The University of Mississippi Athletics
Friday, February 28
Oxford, Miss.
4 p.m.
Ole Miss
vs
Wright State
No. 24 Baseball Welcomes Wright State to Swayze Field for Weekend Series
2/27/2025 | Baseball
OXFORD, Miss. – No. 24 Ole Miss Baseball looks to keep things rolling at home as they host Wright State for a three-game set this weekend at Swayze Field. First pitch on Friday and Saturday is set for 4 p.m. and Sunday is set for 1:30 p.m.
LEADING OFF
Game 1: LHP Hunter Elliott (2-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. LHP Griffen Paige (0-1, 9.00 ERA)
Game 2: RHP Riley Maddox (1-1, 6.48 ERA) vs. RHP Jarrett Heilman (0-1, 11.57 ERA)
Game 3: RHP Mason Nichols (1-0, 5.14 ERA) vs. LHP Chet Lax (0-1, 9.00 ERA)
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for all home games at Swayze Field can be purchased here. Season tickets are still available for the 2025 season and can be purchased here.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
All three games will be streamed live on SEC Network+ with Jake Hromada (PxP) and Keith Kessinger (analyst) on the call. Fans can also listen to the game on the Ole Miss Radio Network with David Kellum (PxP) and Brad Henderson (analyst) on the call Friday and Sunday and Gary Darby (PxP) and Henderson on the call on Saturday.
SCOUTING REPORT
Alex Sogard is in his seventh year as the head coach of the Wright State Raiders baseball program.
The Raiders have compiled an 184-113 record in his first six years at the helm of the WSU baseball team, highlighted by five consecutive Horizon League regular season titles and three trips to a NCAA Regional in the past four years.
The Raiders are currently 3-3 in the 2025 season and are coming off a midweek matchup against Miami of Ohio where Wright State earned an 11-10 win.
Ole Miss holds a 7-4 record over Wright State. The two foes last squared off in the 2019 where the Rebels earned a 9-5 win over the Raiders.
GET US STARTED
Last weekend's starting rotation of Hunter Elliott, Riley Maddox, and Mason Nichols put up a 0.60 ERA with 20 strikeouts and a .176 opponent batting average over 15 innings of work against Eastern Kentucky. They allowed just one earned run between them and only issued three total walks.
FEDERICO SUAVE
Five games into Hayden Federico's career, the freshman currently leads the team in batting average, on base percentage, and stolen bases. He has at least one hit in every game he has played in and is one of only two Rebels with a three-hit game this season. He started in two games last weekend against Eastern Kentucky, going 4-for-7 with a double, two RBI, four stolen bases, and two hit by pitches against the Colonels. He stole three bases in the series finale, including a steal of home.
NUKE HILL
Luke Hill is off to a hot start in 2025, hitting .448 with an OPS of 1.381 and 14 runs scored over two weeks. He leads the Rebels in slugging percentage, runs scored, hits, RBI, home runs, and total bases.
The junior from Baton Rouge had a career day in the Rebels' upset win over No. 15 Clemson, putting together the first multi-home run game of his career. He went 3-for-3 with two home runs, a triple, five RBI, and four runs scored against the Tigers.
RETURN OF THE KING
Hunter Elliott has dominated in so far in his return to the mound after not pitching for nearly two years. He has made two starts, picked up two wins, and has yet to allow a run to score. Last weekend against Eastern Kentucky Elliott tied his career high with 10 strikeouts, did not allow a free pass and faced just one batter over the minimum during his six innings, picking off two of the only three baserunners. In every inning but the fourth, Elliott struck out at least two batters and nine of his 10 with a swing and miss.
HOOK 'EM
Walker Hooks has made four appearances already in his young career allowing just two baserunners, one of whom he picked off, over six innings of work. He made his debut on February 15 against No. 19 Texas, coming out of the bullpen with the bases loaded and just one out. He struck out the first two hitters he faced and would go on to retire all eight he saw. The freshman is up to nine total strikeouts and is holding opponents to a .100 batting average against.
STAY CONNECTED
Get rewarded for attending events by joining Rebel Rewards powered by Coca-Cola, the official fan loyalty program of the Ole Miss Rebels. Download the Ole Miss Sports mobile app, sign up for a Rebel Rewards account, and start earning points immediately that can be redeemed for exclusive prizes and experiences.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss baseball on X at @OleMissBSB, on Facebook at Facebook.com/OleMissBaseball, on Instagram at Instagram.com/officialolemissbsb and on TikTok at @olemissbsb. Also, follow head coach Mike Bianco on X at @CoachMikeBianco.
LEADING OFF
- Ole Miss picked up another top-25 win Tuesday, defeating No. 22 Southern Miss 15-8.
- The Rebels his four home runs and put up 15 runs on a ranked team for the second time this season.
- Owen Paino hit his first career home run and Austin Fawley hit his first home run as a Rebel against the Golden Eagles.
- Each starter in the game had at least one hit and scored at least one run.
- Ole Miss' three ranked wins in February are the most in the opening month of the season since 2021.
- The Rebels swept Eastern Kentucky last weekend, outscoring the Colonels 26-7.
- The seven runs allowed to EKU was the fewest number of runs allowed in a weekend by an Ole Miss pitching staff in just over two years.
- The Rebels' current ERA of 3.67 is the lowest through the first eight games of the season since 2022 (1.92).
- Ole Miss is tied for 10th in the NCAA in home runs (15), 12th in home runs per game (1.88), and 21st in walks (57).
- The Rebels are tied for 18th in the NCAA in strikeouts per nine innings, averaging 11.7 punchouts per game.
- Isaac Humphrey is tied for 17th in the nation in total walks (11) and in walks per game (1.38).
- Luke Hill is tied for 18th in the country in runs scored (14), and 15th in runs scored per game (1.75).
- Hill leads the Rebels in slugging percentage, runs scored, hits, RBI, home runs, and total bases.
- Freshman Hayden Federico leads the team in batting average, on base percentage, and stolen bases.
- Federico and Hill are the only Rebels to have three hits in a game this season, each having done it twice.
Game 1: LHP Hunter Elliott (2-0, 0.00 ERA) vs. LHP Griffen Paige (0-1, 9.00 ERA)
Game 2: RHP Riley Maddox (1-1, 6.48 ERA) vs. RHP Jarrett Heilman (0-1, 11.57 ERA)
Game 3: RHP Mason Nichols (1-0, 5.14 ERA) vs. LHP Chet Lax (0-1, 9.00 ERA)
TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for all home games at Swayze Field can be purchased here. Season tickets are still available for the 2025 season and can be purchased here.
BROADCAST INFORMATION
All three games will be streamed live on SEC Network+ with Jake Hromada (PxP) and Keith Kessinger (analyst) on the call. Fans can also listen to the game on the Ole Miss Radio Network with David Kellum (PxP) and Brad Henderson (analyst) on the call Friday and Sunday and Gary Darby (PxP) and Henderson on the call on Saturday.
SCOUTING REPORT
Alex Sogard is in his seventh year as the head coach of the Wright State Raiders baseball program.
The Raiders have compiled an 184-113 record in his first six years at the helm of the WSU baseball team, highlighted by five consecutive Horizon League regular season titles and three trips to a NCAA Regional in the past four years.
The Raiders are currently 3-3 in the 2025 season and are coming off a midweek matchup against Miami of Ohio where Wright State earned an 11-10 win.
Ole Miss holds a 7-4 record over Wright State. The two foes last squared off in the 2019 where the Rebels earned a 9-5 win over the Raiders.
GET US STARTED
Last weekend's starting rotation of Hunter Elliott, Riley Maddox, and Mason Nichols put up a 0.60 ERA with 20 strikeouts and a .176 opponent batting average over 15 innings of work against Eastern Kentucky. They allowed just one earned run between them and only issued three total walks.
FEDERICO SUAVE
Five games into Hayden Federico's career, the freshman currently leads the team in batting average, on base percentage, and stolen bases. He has at least one hit in every game he has played in and is one of only two Rebels with a three-hit game this season. He started in two games last weekend against Eastern Kentucky, going 4-for-7 with a double, two RBI, four stolen bases, and two hit by pitches against the Colonels. He stole three bases in the series finale, including a steal of home.
NUKE HILL
Luke Hill is off to a hot start in 2025, hitting .448 with an OPS of 1.381 and 14 runs scored over two weeks. He leads the Rebels in slugging percentage, runs scored, hits, RBI, home runs, and total bases.
The junior from Baton Rouge had a career day in the Rebels' upset win over No. 15 Clemson, putting together the first multi-home run game of his career. He went 3-for-3 with two home runs, a triple, five RBI, and four runs scored against the Tigers.
RETURN OF THE KING
Hunter Elliott has dominated in so far in his return to the mound after not pitching for nearly two years. He has made two starts, picked up two wins, and has yet to allow a run to score. Last weekend against Eastern Kentucky Elliott tied his career high with 10 strikeouts, did not allow a free pass and faced just one batter over the minimum during his six innings, picking off two of the only three baserunners. In every inning but the fourth, Elliott struck out at least two batters and nine of his 10 with a swing and miss.
HOOK 'EM
Walker Hooks has made four appearances already in his young career allowing just two baserunners, one of whom he picked off, over six innings of work. He made his debut on February 15 against No. 19 Texas, coming out of the bullpen with the bases loaded and just one out. He struck out the first two hitters he faced and would go on to retire all eight he saw. The freshman is up to nine total strikeouts and is holding opponents to a .100 batting average against.
STAY CONNECTED
Get rewarded for attending events by joining Rebel Rewards powered by Coca-Cola, the official fan loyalty program of the Ole Miss Rebels. Download the Ole Miss Sports mobile app, sign up for a Rebel Rewards account, and start earning points immediately that can be redeemed for exclusive prizes and experiences.
Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss baseball on X at @OleMissBSB, on Facebook at Facebook.com/OleMissBaseball, on Instagram at Instagram.com/officialolemissbsb and on TikTok at @olemissbsb. Also, follow head coach Mike Bianco on X at @CoachMikeBianco.
Players Mentioned
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RHP
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