Ole Miss Baseball officially eliminated from postseason contention

After being swept by the Auburn Tigers this past weekend the Ole Miss baseball team was officially eliminated from competing in the SEC tournament, just one season removed from winning a National Championship.

It’s been quite a tumultuous season for Ole Miss baseball to say the least. Only 11 months ago the Rebels were crowned the NCAA baseball National Champions after they defeated the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2022 College World Series and now the Rebels will miss out on the postseason for the first time in over a decade.

The Rebels have been a mainstay atop the college baseball rankings for the majority of the last decade. Under long-time head coach Mike Bianco, they have been a contender to win a championship for most of his 20-plus-year career at the helm.

Finally, in 2022 after defeating the Sooners Bianco and the Rebels were able to hoist the Commissioner’s trophy for the first time in the program’s history.

Now with just three games left to play in the 2023 season, Ole Miss baseball is currently sitting at 25-26 on the year, including a 6-21 record in the SEC, and will miss the SEC tournament for the first time since 2011.

Even if they go 3-0 in their last three games against Alabama, they will finish with their worst record since Bianco took over the program in 2001 as well as their lowest win total with the exception of the covid shortened 2020 season.

Their latest series sweep at the hands of the Auburn Tigers could be considered a small sample size of the entire year, at least against conference opponents. They were outscored 37-11 across the three contests by the Tigers that included an abysmal 16-4 loss in game one through just eight innings.

The Rebels entered the season ranked number four in the country and were a favorite by many to win the SEC and make yet another appearance in the College World Series. Instead, they’ll be watching the postseason at home for just the third time in Mike Bianco’s tenure in Oxford.