The Ole Miss Rebels dropped a heartbreaker Monday night on Swayze Field, as they fell to the Murray State Races 12-11 in a winner-take-all game 7 in the Oxford Regional. It wasn't for the lack of effort from this gritty Rebel bunch, who, throughout the season, never seemed to quit. That is how Third Baseman and the leader of this team, Luke Hill, put it after the game when asked how he wanted this Ole Miss team to be remembered, saying a group that "never gave up." Even after falling behind 12-3, a few scoreless innings, and with fans heading for the Swayze gates, this team had one more punch in them.
The Rebels would begin their rally in the 7th inning, pouring on five runs. However, they left some more on the table. With the Murray State pitchers coming unglued as they struggled to find a closer, Judd Uttermark would extend his elbow on an inside pitch, leading to a 5-minute review. The hit-by-pitch call was reversed, and Uttermark would eventually strike out. It seemed to be a major momentum killer and turning point in this one. The time allowed for a timeout of sorts for Murray State; the pitcher was able to settle down after experiencing numerous control issues and struck out both Uttermark and Humphrey to end the inning.
Mason Nichols would blank the Racers in the 8th, and the leadoff man would reach for Ole Miss, and a Fawley walk had two on with one out. In strode Brayden Randle, who would lift one just over the right field wall for his first home run, and what a time it was for it, as Swayze erupted, and the lead was cut to 12-11. A Sanford walk and a Hill single had two on with just one out and all the momentum in the world, and it just seemed like the Rebels would pull it off.
Next up was Will Furniss, who, down the stretch of the season, was one of the hottest and most clutch hitters on the team, and it just seemed like he was made for this moment and would deliver with another big hit. He worked it to a 3-2 count and would take an inside fastball. He was sure it was ball four, and it was off the plate, but the home plate umpire felt differently, ringing him up. The inning wasn't over, and Uttermark, who hit his 6th home run of the regional earlier in the game, came up. He would, however, go down on three pitches, and the wind was taken out of the sails of Swayze Field.
Hunter Elliott, after his brilliant start on Saturday against Western Kentucky, would take the mound in the 9th. He was lights out, setting the Racers down in order and getting the Rebels right back in the dugout for their last shot. Suppose that was the last moment for Hunter in an Ole Miss uniform; then, at least, he went out well. Hunter deserved another start in Swayze for his efforts this weekend, but it wasn't meant to be. Thank you, 26; it was great to get to see Hunter back on the mound for the Rebels this season after such a long journey. He is a pure competitor and tough as nails. There are a few Rebels in history whom I would rather have the ball in a big moment.
The Rebels went down with a whimper in the 9th, and we all had to watch another team celebrate on our home field, one of the worst feelings in the world. Throughout the game, even when we struggled early, I always figured we would come back, and I honestly thought we would win. It wasn't until the 10th inning that I felt it just wasn't meant to be; however, as soon as the comeback began, I had no confidence restored in this club's chance to find a way again until Humphrey's strikeout to lead off the 9th.
Ultimately, this team simply wasn't good enough. The Racers earned it; they were the better team throughout the weekend. They were a solid group of ballplayers, and 1-9 were pure hitters with good approaches and nice swings. They hit the ball all over the park on Monday. They also played clean baseball and made a few above-average plays when necessary, including two excellent catches from their centerfielder. They also got enough out of their arms and stretched them.
This Ole Miss was raw and, at times, looked like a team that could do something, and at other times, they looked like a terrible baseball team. They just never quite seemed to piece it all together. They were hit or miss with the pitching staff. Last week in Hoover, it was incredible. Hunter and Maddox were both great, and the bullpen was lights out, including some outstanding contributions from some freshmen. This week, it was practically the exact opposite.
Throughout the season, the defense was shaky, but it reared its ugly head even more so this weekend, costing them both games against Murray State, which was evident. Unable to get to the routine ground, inability to run basic coverage plays, and even a guy like Issac Humphrey, who had graded out great all year as a defender, misplaying balls and deciding not to hit the cutoff man twice on Monday, allowing extra bases. It was just sloppy baseball, no different from Little League; the team that made fewer errors won.
While the offense shone brightly at times, and it did many times this weekend, the basic philosophy was far too inconsistent, often resulting in feast or famine. The team far too frequently lived by the sword (home runs) and died by the sword (strikeouts). Swinging at bad pitches when a pitcher was struggling with command, the inability to work counts. Far too often, they were unable to move runners and perform the necessary tasks to produce runs when needed.
This team was simply a bat short and probably a few arms, and it was hard not to look at what happened this offseason and see how close this group was to potentially being a clear Omaha contender. They lost their best player, Andrew Fischer. You lost a player who was projectable and was penciled in to be the Saturday guy, who ended up blossoming into a potential top-10 pick in Liam Doyle. You also lost your two best freshman arms from last season, Wes Mendes and Austin Simmons. In the case of the first three, you lost them all late in the portal process.
This is also why I love this group, why I still feel gutted after the final out, and why I do. This program was left for dead in the summer following the last two disastrous seasons. All of these guys had the chance to go. Uttermark, Furniss, and Hill all could've run to the portal, but they chose to be here and turn things around. Not only that, but those three also became leaders for this team and helped build the roster. Hunter Elliott and Connor Spencer were both drafters and had the chance just to turn pro, but they wanted to come back to right the ship. All the portal guys, some incredibly accomplished, like Isaac Humphrey, could have gone elsewhere, but they chose to believe in Mike, believe in Ole Miss, and this program.
They poured their heart into this University and this program, and for that, I am grateful. While they were an incredibly frustrating group at times, they made watching Ole Miss baseball fun again. They fought every day with everything they had. They had no expectations coming into the season. They were picked to finish 15th in the conference and miss the postseason for the second consecutive year. However, they punched above their weight all season. They had their backs against the wall and fought down the stretch, including a run to the SEC championship game in Hoover to secure a hosting position. They had their backs against the wall in the regional and won three games in two days to force a decisive game. They had their back against the wall Monday night, but they didn't go down with a serious fight coming up just short, and that is why I am proud of this team.
In all honesty, this was a remarkable coaching job by Mike Bianco, and many people will roll their eyes and say it's time for him to go, but he got the most out of this team all season long. He did a great job building this roster and bringing the program back from the depths, and I genuinely feel like the bones of the program are still healthy. There is a lot of young talent on this team that can take the next step. Many individuals will have to make significant professional decisions. I will begin writing an examination of what next season's roster could look like. Of course, we also have the portal that was crucial for Ole Miss this season.
While the final pitch has been thrown and the last at-bat has been taken this season, the life is not out of the Ole Miss baseball program. We have the 2025 baseball Rebels to thank for that.