Around the Diamond: No. 23 Ole Miss looks for fourth SEC series win, hosts No. 9 Vanderbilt

Tuesday wasn’t the typical midweek game for Ole Miss baseball. 

The Rebels were reeling, having dropped three of their last four, including an ugly road trip to middling South Carolina over the weekend. 

Ole Miss rallied twice to take down in-state rival Mississippi State, 8-7, in a rare Rebel win in the annual Governor’s Cup. Austin Fawley brought the No. 23-ranked Rebels back from the brink with a game-tying, two-run home run in the ninth inning. Will Furniss walked the win off with a single in extra innings.

Ole Miss (29-12, 10-8 SEC) has now surpassed its win total from last season. The Rebels will go for their fourth SEC series win against No. 9 Vanderbilt (30-11, 11-7) starting Friday — which would match their combined total from the past two seasons. 

The Rebels sit just outside the hosting picture, according to both D1Baseball and Baseball America. They’re a projected 2-seed in the Conway, South Carolina Regional.

Ole Miss is sticking with LHP Hunter Elliott and RHPs Riley Maddox and Mason Nichols — in that order — as its weekend rotation. Elliott (5-2, 4.04 ERA) opposes Vanderbilt LHP JD Thompson (3-3, 3.95 ERA). Reliever Mason Morris hasn’t allowed an earned run over his last three outings and 12 total innings. He’s struck out 20.

First pitch against the Commodores is set for 6:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.

HOW TO WATCH

Television/Online: SEC Network+
Play-by-Play: Richard Cross (Friday, Sunday); Clay Matvick (Saturday)
Color: Keith Kessinger (Friday, Sunday); David Dellucci (Saturday)

HOW TO LISTEN

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

SERIES HISTORY

Ole Miss is 72-66-2 all-time against Vanderbilt. 

The series dates all the way back to 1900. The Commodores have won each of the last four meetings, including a sweep of Ole Miss in Nashville in 2023.

Ole Miss and Vanderbilt are playing in Oxford for the first time in four years. They’ll be facing off on the weekend of the Double Decker Arts Festival, which annually turns The Square into a multi-day concert venue.

SCOUTING VANDERBILT

Vanderbilt has won four straight SEC games following a sweep of then-ranked No. 5 Georgia last week.

Slugger Riley Nelson over his last six games is 12 for 23 (.522) with two home runs, a triple, double, five RBI and seven runs scored. Braden Holcomb over that same span is hitting .458 with three home runs, a double and 10 RBI. 

Brodie Johnston leads the team with 12 RBI in over the last six. He has three homers to go along with three doubles. Jonathan Vastine is hitting .323 in 18 SEC games with three home runs, a double and 11 RBI. Jonathan Vastine is hitting .323 in 18 SEC games with three home runs, a double and 11 RBI.

The Commodore pitching staff has a collective 3.69 ERA — good for 10th in Division-l and the best mark in the SEC. Vanderbilt pitchers have recorded double-digit strikeouts in 30 of 41 games this season. They rank No. 2 nationally in hits allowed per nine innings (6.90) and they’re third in strikeouts per nine (12.0). 

Vanderbilt has tallied five shutouts so far, the most in the SEC. They’re No. 4 in college baseball in fielding percentage (.983). Tim Corbin is in his 23rd season as Vanderbilt head coach.

AROUND THE DIAMOND

Ole Miss veteran third baseman has reached base in all but two of his 39 games this season. He’s riding a 25-game on-base streak. … The Rebels lead the SEC in walks drawn (257). … Ole Miss has had one of the SEC’s top offenses in conference play. The Rebels are second in hits (179), RBI (127), total bases (326) and walks (99). They’re third in batting average (.281), slugging percentage (.513), on-base percentage (.387), runs scored (133) and home runs (36).

The Rebels have stolen 58 bases in 2025, their highest total since 2019. … Hayden Federico is one stolen base shy of tying the Ole Miss freshman single-season record (12) set by Jordan Henry in 2007. … Ole Miss has hit 80 home runs this season, seventh-most in the NCAA and fourth-most in the SEC. … The Rebels are seventh in the nation in home runs per game (1.95). … Their pitchers are No. 7 nationally in K/9 (11.4).