The Ole Miss Rebels saw their 2026 College World Series run end on a humid night in Omaha, falling 12-8 to the Troy Trojans. The loss capped a 41-23 season that featured the team's seventh appearance on the national stage under longtime coach Mike Bianco.
From the outset, the Rebels showed they could strike first. A timely RBI single by Judd Utermark, set up by Dom Decker’s hustle on a two-base error, put Ole Miss ahead early. The momentum shifted when Brayden Randle launched his fourth homer of the season, extending the lead to 4-2, and Collin Reuter followed with a two-run blast that pushed the advantage to 6-2.
Pitcher Hunter Elliott worked 4.2 innings, surrendering five runs on five hits while striking out nine, but the Trojans answered back in the second with a two-run homer to knot the game at 2-2. The contest remained tightly contested, with both sides trading blows through the middle innings.
Troy’s resilience shone in the seventh, where a leadoff homer tied the score at 6-6 before a flurry of hits produced a 9-6 edge. Ole Miss narrowed the gap in the bottom of the seventh when Austin Fawley drove in a run, but the Trojans pulled away with three more runs in the eighth, highlighted by Will Furniss’s ninth homer of the tournament.
A Season of Promise
Despite the final tally, the Rebels’ offense was potent, finishing 6-for-14 with two home runs and five RBI from the trio of Fawley, Randle, and Reuter. Pitcher JP Robertson took the loss after allowing two earned runs in 1.2 innings, and Hayden Federico contributed a timely RBI single. The 2026 campaign will be remembered for its high‑octane hitting and the steady guidance of Bianco, who continues to shape Ole Miss into a perennial contender.