The University of Mississippi Athletics
Saturday, March 30
Fayetteville, Ark.
3 PM
Ole Miss
19-9, 4-4
4
at
3
Arkansas
22-5, 6-2
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
R
H
E
Ole Miss
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
0
1
4
12
0
Arkansas
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
3
6
0
Kessinger Comes Up Clutch as No. 21 Rebels Down No. 8 Razorbacks
3/30/2019 | Baseball
Kessinger’s Ninth-Inning RBI Double Evens Series in Fayetteville
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – In the ninth inning of a back-and-forth Southeastern Conference battle, junior shortstop Grae Kessinger smashed an RBI double off the left center wall to give No. 21 Ole Miss (19-9, 4-4) a massive 4-3 road win and even the series at No. 8 Arkansas.
Tyler Keenan and Cole Zabowski each homered on the day, while Kessinger went 2-for-5 with the game-deciding double, scoring pinch runner Carl Gindl to give the Rebels a 4-3 lead in the top of the ninth. Ole Miss also got excellent efforts on the mound from Doug Nikhazy, Austin Miller and Parker Caracci. The trio struck out a combined 12 batters and limited the dangerous Razorback offense to just three runs on six hits. Caracci tossed a perfect ninth inning to close out his sixth save of the season.
Jacob Adams set in motion the first run of the game with a one-out single in the third. The senior out of Conway, Arkansas, moved to second on an Anthony Servideo groundout, then to third on an infield single by Kessinger. Finally, Keenan drove home his 41st run of the season with a single to left center to make it 1-0, Rebels.
On a windy day at Baum-Walker Stadium, Arkansas claimed the lead in the fourth on a pair of home runs sent out in the jet stream to right field. After a leadoff walk, Jack Kenley homered to right field to snap a streak of 10.2 straight scoreless innings by Nikhazy. Two batters later, Christian Franklin lifted one out to right to make it a 3-1 Razorback lead.
Ole Miss got one back in the fifth when Keenan crushed a solo homer all the way out of the ballpark to right field, making it a 3-2 contest.
Another demolished baseball, this one by Cole Zabowski in the sixth, tied the game at three. Zabowski's home run hit more than halfway up the batter's eye in straightaway center field to knot the game at three.
Nikhazy's day ended after 5.2 innings of work with three runs allowed on five hits, five walks and six strikeouts, just one shy of his career-high. Austin Miller checked in and continued his outstanding start to the season, going 2.1 scoreless innings, striking out four and allowing just one Razorback to reach base.
Miller improved to 2-0 on the season thanks to some ninth-inning dramatics from Kessinger and Co. Freshman Kevin Graham started it off with a soft liner to the Arkansas third baseman Jacob Nesbit, but after a diving attempt, the ball popped out of Nesbit's glove, allowing Graham to reach safely with a base hit.
After Gindl came on to pinch run, Adams nearly gave Ole Miss the lead right then and there, but his high fly ball lifted to the 400-foot sign in right center field was snatched on an excellent defensive play by Razorback center fielder Dominic Fletcher. Servideo then moved Gindl into scoring position with a well-executed sacrifice bunt, and Kessinger made the most of it. The junior shortstop crushed a near-homer off the wall in left center, easily scoring Gindl for the game-winning run.
With the lead in hand, head coach Mike Bianco called on All-American closer Parker Caracci. The redshirt junior out of Jackson, Mississippi, was as outstanding as ever, retiring three straight Hogs on two strikeouts and a flyout to seal the deal.
Ole Miss and Arkansas will decide the series Sunday at 1:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network +.
Quick Hits
- Ole Miss improved to 19-9 on the season and 4-4 in SEC play.
- Tomorrow, the Rebels will look to win their fourth straight series against the Razorbacks.
- Tyler Keenan hit his eighth home run of the season, putting him one behind Thomas Dillard (9) in the team home run race. Keenan also drove in two runs today, increasing his SEC-leading total to 42 on the season.
- Cole Zabowski hit his fifth home run of the season, putting him third behind Keenan and Dillard. Zabowski tied his season-high with three hits today, posting his third three-hit game of the season.
- Grae Kessinger had his third straight multi-hit game, giving him 11 on the season, tying Ryan Olenek for the most on the team.
- Zabowski recorded his 10th multi-hit game, while Keenan (8th) and Johnson (4th) all had multi-hit affairs as well.
- Kessinger has reached base successfully in 16 straight games. Keenan increased his reached-base streak to 10.
- Parker Caracci recorded his 16th career save, tying him for seventh in Ole Miss history.
- Caracci (2), Doug Nikhazy (6) and Austin Miller (4) combined for 12 strikeouts on the day, the 11th double-figure strikeout game by the Rebel pitching staff this season.
Tyler Keenan and Cole Zabowski each homered on the day, while Kessinger went 2-for-5 with the game-deciding double, scoring pinch runner Carl Gindl to give the Rebels a 4-3 lead in the top of the ninth. Ole Miss also got excellent efforts on the mound from Doug Nikhazy, Austin Miller and Parker Caracci. The trio struck out a combined 12 batters and limited the dangerous Razorback offense to just three runs on six hits. Caracci tossed a perfect ninth inning to close out his sixth save of the season.
Jacob Adams set in motion the first run of the game with a one-out single in the third. The senior out of Conway, Arkansas, moved to second on an Anthony Servideo groundout, then to third on an infield single by Kessinger. Finally, Keenan drove home his 41st run of the season with a single to left center to make it 1-0, Rebels.
On a windy day at Baum-Walker Stadium, Arkansas claimed the lead in the fourth on a pair of home runs sent out in the jet stream to right field. After a leadoff walk, Jack Kenley homered to right field to snap a streak of 10.2 straight scoreless innings by Nikhazy. Two batters later, Christian Franklin lifted one out to right to make it a 3-1 Razorback lead.
Ole Miss got one back in the fifth when Keenan crushed a solo homer all the way out of the ballpark to right field, making it a 3-2 contest.
Another demolished baseball, this one by Cole Zabowski in the sixth, tied the game at three. Zabowski's home run hit more than halfway up the batter's eye in straightaway center field to knot the game at three.
Nikhazy's day ended after 5.2 innings of work with three runs allowed on five hits, five walks and six strikeouts, just one shy of his career-high. Austin Miller checked in and continued his outstanding start to the season, going 2.1 scoreless innings, striking out four and allowing just one Razorback to reach base.
Miller improved to 2-0 on the season thanks to some ninth-inning dramatics from Kessinger and Co. Freshman Kevin Graham started it off with a soft liner to the Arkansas third baseman Jacob Nesbit, but after a diving attempt, the ball popped out of Nesbit's glove, allowing Graham to reach safely with a base hit.
After Gindl came on to pinch run, Adams nearly gave Ole Miss the lead right then and there, but his high fly ball lifted to the 400-foot sign in right center field was snatched on an excellent defensive play by Razorback center fielder Dominic Fletcher. Servideo then moved Gindl into scoring position with a well-executed sacrifice bunt, and Kessinger made the most of it. The junior shortstop crushed a near-homer off the wall in left center, easily scoring Gindl for the game-winning run.
With the lead in hand, head coach Mike Bianco called on All-American closer Parker Caracci. The redshirt junior out of Jackson, Mississippi, was as outstanding as ever, retiring three straight Hogs on two strikeouts and a flyout to seal the deal.
Ole Miss and Arkansas will decide the series Sunday at 1:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network +.
Quick Hits
- Ole Miss improved to 19-9 on the season and 4-4 in SEC play.
- Tomorrow, the Rebels will look to win their fourth straight series against the Razorbacks.
- Tyler Keenan hit his eighth home run of the season, putting him one behind Thomas Dillard (9) in the team home run race. Keenan also drove in two runs today, increasing his SEC-leading total to 42 on the season.
- Cole Zabowski hit his fifth home run of the season, putting him third behind Keenan and Dillard. Zabowski tied his season-high with three hits today, posting his third three-hit game of the season.
- Grae Kessinger had his third straight multi-hit game, giving him 11 on the season, tying Ryan Olenek for the most on the team.
- Zabowski recorded his 10th multi-hit game, while Keenan (8th) and Johnson (4th) all had multi-hit affairs as well.
- Kessinger has reached base successfully in 16 straight games. Keenan increased his reached-base streak to 10.
- Parker Caracci recorded his 16th career save, tying him for seventh in Ole Miss history.
- Caracci (2), Doug Nikhazy (6) and Austin Miller (4) combined for 12 strikeouts on the day, the 11th double-figure strikeout game by the Rebel pitching staff this season.
Team Stats
Pitching:
W: Miller, Austin (2-0)
L: Kevin Kopps (1-1)
S: Caracci, Parker (6)
Batting:
2B: Kessinger, Grae 1 ; Johnson, Cooper 1
HR: Keenan, Tyler 1 ; Zabowski, Cole 1
RBI: Kessinger, Grae 1 ; Keenan, Tyler 2 ; Zabowski, Cole 1
SH: Servideo, Anthony 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Keenan, Tyler 1 ; Zabowski, Cole 1 ; Gindl, Carl 1 ; Adams, Jacob 1
Batting:
2B: Casey Martin 2 ; Jacob Nesbit 1
HR: Jack Kenley 1 ; Christian Franklin 1
RBI: Jack Kenley 2 ; Christian Franklin 1
Base Running:
RUNS: Matt Goodheart 1 ; Jack Kenley 1 ; Christian Franklin 1
CS: Jack Kenley 1
HBP: Heston Kjerstad 1
Game Leaders
AB
4
R
1
H
3
RBI
1
AB
5
R
0
H
2
RBI
1
AB
4
R
1
H
2
RBI
2
AB
4
R
0
H
2
RBI
0
Players Mentioned
IF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
C/OF
/ Baseball
OF
/ Baseball
IF
/ BaseballIF
/ BaseballIF
/ Baseball
RHP
/ Baseball
LHP/OF
/ Baseball
IF/OF/RHP
/ Baseball
IF
/ BaseballIF
/ BaseballBaseball's New Faces - Daniel Pacella & Tristan Bissetta
Thursday, October 16
New Faces: Freshmen Pitchers
Friday, September 19
PRESSER | Mike Bianco & Luke Hill - Oxford Regional Final vs. Murray State (06-02-25)
Monday, June 02
HIGHLIGHTS: Baseball vs. Murray State_NCAA Regional (6/2/25)
Monday, June 02