How It Happened: Ole Miss Baseball Falls to Memphis Tigers in Stunning Midweek Loss

Mike Bianco and Co. fall in Memphis, split the season series with the Tigers after Tuesday night loss.

The Ole Miss baseball team prior to taking the field against Wright State on March 1, 2025. | Ole Miss Athletics

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Ole Miss baseball dropped its midweek matchup to Memphis, 6-2, Tuesday evening.

Collin Reuter reached base three times for the Rebels (19-7) with two singles and a walk, scoring a run. Daniel Pacella and Owen Paino each recorded an RBI.

Owen Kelly got the start on the mound for Ole Miss, working a season-high 3.1 innings. He allowed five hits and two earned runs. Memphis' (7-16) Jacob Dienes picked up the win.

Dom Decker recorded Ole Miss' first hit of the day and proceeded to traverse the bases off a single. Owen Paino flied to center field as Decker sat at third to score the opening run.

The Tigers scored their first runs of the day in the fourth inning following a sacrifice bunt that placed runners in scoring position, and a ball lasered to left on the next at-bat to drive them in. Memphis upped its lead to three runs following a two-run homer the next inning.

Reuter extended his team-leading run total to 33 on the season in the top of the seventh. Pacella recorded the groundout RBI with the bases loaded as the Rebels decreased the Tiger lead to two runs.

Ole Miss Rebels Baseball.

The tides looked to turn in the eighth after a reversed call at first gave Reuter a hit, forcing a Memphis pitching change. However, a strikeout on the next at-bat closed the door.

Memphis added two insurance runs in its half of the inning with a solo homer from Michael Gupton and a groundout RBI with one out.

“I think there’s enough blame to go around,” Bianco said. “I think we were just really bad and, disappointing. Disappointed in the effort. Obviously, it’s on me. I am the head coach, so I’m embarrassed. We came all the way up here and played like this.

“We got to put this behind us. But this, this one tastes bad,” Bianco added. “We didn’t do anything to win the baseball game on either side of the ball. So, we got to put it behind us. Get ready to play baseball.”

Ole Miss hosts in-state rival Mississippi State this weekend, starting Friday afternoon.

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