The University of Mississippi Athletics
Wednesday, February 25
Oxford, Miss.
5 PM
Ole Miss
vs
Central Arkansas
Softball Opens Lengthy Home Swing Against Central Arkansas
2/24/2026 | Softball
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss softball program opens a critical home swing, hosting Central Arkansas on Wednesday at the Ole Miss Softball Stadium.
The Rebels (11-5, 0-0 SEC) will match up the Bears (9-6, 0-0 ASUN) in Oxford for the first time since 2021 and will get started at 5 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed via SEC Network Plus.
LEADING OFF
The Rebels are barreling towards the start of SEC play, as the Rebels enter a nine-game home swing that carries into the opener of a grueling SEC slate that begins with Alabama from Mar. 6-8.
While the Rebels will have eight non-conference midweeks after the Alabama series, this stretch marks a critical period for the Rebels. The first four series to open SEC play are against top-10 opponents - Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee. The six remaining non-conference games prior to March 6 have added importance in the face of 12 very challenging SEC games. The Rebels launched their historic 2025 season on the back of a season-opening SEC series victory over then No. 10 Arkansas.
ACT TWO
Persy Llamas took the SEC by storm as a freshman and returns to anchor an offense with plenty of potent bats in 2026. Llamas not only hit .354 with 10 home runs, 10 doubles and 55 RBI last season, while striking out only 11 times, but also matched teammate Aliyah Binford in setting a new single-season RBI record at Ole Miss. Llamas also shined defensively, tallying a .993 fielding percentage at first base which has already put her among the Rebels all-time best.
Her efforts across the postseason were heroic. Llamas went from hitting a three-run blast against No. 4 Florida in the SEC Tournament win, to tallying three home runs in three games against No. 12 Arizona to secure the NCAA Regional, to driving in the first two runs ever scored by the Rebels in a Women's College World Series against No. 16 Oregon. Llamas took home All-SEC Second Team and NFCA All-South Region Second Team honors following the season.
As a result of her achievements, the nation has paid attention in 2026. Llamas was recently tabbed to the All-SEC Preseason Team, as well as earning a top-100 player and top-10 player at first base nod from Softball America this offseason. This season, Llamas has kept pace, hitting a sizzling .414 with three home runs and 18 RBI through 16 games, headlined by a walk-off double in a win over Miami.
A STAR IS BORN
After multiple NFCA All-Region honorees from last season's freshman class, the Rebels have unearthed another freshman star in Madi George.
George has quickly taken over as the cleanup hitter in the early portion of her college career, hitting .435 with four home runs, seven total extra-base hits, 17 RBI and 10 walks.
A natural first baseman who has seen most of her time split between right field and designated player thus far, George is following in a similar path as the Rebels current first baseman, sophomore Persy Llamas, who went on to a very successful freshman season. Llamas hit .370 with two home runs and 17 RBI through her first 16 collegiate games last season.
WHITTEN IN STONE
Pitcher Lilly Whitten made history on Friday, Feb. 13, becoming just the sixth Rebel to ever throw a solo no-hitter, joining Brittany Barnhill, Aliyah Binford, Miali Guachino, Carly Hummel (twice) and Becky Nye. Additionally, she became part of just the ninth no-hitter of any kind in program history.
Whitten was thoroughly dominant in the 8-0 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, striking out three batters and commanding the circle. It has been a sterling start to Whitten's Ole Miss career, going 3-0 with a 2.10 ERA so far.
RETURN OF THE MACK
Another breakout star for the Rebels in 2025 was the dynamic Mackenzie Pickens, who stepped right into a key middle infield role and shined en route to NFCA All-South Region Third Team honors. This season, Pickens will take on an even bigger role on both sides of the ball.
Pickens delivered a sensational debut season in Oxford, hitting .328 with eight home runs, 10 doubles, 37 RBI and 12 stolen bases. That play has carried over into 2026 thus far, as Pickens opened the season hitting .400 with four home runs and 16 RBI. Pickens matched the single-game program record with six RBI in a win over Mercer on Feb. 22.
Pickens delivered signature moments in both the 2025 SEC Tournament and 2025 NCAA Tournament. Her 8th inning, three-run blast helped the Rebels break the deadlock and win a thriller over No. 4 Florida in the SEC Tournament, while her 2-for-3 performance with a first inning home run helped the Rebels clinch the Tucson Regional against No. 12 Arizona in a decisive game three.
SCOUTING CENTRAL ARKANSAS
The Bears entered the 2026 season with a new look, as longtime head coach Jenny Parsons retired. However, her former assistant Kayla Lucas leads the 9-6 Bears into Oxford for the first time since 2021.
Lucas is now a head coach again after spending five seasons at Division II Young Harris, where she coached the Mountain Lions to four NCAA Division II Softball National Tournaments, including an appearance in the National Championship game in 2019
Central Arkansas' lineup is balanced on offense, but the main power threat is graduate student Emma Robertson, who joined the program via Houston. Robertson is hitting .293 with a team-high three home runs and 13 RBI. Trinity Brandon, a senior transfer from Lamar, has provided a spark to the Bears offense, hitting .360 with seven doubles and nine RBI.
Sophomore Addie Graham, who faced the Rebels in Lafayette, La., last season, is riding an eight-game hit streak into Oxford and hitting .340 with eight stolen bases thus far.
Once again, the Rebels could face a dynamic freshman pitcher, as Central Arkansas has been buoyed by the freshman Jaleigh White, who is 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA (21.1 IP) with 15 strikeouts. Graduate student Bailie Runner, who faced the Rebels last season is also back, leading the team in innings pitched with 37.0 IP, while going 5-2 with a 2.65 ERA and 19 strikeouts.
The Bears have shined in Conway thus far, going 4-2, but are just 5-4 outside of Conway, including 0-2 in true road games so far.
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.
For all Ole Miss softball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball, on Facebook at Ole Miss Softball and on Instagram at @olemisssoftball. Also, follow head coach Jamie Trachsel on Twitter at @Jamie_Trachsel.
The Rebels (11-5, 0-0 SEC) will match up the Bears (9-6, 0-0 ASUN) in Oxford for the first time since 2021 and will get started at 5 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed via SEC Network Plus.
LEADING OFF
- Ole Miss is set to open a nine-game home swing in what will carry the team into SEC play, beginning with a Wednesday night matchup with Central Arkansas.
- Freshman Madi George has been the breakout star of the season thus far, hitting a sizzling .435 with a team-high four home runs and 10 walks, while adding 17 RBI through the first 16 games of her career.
- Sophomore Persy Llamas remains scorching hot as well, hitting .414 through the first 16 games with three home runs and a team-high 18 RBI.
- Mackenzie Pickens matched the program's single-game RBI record on Sunday, with six RBI to defeat Mercer. The mark had only been achieved six times in program history.
- Ole Miss recorded its largest margin of victory (15 runs) since a 15-0 win over Hawaii in 2024, in the win over Mercer on Sunday.
- Head coach Jamie Trachsel became the program's all-time winningest coach on Feb. 13, recording her 188th win at the helm.
- Senior Kyra Aycock has jumped right into a key rotation role, leading the SEC in complete games (four), while also stepping up for six wins, ranking eighth in the nation (six).
The Rebels are barreling towards the start of SEC play, as the Rebels enter a nine-game home swing that carries into the opener of a grueling SEC slate that begins with Alabama from Mar. 6-8.
While the Rebels will have eight non-conference midweeks after the Alabama series, this stretch marks a critical period for the Rebels. The first four series to open SEC play are against top-10 opponents - Alabama, Texas, Oklahoma and Tennessee. The six remaining non-conference games prior to March 6 have added importance in the face of 12 very challenging SEC games. The Rebels launched their historic 2025 season on the back of a season-opening SEC series victory over then No. 10 Arkansas.
ACT TWO
Persy Llamas took the SEC by storm as a freshman and returns to anchor an offense with plenty of potent bats in 2026. Llamas not only hit .354 with 10 home runs, 10 doubles and 55 RBI last season, while striking out only 11 times, but also matched teammate Aliyah Binford in setting a new single-season RBI record at Ole Miss. Llamas also shined defensively, tallying a .993 fielding percentage at first base which has already put her among the Rebels all-time best.
Her efforts across the postseason were heroic. Llamas went from hitting a three-run blast against No. 4 Florida in the SEC Tournament win, to tallying three home runs in three games against No. 12 Arizona to secure the NCAA Regional, to driving in the first two runs ever scored by the Rebels in a Women's College World Series against No. 16 Oregon. Llamas took home All-SEC Second Team and NFCA All-South Region Second Team honors following the season.
As a result of her achievements, the nation has paid attention in 2026. Llamas was recently tabbed to the All-SEC Preseason Team, as well as earning a top-100 player and top-10 player at first base nod from Softball America this offseason. This season, Llamas has kept pace, hitting a sizzling .414 with three home runs and 18 RBI through 16 games, headlined by a walk-off double in a win over Miami.
A STAR IS BORN
After multiple NFCA All-Region honorees from last season's freshman class, the Rebels have unearthed another freshman star in Madi George.
George has quickly taken over as the cleanup hitter in the early portion of her college career, hitting .435 with four home runs, seven total extra-base hits, 17 RBI and 10 walks.
A natural first baseman who has seen most of her time split between right field and designated player thus far, George is following in a similar path as the Rebels current first baseman, sophomore Persy Llamas, who went on to a very successful freshman season. Llamas hit .370 with two home runs and 17 RBI through her first 16 collegiate games last season.
WHITTEN IN STONE
Pitcher Lilly Whitten made history on Friday, Feb. 13, becoming just the sixth Rebel to ever throw a solo no-hitter, joining Brittany Barnhill, Aliyah Binford, Miali Guachino, Carly Hummel (twice) and Becky Nye. Additionally, she became part of just the ninth no-hitter of any kind in program history.
Whitten was thoroughly dominant in the 8-0 win over Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, striking out three batters and commanding the circle. It has been a sterling start to Whitten's Ole Miss career, going 3-0 with a 2.10 ERA so far.
RETURN OF THE MACK
Another breakout star for the Rebels in 2025 was the dynamic Mackenzie Pickens, who stepped right into a key middle infield role and shined en route to NFCA All-South Region Third Team honors. This season, Pickens will take on an even bigger role on both sides of the ball.
Pickens delivered a sensational debut season in Oxford, hitting .328 with eight home runs, 10 doubles, 37 RBI and 12 stolen bases. That play has carried over into 2026 thus far, as Pickens opened the season hitting .400 with four home runs and 16 RBI. Pickens matched the single-game program record with six RBI in a win over Mercer on Feb. 22.
Pickens delivered signature moments in both the 2025 SEC Tournament and 2025 NCAA Tournament. Her 8th inning, three-run blast helped the Rebels break the deadlock and win a thriller over No. 4 Florida in the SEC Tournament, while her 2-for-3 performance with a first inning home run helped the Rebels clinch the Tucson Regional against No. 12 Arizona in a decisive game three.
SCOUTING CENTRAL ARKANSAS
The Bears entered the 2026 season with a new look, as longtime head coach Jenny Parsons retired. However, her former assistant Kayla Lucas leads the 9-6 Bears into Oxford for the first time since 2021.
Lucas is now a head coach again after spending five seasons at Division II Young Harris, where she coached the Mountain Lions to four NCAA Division II Softball National Tournaments, including an appearance in the National Championship game in 2019
Central Arkansas' lineup is balanced on offense, but the main power threat is graduate student Emma Robertson, who joined the program via Houston. Robertson is hitting .293 with a team-high three home runs and 13 RBI. Trinity Brandon, a senior transfer from Lamar, has provided a spark to the Bears offense, hitting .360 with seven doubles and nine RBI.
Sophomore Addie Graham, who faced the Rebels in Lafayette, La., last season, is riding an eight-game hit streak into Oxford and hitting .340 with eight stolen bases thus far.
Once again, the Rebels could face a dynamic freshman pitcher, as Central Arkansas has been buoyed by the freshman Jaleigh White, who is 3-0 with a 1.64 ERA (21.1 IP) with 15 strikeouts. Graduate student Bailie Runner, who faced the Rebels last season is also back, leading the team in innings pitched with 37.0 IP, while going 5-2 with a 2.65 ERA and 19 strikeouts.
The Bears have shined in Conway thus far, going 4-2, but are just 5-4 outside of Conway, including 0-2 in true road games so far.
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.
For all Ole Miss softball news and information, go to OleMissSports.com and follow the Rebels on Twitter at @OleMissSoftball, on Facebook at Ole Miss Softball and on Instagram at @olemisssoftball. Also, follow head coach Jamie Trachsel on Twitter at @Jamie_Trachsel.
Players Mentioned
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RHP/INF
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INF
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RHP
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LHP/UT
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INF
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RHP
/ SoftballHIGHLIGHTS: Softball vs. Miami (2/16/26)
Monday, February 16
Persy Llamas Walk-Off vs. Miami
Monday, February 16
HIGHLIGHTS: SB at UL (02-14-2026)
Saturday, February 14
Madi George's Home Run at UL
Saturday, February 14