SEC Tournament Opener Delivers Drama
Under coach Mike Bianco, the No. 17 Ole Miss Rebels fell 10‑8 to the Missouri Tigers in the first round of the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama, in a game that featured six combined home runs and the inaugural use of the Automatic Ball‑Strike System in college baseball.
Dom Decker opened the scoring with a leadoff homer, his third of the season, and Austin Fawley followed with a two‑run blast in the second inning to stake the Rebels to a 2‑0 lead.
Missouri answered in the third with a two‑run homer to tie the game, and in the fifth they surged ahead when Kaden Peer delivered a grand slam, pushing the lead to 7‑2. The Tigers extended their advantage in the sixth as Jace Woita launched a solo homer, making it 8‑6.
Ole Miss rallied in the bottom of the fifth, scoring four runs to cut the deficit to 7‑6, highlighted by Hayden Federico’s two‑run homer that tied the game. The lineup also featured Brayden Randle, Tristan Bissetta, Will Furniss and Owen Paino, who each contributed to the effort before a misplay in right field allowed Missouri to pull ahead again.
In the seventh, Judd Utermark walked and Federico’s two‑run homer knotted the score, but Missouri added two more runs in the eighth, taking advantage of the misplay. The Rebels managed just one baserunner over the final two innings, underscoring the difficulty of mounting a comeback.
The Rebels will learn their NCAA Tournament destination on Selection Monday, a moment that will determine whether their season continues on a national stage.