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The University of Mississippi Athletics
Tuesday, March 24
Memphis, Tenn.
6 PM
Ole Miss
at
Memphis
No. 18 Baseball Visits Memphis for Road Midweek Contest
3/23/2026 | Baseball
OXFORD, Miss. – No. 18 Ole Miss Baseball (19-6, 3-3 SEC) heads north for a rematch with Memphis (6-16, 1-2 AAC) Tuesday night at FedExPark. First pitch is set for 6 p.m.
LEADING OFF
RHP Owen Kelly (1-0, 3.68 ERA) vs. LHP Logan Rushing (0-1, 7.71 ERA)
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Tuesday's game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Jeff Brightwell (PxP) and Greg Gaston (analyst) on the call.
Fans can listen to all Ole Miss Baseball games, home and away, on the Ole Miss Radio Network with David Kellum (PxP) and Brad Henderson (analyst) on the call.
SCOUTING REPORT
Head coach Matt Riser is in his third season with Memphis' baseball program. He previously served as the head coach at Southeastern Louisiana. In his brief tenure, Memphis has experienced two losing seasons with 10th and ninth place finishes in the AAC.
The Tigers are 6-16 to begin the 2026 campaign. Memphis are coming off a one-win series against Tulane but dropped the latter two games by five and 10 runs, respectively. Tuesday marks the second matchup between the Rebels and Tigers, with Ole Miss claiming a 7-1 victory earlier this month. Ole Miss hit three home runs, two of which came from Judd Utermark, who drove in five of the Rebel runs.
Shane Cox has been an offensive bright spot for the Tigers as he's hit .352 at the plate with two home runs and 15 RBI. He leads the team with 31 hits. James Smith IV is second on the team in hits with 26. Him and Michael Gupton are Memphis' power hitters, knocking six home runs each so far this season. Freddy Rodriguez is a strength on the bases, as he's recorded 14 stolen bases on the year.
Seth Impson and Charlie Smith have been Memphis' midweek starters so far this season. Both pitchers have over a 7.00 ERA and 24 combined strikeouts. Impson earned the win in Memphis' 24-5 dismantling over Little Rock, working two innings and allowing three runs. As a staff, Memphis pitchers have given up 40 homers so far this season, which has been doubled since Ole Miss faced them earlier this month.
WORLD BASEBALL REBS
Ole Miss had two representatives in the recently completed World Baseball Classic, Dylan DeLucia and Josh Mallitz.
DeLucia pitched for Team Italy, making two appearances including a start against Great Britain. Over two outings for the Italians, DeLucia worked 7.2 innings with eight strikeouts and a 2.35 ERA. In the quarterfinals against Puerto Rico, DeLucia worked four scoreless innings and earned a hold for his efforts.
Mallitz made two appearances for Team Israel allowing just two baserunners over two innings of work.
MOVING ON UP
With six strikeouts last Friday against Kentucky, Hunter Elliott moved into fifth all-time in career strikeouts. He most recently passed former Rebels Doug Nikhazy and Scott Bittle
Elliott should be able to move into third place over his next couple of starts, but would have to have a career year to catch MLB veterans Lance Lynn and Drew Pomeranz.
Ole Miss Career Strikeout List
1. Drew Pomeranz 344
2. Lance Lynn 332
3. Jeff Calhoun 282
4. Mark Holliman 281
5. Hunter Elliott 260
6. Doug Nikhazy 259
7. Scott Bittle 257
8. Brett Bukvich 245
FRESH START
Tristan Bissetta is ranked in the top three in multiple categories in the SEC in his first season in the conference. He is tied for first in RBI (38), second in RBI per game (1.52), second in home runs (14), second in hits (38), second in total bases (85), third in slugging percentage (.904), and third in batting average (.404).
Bissetta has four multi-homer games already under his belt, coming against Jackson State, Baylor, Austin Peay, and Kentucky. He had just one in his entire career before coming to Ole Miss.
On February 18 against Jackson State, Bissetta hit two home runs in the third inning, becoming the first Rebel to accomplish the feat in almost a decade. Nick Fortes was the last Rebel to hit two home runs in the same inning, doing so in 2017 against ULM.
He has already surpassed both his home run and RBI totals from 2025.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Judd Utermark now sits at 39 career home runs which is nine shy of the Ole Miss all-time record. He passed 2022 National Champion Kevin Graham in game two of a doubleheader against Evansville and now sits in sole possession of sixth place.
His next home run will put him in a tie for fifth but will also make him just the seventh Rebel to hit 40 home runs in their career.
Ole Miss Career Home Run List
1. Kyle Gordon 48
2. Tim Elko 46
3. Matt Smith & Matt Snyder 41
5. Brad Henderson & Jacob Gonzalez 40
6. Judd Utermark 39
7. Kevin Graham 38
8. Burney Hutchinson & Stephen Head 37
10. David Dellucci & Michael Rosamond 36
EARLY LEAD
Ole Miss is outscoring opponents 103-47 over the first four innings. The Rebels are 14-0 when scoring in the first inning and 11-1 when they are the team that scores first.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW
Brett Moseley and Tate Sirmans each launched a home run for their first collegiate hit Opening Weekend against Nevada. Moseley hit a pinch-hit, two-RBI home run in the eighth inning of game one and Sirmans hit a solo shot in the fourth inning of game two. It was also Sirmans' first career start.
Moseley and Sirmans join a decent sized list of Rebels who hit a home run for their first career hit. Will Furniss and Judd Utermark each hit a pinch-hit home run for their first hits in 2023 when they were freshmen. Austin Fawley also hit a home run for his first career hit as a redshirt freshman at Kentucky in 2024.
BIG GAME HUNTER
Hunter Elliott returns to the Ole Miss rotation as the most experienced pitcher on the staff. He turned in one of the best seasons in Rebel history last year, becoming just the fifth pitcher to record a 10-win, 100-strikeout season finishing with a 10-3 record and 102 punchouts. He also became just the fourth pitcher in program history to record 100+ strikeouts in two different seasons. His 2.94 ERA was the lowest by a Rebel starting pitcher since his freshman season when he finished with an ERA of 2.70.
Elliott is the only returning pitcher in the country to have earned 10+ wins and struck out 100+ hitters in 2025.
BRING THE BOOM
The Ole Miss offense set a new program record for home runs in a season in 2025, crushing 124 home runs. It was just the second time in program history that an Ole Miss team has cracked the 100-home run mark.
The Rebels finished fifth nationally in total home runs, ninth nationally in home runs per game (1.94), and 13th nationally in walks drawn (345). They were one of just four programs in the country to have two 20+ home run hitters and one of six programs to finish with 100+ home runs, 100+ doubles, and 100+ hit by pitches.
There are only 16 returning players who hit 20 or more home runs in 2025 and three of them will be in Ole Miss' Opening Day lineup: Judd Utermark, Austin Fawley, and Daniel Pacella.
BASH BROS
Judd Utermark and Austin Fawley both broke the 20-home run mark in 2025, becoming the first pair of Rebel teammates in program history to each hit 20+ home runs in a single season.
Utermark finished with 22 home runs, the second-most by a Rebel in a single season, just two shy of the program record of 24 set by Tim Elko in 2022.
The 2025 Rebels finished with three hitters with 15+ home runs for the first time in program history and six hitters with 10+ home runs, also for the first time in program history.
IMPROVEMENT ON THE MOUND
In the first season under pitching coach Joel Mangrum, the Ole Miss pitching staff finished sixth nationally in total strikeouts. They struck out 669 hitters, 127 more than their total from 2024, which was the largest increase in the country.
The staff also finished 12th nationally in strikeouts per nine innings, averaging 10.8 strikeouts per game.
PRESEASON AWARDS
Hunter Elliott has been one of the most decorated players heading into the 2026 season. He was named to the 2026 Golden Spikes Award Watch List and earned Preseason All-America honors from the NCBWA, Perfect Game, D1Baseball, The Diamond Report, and Just Baseball Media. He was also named to the Preseason All-SEC Team that is voted on by the league's head coaches.
Judd Utermark was named a Preseason All-American by the NCBWA and Will Furniss was named to the Preseason All-SEC Team at first base. Austin Fawley was one of 10 catchers in the country to make the 2026 Buster Posey Preseason Watch List.
NEW FACES IN THE DUGOUT
Ole Miss added 19 new faces to the roster for the 2026 season, 10 transfers and nine freshmen. With 21 overall letterwinners lost from the 2025 season, the newest Rebels will look to make an immediate impact on the field.
Daniel Pacella and Tristan Bissetta, both Division I transfers, will man the corner outfield positions in 2026. Pacella comes from Illinois State where he hit .310 with 48 home runs over 107 games for the Redbirds. He hit 20 home runs in 2025, the second-most in program history. Bissetta spent his first three seasons at Clemson, hitting .266 over 87 games. He hit .298 in 2024 before his 2025 season was cut short by an arm injury.
Dom Decker will be injected into the infield after having a breakout season with Murray State in 2025. He started in 60 games for the Racers, hitting .351 with an on-base percentage of .496 which was top 40 in the NCAA.
Wil Libbert opens the season as the third member of the weekend rotation after spending his two seasons at Missouri. He worked 53.2 innings over 11 starts in 2025, striking out 55 hitters and posting a record of 3-4.
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 went 3-1 last week, defeating Austin Peay in the midweek and taking two of three games from Kentucky.
- Tristan Bissetta had two multi-home run games last week, hitting five home runs over four games.
- He hit his 12th and 13th home runs on Friday against Kentucky, becoming the fastest Rebel in program history to reach the 13-home run mark, doing it in just 23 games.
- Bissetta comes into the week tied for first in RBI (38), second in RBI per game (1.52), second in home runs (14), second in hits (38), and second in total bases (85).
- Judd Utermark is ranked third in the SEC in runs scored (32), fourth in runs per game (1.28), and ninth in home runs (10).
- Utermark and Bissetta have combined to hit 24 of Ole Miss' 46 (52.2%) home runs this season.
- Dom Decker is ranked second in the SEC and 10th in the NCAA in walks with 27. He is averaging 1.08 walks per game.
- Hunter Elliott is ranked 12th in the SEC in strikeouts with 44 punchouts on the season. His K/9 sits at 12.77 which is 10th in the SEC.
- Ole Miss has pitched two shutouts this season, one against Ohio State and one against Kentucky. Taylor Rabe has worked the back end of both of those shutouts, taking over for the starting pitcher and closing out the game.
- The Ole Miss pitching staff has struck out 293 batters, second-most in the SEC and fourth in the NCAA.
- Ole Miss will host No. 6 Mississippi State this weekend for their second-consecutive home SEC series.
RHP Owen Kelly (1-0, 3.68 ERA) vs. LHP Logan Rushing (0-1, 7.71 ERA)
BROADCAST INFORMATION
Tuesday's game will be streamed live on ESPN+ with Jeff Brightwell (PxP) and Greg Gaston (analyst) on the call.
Fans can listen to all Ole Miss Baseball games, home and away, on the Ole Miss Radio Network with David Kellum (PxP) and Brad Henderson (analyst) on the call.
SCOUTING REPORT
Head coach Matt Riser is in his third season with Memphis' baseball program. He previously served as the head coach at Southeastern Louisiana. In his brief tenure, Memphis has experienced two losing seasons with 10th and ninth place finishes in the AAC.
The Tigers are 6-16 to begin the 2026 campaign. Memphis are coming off a one-win series against Tulane but dropped the latter two games by five and 10 runs, respectively. Tuesday marks the second matchup between the Rebels and Tigers, with Ole Miss claiming a 7-1 victory earlier this month. Ole Miss hit three home runs, two of which came from Judd Utermark, who drove in five of the Rebel runs.
Shane Cox has been an offensive bright spot for the Tigers as he's hit .352 at the plate with two home runs and 15 RBI. He leads the team with 31 hits. James Smith IV is second on the team in hits with 26. Him and Michael Gupton are Memphis' power hitters, knocking six home runs each so far this season. Freddy Rodriguez is a strength on the bases, as he's recorded 14 stolen bases on the year.
Seth Impson and Charlie Smith have been Memphis' midweek starters so far this season. Both pitchers have over a 7.00 ERA and 24 combined strikeouts. Impson earned the win in Memphis' 24-5 dismantling over Little Rock, working two innings and allowing three runs. As a staff, Memphis pitchers have given up 40 homers so far this season, which has been doubled since Ole Miss faced them earlier this month.
WORLD BASEBALL REBS
Ole Miss had two representatives in the recently completed World Baseball Classic, Dylan DeLucia and Josh Mallitz.
DeLucia pitched for Team Italy, making two appearances including a start against Great Britain. Over two outings for the Italians, DeLucia worked 7.2 innings with eight strikeouts and a 2.35 ERA. In the quarterfinals against Puerto Rico, DeLucia worked four scoreless innings and earned a hold for his efforts.
Mallitz made two appearances for Team Israel allowing just two baserunners over two innings of work.
MOVING ON UP
With six strikeouts last Friday against Kentucky, Hunter Elliott moved into fifth all-time in career strikeouts. He most recently passed former Rebels Doug Nikhazy and Scott Bittle
Elliott should be able to move into third place over his next couple of starts, but would have to have a career year to catch MLB veterans Lance Lynn and Drew Pomeranz.
Ole Miss Career Strikeout List
1. Drew Pomeranz 344
2. Lance Lynn 332
3. Jeff Calhoun 282
4. Mark Holliman 281
5. Hunter Elliott 260
6. Doug Nikhazy 259
7. Scott Bittle 257
8. Brett Bukvich 245
FRESH START
Tristan Bissetta is ranked in the top three in multiple categories in the SEC in his first season in the conference. He is tied for first in RBI (38), second in RBI per game (1.52), second in home runs (14), second in hits (38), second in total bases (85), third in slugging percentage (.904), and third in batting average (.404).
Bissetta has four multi-homer games already under his belt, coming against Jackson State, Baylor, Austin Peay, and Kentucky. He had just one in his entire career before coming to Ole Miss.
On February 18 against Jackson State, Bissetta hit two home runs in the third inning, becoming the first Rebel to accomplish the feat in almost a decade. Nick Fortes was the last Rebel to hit two home runs in the same inning, doing so in 2017 against ULM.
He has already surpassed both his home run and RBI totals from 2025.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Judd Utermark now sits at 39 career home runs which is nine shy of the Ole Miss all-time record. He passed 2022 National Champion Kevin Graham in game two of a doubleheader against Evansville and now sits in sole possession of sixth place.
His next home run will put him in a tie for fifth but will also make him just the seventh Rebel to hit 40 home runs in their career.
Ole Miss Career Home Run List
1. Kyle Gordon 48
2. Tim Elko 46
3. Matt Smith & Matt Snyder 41
5. Brad Henderson & Jacob Gonzalez 40
6. Judd Utermark 39
7. Kevin Graham 38
8. Burney Hutchinson & Stephen Head 37
10. David Dellucci & Michael Rosamond 36
EARLY LEAD
Ole Miss is outscoring opponents 103-47 over the first four innings. The Rebels are 14-0 when scoring in the first inning and 11-1 when they are the team that scores first.
WELCOME TO THE SHOW
Brett Moseley and Tate Sirmans each launched a home run for their first collegiate hit Opening Weekend against Nevada. Moseley hit a pinch-hit, two-RBI home run in the eighth inning of game one and Sirmans hit a solo shot in the fourth inning of game two. It was also Sirmans' first career start.
Moseley and Sirmans join a decent sized list of Rebels who hit a home run for their first career hit. Will Furniss and Judd Utermark each hit a pinch-hit home run for their first hits in 2023 when they were freshmen. Austin Fawley also hit a home run for his first career hit as a redshirt freshman at Kentucky in 2024.
BIG GAME HUNTER
Hunter Elliott returns to the Ole Miss rotation as the most experienced pitcher on the staff. He turned in one of the best seasons in Rebel history last year, becoming just the fifth pitcher to record a 10-win, 100-strikeout season finishing with a 10-3 record and 102 punchouts. He also became just the fourth pitcher in program history to record 100+ strikeouts in two different seasons. His 2.94 ERA was the lowest by a Rebel starting pitcher since his freshman season when he finished with an ERA of 2.70.
Elliott is the only returning pitcher in the country to have earned 10+ wins and struck out 100+ hitters in 2025.
BRING THE BOOM
The Ole Miss offense set a new program record for home runs in a season in 2025, crushing 124 home runs. It was just the second time in program history that an Ole Miss team has cracked the 100-home run mark.
The Rebels finished fifth nationally in total home runs, ninth nationally in home runs per game (1.94), and 13th nationally in walks drawn (345). They were one of just four programs in the country to have two 20+ home run hitters and one of six programs to finish with 100+ home runs, 100+ doubles, and 100+ hit by pitches.
There are only 16 returning players who hit 20 or more home runs in 2025 and three of them will be in Ole Miss' Opening Day lineup: Judd Utermark, Austin Fawley, and Daniel Pacella.
BASH BROS
Judd Utermark and Austin Fawley both broke the 20-home run mark in 2025, becoming the first pair of Rebel teammates in program history to each hit 20+ home runs in a single season.
Utermark finished with 22 home runs, the second-most by a Rebel in a single season, just two shy of the program record of 24 set by Tim Elko in 2022.
The 2025 Rebels finished with three hitters with 15+ home runs for the first time in program history and six hitters with 10+ home runs, also for the first time in program history.
IMPROVEMENT ON THE MOUND
In the first season under pitching coach Joel Mangrum, the Ole Miss pitching staff finished sixth nationally in total strikeouts. They struck out 669 hitters, 127 more than their total from 2024, which was the largest increase in the country.
The staff also finished 12th nationally in strikeouts per nine innings, averaging 10.8 strikeouts per game.
PRESEASON AWARDS
Hunter Elliott has been one of the most decorated players heading into the 2026 season. He was named to the 2026 Golden Spikes Award Watch List and earned Preseason All-America honors from the NCBWA, Perfect Game, D1Baseball, The Diamond Report, and Just Baseball Media. He was also named to the Preseason All-SEC Team that is voted on by the league's head coaches.
Judd Utermark was named a Preseason All-American by the NCBWA and Will Furniss was named to the Preseason All-SEC Team at first base. Austin Fawley was one of 10 catchers in the country to make the 2026 Buster Posey Preseason Watch List.
NEW FACES IN THE DUGOUT
Ole Miss added 19 new faces to the roster for the 2026 season, 10 transfers and nine freshmen. With 21 overall letterwinners lost from the 2025 season, the newest Rebels will look to make an immediate impact on the field.
Daniel Pacella and Tristan Bissetta, both Division I transfers, will man the corner outfield positions in 2026. Pacella comes from Illinois State where he hit .310 with 48 home runs over 107 games for the Redbirds. He hit 20 home runs in 2025, the second-most in program history. Bissetta spent his first three seasons at Clemson, hitting .266 over 87 games. He hit .298 in 2024 before his 2025 season was cut short by an arm injury.
Dom Decker will be injected into the infield after having a breakout season with Murray State in 2025. He started in 60 games for the Racers, hitting .351 with an on-base percentage of .496 which was top 40 in the NCAA.
Wil Libbert opens the season as the third member of the weekend rotation after spending his two seasons at Missouri. He worked 53.2 innings over 11 starts in 2025, striking out 55 hitters and posting a record of 3-4.
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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/ BaseballHIGHLIGHTS: Baseball vs. Kentucky (3/21/26)
Saturday, March 21
PRESSER | Will Furniss - Kentucky Postgame (3/21/26)
Saturday, March 21
PRESSER | Collin Reuter - Kentucky Postgame (3/21/26)
Saturday, March 21
PRESSER | Walker Hooks - Kentucky Postgame (3/21/26)
Saturday, March 21