Around the Diamond: Annual Kids Day on deck for now-No. 11 Ole Miss baseball

by:Ben Garrett•04/14/25•

SpiritBen

GNzU5HXWUAASC3U — Ole Miss infielder Luke Hill. Credit: Ole Miss athletics

Ole Miss baseball on Monday inexplicably fell out of every national Top 10 poll after losing a series by three runs to a higher ranked team.

But the now-No. 11 Rebels (27-9, 9-6 SEC) press on.

Ole Miss is sitting sixth in the SEC and has already matched its win total from last season. The Rebels next host Little Rock (15-19, 5-6 OVC) Tuesday morning for the annual Kids Day game.

First pitch is set for 11 a.m. CT. Freshman RHP Cade Townsend (1-0, 7.24 ERA) will face off against Little Rock RHP Zach Busick (0-0, 9.00 ERA).

“We played well and, overall, when we look at 15 (SEC) games, certainly you feel we left some stuff on the table,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said on Sunday. “We could have closed out a few more and been put in a little different spot.

“I think our better days are in front of us.”

The first Kids Day was held nearly a decade ago.

Every year since Ole Miss for one midweek game welcomes thousands of local students, teachers, chaperones and bus drivers to Swayze Field. All are granted complimentary admission.

The Rebels last year drew some 7,000 for a win over North Alabama.

HOW TO WATCH

TV/Online: SEC Network+
Play-by-Play: Jake Hromada
Color: Matt McLaughlin

HOW TO LISTEN

Radio: Ole Miss Radio Network
Play-by-Play: David Kellum
Color: Brad Henderson

SCOUTING LITTLE ROCK

Little Rock has won five straight games, including a three-game sweep of Morehead State over the weekend.

The Trojans are led offensively by Ryan Geck, who leads the team in five separate categories and is tied for the team lead in another (home runs). He’s first in batting average (.336), slugging percentage (.493), RBI (31) and doubles (9).

Cooper Chaplain has a team-best nine stolen bases. Jack Cline tops Little Rock in ERA (3.63), innings pitched (51.0) and wins (6). Jackson Wells has the most strikeouts (48).

Get the On3 Top 10 to your inbox every morning

By clicking "Subscribe to Newsletter", I agree to On3's Privacy Notice, Terms, and use of my personal information described therein.

Chris Curry is in his 11th season as Little Rock head coach. Ole Miss leads the all-time series, 22-5. The teams last met in February of 2024. Ole Miss came out on top, 12-6.

NUKE HILL

Ole Miss de-facto captain Luke Hill is riding a 14-game hit streak and 20-game on-base streak. Hill has 24 hits in his last 58 at-bats (.414), including two home runs, 21 runs scored, 13 RBI and 13 walks.

Hill hit his seventh home run of the season in the Rebels’ win over Tennessee on Saturday. As he rounded third to come home he turned to the Volunteer dugout and flashed the Ole Miss logo across his chest.

“Fastball up, I just swatted at it and it went over the wall,” Hill said. “That’s it. I just went up there and was like, ‘I’m going to get after it first pitch.’ He left it up there and I was able to capitalize.”

Hill has 31 walks, the most of all Rebels.

Ole Miss over its last 16 games have drawn 110 walks. The Rebels lead the SEC in total walks (230). They’re 6.39 per game. Ole Miss walked 18 times in a win over Jackson State April 1. The Rebels fell just one shy of the program record set last season.