believe that was going to happen. I don’t know if that happens in other sports. My athletic director is standing back there, so this is probably not the right thing to say, but they would rather bus than fly because they love being on the bus together. That’s one of the cool things. You hear that later — being in the locker room, being with one another. Those comments usually come from the good teams. I think it makes a huge difference.
Wil Libbert, Pitcher
On what worked Sunday…
A lot of spin. Just really working it and getting in the zone was the ultimate goal overall. I mean, it’s letting the defense work behind me, especially Dom and Paino, just making two great plays back-to-back. Then it was just going after hitters and really attacking them, trying to keep the team in the game. That’s really all I could ask for. The defense behind me and the bats coming alive at the end was really great to see.
On J.P. Robertson…
J.P.’s awesome. He’s one of my best friends. Just to see him go out there on not even a day’s rest after throwing however many pitches yesterday and put that kind of performance together was really awesome. I’m just really proud for him.
Dom Decker, Second Baseman
On Arizona State’s five infielders…
I saw they brought the infield in, and that happened the first time we played them, too. I obviously remembered that. I was just trying to get something elevated. Cannon Goldin is one of the fastest people in the country, so if I get it anywhere out in the outfield, he’s going to score. That was really the approach — just sticking to my process. I had a pretty rough game all around, but I knew I was there for a reason and just stuck to my process to try to get a ball in the air for Cannon.
On reaching Super Regionals with Ole Miss…
It’s an amazing feeling. It was my dream as a little kid to play in the SEC, and it’s a dream come true. This team is everything I’ve ever hoped for in a team. They’re a great group of guys, and it’s such a close-knit group. I couldn’t be more proud to play with this group of players.
On Rebels’ ability to win close games in unique situations…
Honestly, it’s how close we are and how much we love each other. You’re not playing for yourself. You’re playing for the guys next to you. You’re playing for the seniors who this could be their last games. You want to do it for the guys around you and not for yourself. I think that’s what makes us so tough in late situations. It’s not for us. It’s for the guys next to us, and I think that’s what makes this really special.
