STARKVILLE – A week of Magnolia State matchups continues today as Mississippi State travels north to face rivals Ole Miss in the third SEC series of the season.
The No. 6 Bulldogs head to Oxford with a 21-4 record after a dominant 12-0 run-rule win over No. 11 Southern Miss on Tuesday. It was the 10th game in which the team posted double-digit runs, and the second game in a row after a 17-7 run-rule win to complete a sweep against Vanderbilt on Sunday.
MSU’s offense has lived up to the billing so far this season. The team averages 10.2 runs per game, the sixth-best scoring offense in Division I, with a collective batting average of .347, the third-best in DI.
Head coach Brian O’Connor saw the hot hitting continue with 14 hits to overwhelm USM, and expressed his excitement for getting a first taste of rivalry action in Oxford today.
“I completely understand and love this rivalry,” he said on Tuesday. “It’s going to be an awesome weekend, great crowds, two really outstanding ball clubs. I’ve had an opportunity a number of times to compete against Ole Miss and have the utmost respect for their program. It should just be a great weekend in Oxford. I was proud of our guys that we didn’t look ahead of Southern Miss, I think they’re the No. 1 ranked RPI team in the country, and we took care of business tonight of what’s in front of us, and now we’ll turn our attention to the opportunity we have up in Oxford.”
The opponent
No. 18 Ole Miss (19-7) fell 6-2 to unranked Memphis in its last outing, but has proven to be a difficult opponent so far in 2026. The Rebels took a game off of No. 2 Texas on the road on SEC opening weekend and took the series against No. 15 Kentucky in Oxford last weekend.
Ole Miss has scored 10 or more runs in seven games and has nine games with 10 or more hits. Outfielder Tristan Bisetta leads the team with a .384 batting average, 38 hits, 38 RBI and 14 home runs, and boasts an .859 slugging percentage. Second baseman Judd Utermark has proven to be a deep threat as well with 10 home runs on 29 hits, and together the pair offer plenty of power at the top of the order.
Ole Miss has had some trouble keeping teams off the board this season, but starting pitchers Hunter Elliott and Will Libbert have proven capable starters. Elliott has a 3-0 record in six starts, and has been the starter in Game 1 wins over Texas and Kentucky. He tossed 6.1 shutout innings against the Wildcats, his first scoreless outing and most impressive start of 2026.
With the two reliable starters healthy, the Rebels may have a slight pitching edge as the Bulldogs navigate an injury to their Friday ace.
Bullpen gut check
MSU will be without Friday starter Ryan McPherson, who is sidelined with a mild forearm strain sustained against Vanderbilt on March 20. The sophomore avoided the long-term injury fans feared when he was spotted with a brace at Dudy Noble Field on Tuesday, but O’Connor and pitching coach Justin Parker will have to shuffle the deck while McPherson is out.
Charlie Foster will start Game 1 for the Bulldogs. He began the year as the Sunday starter, but has yet to pitch longer than three innings this season.
Tomas Valincius has proven more than capable as a Saturday starter, earning a spot in the Baseball America national Team of the Week in his SEC debut against Arkansas and posting a career high 14 strikeouts in a win over Vanderbilt last weekend.
Duke Stone has emerged as a strong Sunday starter option, but there has yet to be another arm to separate as a potential starter for the Bulldogs.
A strong bullpen game against the Golden Eagles on Tuesday had several positive outings, notable junior Chris Billingsley, Jr. and freshman Jack Bauer, and MSU has been able to lean on a host of other relievers as well. If the Bulldogs need to piece together two bullpen games, they may just have the firepower to get the job done as long as the offense can put the pressure on the hosts in a hostile environment.
The Bulldogs begin the series today at 6:30 p.m. in Oxford. The game will be broadcast on SEC Network+.
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