The University of Mississippi Athletics
Wednesday, March 18
Oxford, Miss.
5 PM
Ole Miss
vs
Louisiana Tech
Softball Opens Homestand, Hosts Louisiana Tech
3/17/2026 | Softball
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss softball program returns home to open a five-game swing at the Ole Miss Softball Stadium, beginning with a Wednesday night matchup against Louisiana Tech.
The Rebels (19-11, 0-6 SEC) will face off with the Bulldogs (17-10, 3-3 CUSA) at 5 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.
LEADING OFF
LOOKING AHEAD
The Rebels have seven non-conference midweeks remaining as SEC play gets into full gear, with each game generating added importance in the face of at least two more series against top-10 opponents.
The Rebels have already filled the schedule with road opportunities, going 11-5 outside of Oxford in non-conference play. The Rebels have 18 games remaining against the current RPI top-25, headlined by three against No. 1 Tennessee.
NATIONAL NODS
The Rebels have earned national recognition has the program gets into March, with three Rebels being tabbed to Softball America's March Position Power Rankings. Leading the charge is freshman Madi George, who was named as the No. 11 utility player in the nation according to Softball America. Persy Llamas was tabbed as the No. 12 first baseman, while Mackenzie Pickens was selected as the No. 14 second baseman in the country.
FINDING THE FORMULA
The Rebels have found their success when the two middle of the order hitters, Persy Llamas and Madi George, are able to drive in runs. The Rebels are 11-3 when Llamas tallies an RBI and 8-8 when she does not, while the Rebels are 13-3 when George tallies an RBI and 6-8 when she does not.
Additionally, if only one of the two drive in a run, the Rebels are 17-5 in those games and 2-6 overall when neither tallies an RBI.
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.
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 .404 with five home runs and 27 RBI through 30 games, headlined by a walk-off double in a win over Miami.
Llamas already has eyes on the all-time record books at Ole Miss, standing just three home runs away from entering the top-10 in program history. Additionally, her .992 fielding percentage at first base has already put her among the Rebels all-time best.
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 .420 with eight home runs, 12 total extra-base hits, 26 RBI and 19 walks. George leads the Rebels in home runs, walks, slugging percentage and OBP.
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 .373 with four home runs and 33 RBI through her first 30 collegiate games last season.
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 is hitting .322 with seven home runs and 25 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 LOUISIANA TECH
After a stretch in which the Bulldogs lost seven of its last eight games, they have rebounded in a big way, as winners of four straight and come to Oxford on the heels of a CUSA sweep of Delaware. Head coach Josh Taylor leads Louisiana Tech in his fifth season at the helm, going 17-10 with a 3-3 CUSA record so far.
The lineup is off to a .319 start as a collective, but is largely built around the run-producing output of redshirt junior Reagan Marchant and freshman Bradi Gallaway. Marchant leads the team with eight home runs and 27 RBI, while hitting .277. Gallaway is having a breakout freshman campaign, hitting .338 with six home runs and 25 RBI. The duo makes up 70 percent of the Bullodgs' home runs and just under 39 percent of the team's RBI.
Redshirt junior Reese Torres, who missed all of last season after transferring from George Washington, has also bounced back in a big way, hitting .369 with three home runs and 21 RBI.
Louisiana Tech is once again led in the circle by the dynamic senior Allie Floyd, who is 7-6 with a 2.50 ERA (78.1 IP), who leads the CUSA in starts with 14. If Floyd pitches, it will mark the fourth time the Rebels have faced her in four seasons. In the last matchup, Floyd was largely undone by Mackenzie Pickens, who went 3-for-3 with a home run, double and five RBI against Floyd.
The remainder of the rotation is young, with freshman Bryannah Campos off to a solid start to lead the group at 4-2 with a 4.44 ERA, holding opposing hitters to a .237 batting average.
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 (19-11, 0-6 SEC) will face off with the Bulldogs (17-10, 3-3 CUSA) at 5 p.m. CT. The game will be televised on the SEC Network.
LEADING OFF
- Ole Miss returns home to open a five-game homestand, beginning with a televised game against Louisiana Tech.
- Louisiana Tech is one of four top-100 RPI non-conference opponents remaining on the schedule for the Rebels.
- Freshman Madi George has been the breakout star of the season thus far, hitting a sizzling .420 with a team-high eight home runs and 19 walks, while adding 26 RBI through the first 30 games of her career.
- Sophomore Persy Llamas remains scorching hot as well, hitting .404 through the first 30 games with five home runs and 27 RBI. Llamas leads the team with 40 hits and seven doubles.
- The Rebels have hit 36 home runs in 2026, averaging 1.20 home runs per game. The Rebels set a program record last season with 67 home runs in 63 games (1.06 per game).
- Defense has become paramount for the Rebels, who are 12-2 when they don't make an error, versus 7-9 when making one or more errors.
- Taylor Roman is in the midst of a breakout campaign in SEC play thus far, hitting .400 with two home runs, a double and six RBI in six games against No. 4 Alabama and No. 2 Texas.
LOOKING AHEAD
The Rebels have seven non-conference midweeks remaining as SEC play gets into full gear, with each game generating added importance in the face of at least two more series against top-10 opponents.
The Rebels have already filled the schedule with road opportunities, going 11-5 outside of Oxford in non-conference play. The Rebels have 18 games remaining against the current RPI top-25, headlined by three against No. 1 Tennessee.
NATIONAL NODS
The Rebels have earned national recognition has the program gets into March, with three Rebels being tabbed to Softball America's March Position Power Rankings. Leading the charge is freshman Madi George, who was named as the No. 11 utility player in the nation according to Softball America. Persy Llamas was tabbed as the No. 12 first baseman, while Mackenzie Pickens was selected as the No. 14 second baseman in the country.
FINDING THE FORMULA
The Rebels have found their success when the two middle of the order hitters, Persy Llamas and Madi George, are able to drive in runs. The Rebels are 11-3 when Llamas tallies an RBI and 8-8 when she does not, while the Rebels are 13-3 when George tallies an RBI and 6-8 when she does not.
Additionally, if only one of the two drive in a run, the Rebels are 17-5 in those games and 2-6 overall when neither tallies an RBI.
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.
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 .404 with five home runs and 27 RBI through 30 games, headlined by a walk-off double in a win over Miami.
Llamas already has eyes on the all-time record books at Ole Miss, standing just three home runs away from entering the top-10 in program history. Additionally, her .992 fielding percentage at first base has already put her among the Rebels all-time best.
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 .420 with eight home runs, 12 total extra-base hits, 26 RBI and 19 walks. George leads the Rebels in home runs, walks, slugging percentage and OBP.
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 .373 with four home runs and 33 RBI through her first 30 collegiate games last season.
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 is hitting .322 with seven home runs and 25 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 LOUISIANA TECH
After a stretch in which the Bulldogs lost seven of its last eight games, they have rebounded in a big way, as winners of four straight and come to Oxford on the heels of a CUSA sweep of Delaware. Head coach Josh Taylor leads Louisiana Tech in his fifth season at the helm, going 17-10 with a 3-3 CUSA record so far.
The lineup is off to a .319 start as a collective, but is largely built around the run-producing output of redshirt junior Reagan Marchant and freshman Bradi Gallaway. Marchant leads the team with eight home runs and 27 RBI, while hitting .277. Gallaway is having a breakout freshman campaign, hitting .338 with six home runs and 25 RBI. The duo makes up 70 percent of the Bullodgs' home runs and just under 39 percent of the team's RBI.
Redshirt junior Reese Torres, who missed all of last season after transferring from George Washington, has also bounced back in a big way, hitting .369 with three home runs and 21 RBI.
Louisiana Tech is once again led in the circle by the dynamic senior Allie Floyd, who is 7-6 with a 2.50 ERA (78.1 IP), who leads the CUSA in starts with 14. If Floyd pitches, it will mark the fourth time the Rebels have faced her in four seasons. In the last matchup, Floyd was largely undone by Mackenzie Pickens, who went 3-for-3 with a home run, double and five RBI against Floyd.
The remainder of the rotation is young, with freshman Bryannah Campos off to a solid start to lead the group at 4-2 with a 4.44 ERA, holding opposing hitters to a .237 batting average.
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
RHP/INF
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
LHP/UT
/ Softball
INF
/ Softball
UT
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