The University of Mississippi Athletics
Tuesday, March 10
Florence, Ala.
5 PM
Ole Miss
at
North Alabama
Softball Set for Tuesday Night Battle at North Alabama
3/9/2026 | Softball
OXFORD, Miss. – The Ole Miss softball program heads back out on the road for a four-game swing that begins with a midweek clash against North Alabama on Tuesday.
The Rebels (18-8, 0-3 SEC) will matchup with the Lions (17-4, 0-0 ASUN) on Tuesday at 5 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed via ESPN Plus.
LEADING OFF
HIT THE ROAD
The Rebels have eight non-conference midweeks remaining as SEC play gets into full gear, with each game generating added importance in the face of at least three more series against top-10 opponents.
The Rebels have already filled the schedule with road opportunities, going 10-5 outside of Oxford, with Tuesday marking the highest RPI ranked non-conference opponent left on the schedule.
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.
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 .430 with five home runs and 26 RBI through 26 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 .993 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 .417 with seven home runs, 10 total extra-base hits, 23 RBI and 15 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 .377 with four home runs and 31 RBI through her first 26 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 opened the season hitting .333 with six home runs and 24 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 NORTH ALABAMA
The North Alabama Lions continue to surge since arriving at the Division I level and are having one of its best season's yet under head coach Ashley Cozart, who has guided the transition from Division II.
At 17-4, the Lions have found a number of ways to win, only dropping games to Troy, Lindenwood, Belmont and South Alabama as North Alabama is set for its final two midweeks before opening ASUN play against Central Arkansas.
Offensively, the Lions are a more powerful group than in 2025's meeting and are led by Miami transfer Holly Merritt and returning junior Briley Dover. Merritt leads her side with eight home runs and 31 RBI on .424 hitting, while Dover leads the Lions in batting average at .465 with six home runs and 25 RBI.
The Lions are primarily led by returning senior Katie Simon and fifth-year lefty Alivia Wilken in the circle, who have seen the bulk of the action thus far. Simon is 7-0 with a 2.35 ERA (44.2 IP), while Wilken is 6-3 with a 2.83 ERA (47.0 IP) and 40 strikeouts.
North Alabama and Ole Miss have one common opponent in UT Martin, as the Lions earned an 8-4 victory over the Skyhawks on Feb. 22.
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 (18-8, 0-3 SEC) will matchup with the Lions (17-4, 0-0 ASUN) on Tuesday at 5 p.m. CT. The game will be streamed via ESPN Plus.
LEADING OFF
- Ole Miss hits the road following a 10-game homestand, competing in a Tuesday night showdown at North Alabama.
- The Rebels are making the first trip to Florence in program history. North Alabama is also returning to Oxford in April.
- Freshman Madi George has been the breakout star of the season thus far, hitting a sizzling .417 with a team-high seven home runs and 15 walks, while adding 23 RBI through the first 26 games of her career.
- Sophomore Persy Llamas remains scorching hot as well, hitting .430 through the first 26 games with five home runs and 26 RBI. Llamas leads the team with 37 hits.
- Taylor Roman remains red-hot for the Rebels, tallying an RBI single against No. 4 Alabama to extend her on-base streak to 12 straight games. It's the longest streak by a Rebel this season and the longest of her career.
- Defense has become paramount for the Rebels, who are 12-1 when they don't make an error, versus 6-7 when making one or more errors.
- In addition to a quick .375 start at the plate in SEC play, junior Cassie Reasner has rapidly improved on defense, leading the SEC in infield assists.
HIT THE ROAD
The Rebels have eight non-conference midweeks remaining as SEC play gets into full gear, with each game generating added importance in the face of at least three more series against top-10 opponents.
The Rebels have already filled the schedule with road opportunities, going 10-5 outside of Oxford, with Tuesday marking the highest RPI ranked non-conference opponent left on the schedule.
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.
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 .430 with five home runs and 26 RBI through 26 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 .993 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 .417 with seven home runs, 10 total extra-base hits, 23 RBI and 15 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 .377 with four home runs and 31 RBI through her first 26 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 opened the season hitting .333 with six home runs and 24 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 NORTH ALABAMA
The North Alabama Lions continue to surge since arriving at the Division I level and are having one of its best season's yet under head coach Ashley Cozart, who has guided the transition from Division II.
At 17-4, the Lions have found a number of ways to win, only dropping games to Troy, Lindenwood, Belmont and South Alabama as North Alabama is set for its final two midweeks before opening ASUN play against Central Arkansas.
Offensively, the Lions are a more powerful group than in 2025's meeting and are led by Miami transfer Holly Merritt and returning junior Briley Dover. Merritt leads her side with eight home runs and 31 RBI on .424 hitting, while Dover leads the Lions in batting average at .465 with six home runs and 25 RBI.
The Lions are primarily led by returning senior Katie Simon and fifth-year lefty Alivia Wilken in the circle, who have seen the bulk of the action thus far. Simon is 7-0 with a 2.35 ERA (44.2 IP), while Wilken is 6-3 with a 2.83 ERA (47.0 IP) and 40 strikeouts.
North Alabama and Ole Miss have one common opponent in UT Martin, as the Lions earned an 8-4 victory over the Skyhawks on Feb. 22.
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
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INF
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LHP/UT
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INF
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INF
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UT
/ SoftballHIGHLIGHTS: Softball vs.Alabama Game 3(3/8/26)
Sunday, March 08
HIGHLIGHTS: Softball vs.Alabama Game 2(03/06/26)
Friday, March 06
HIGHLIGHTS: Softball vs.Alabama Game 1(03/06/26)
Friday, March 06
HIGHLIGHTS: Softball vs.UT Martin(3/03/26)
Tuesday, March 03