Ole Miss Baseball Achieves Impressive Feat Following Sweep of Missouri State Bears

OXFORD, Miss. – Home runs from Dom Decker and Judd Utermark helped Ole Miss baseball outlast Missouri State, 3-2, to claim a series sweep Sunday afternoon at Swayze Field.

Decker hit the first home run of his collegiate career in the first inning of the game. The ball sailed 369 feet as the Rebels (8-0) have scored in the first inning in all eight games so far this season.

When Ole Miss found itself down a run late in the game, Utermark’s home run shifted momentum back in the way of the Rebels. They used that energy to pull ahead in the bottom of the eighth after a Brayden Randle single drove in the winning run. Randle has now produced a game winning at-bat twice in the past week, the other was a sacrifice fly against Arkansas State.

Sophomore Wil Libbert had his second impressive Sunday performance as a Rebel. He tied his career high in strikeouts with seven, marking back-to-back weeks he’s done so. He gave up two runs, both earned, but neither hit nor walked any batters.

Collin Reuter had two doubles against the Bears (3-4), his fourth multi-hit game this season. His hits late in the game helped mount Ole Miss’ comeback.

In the leadoff spot, Decker knocked a ball deep to right field on the fifth pitch of his at-bat, securing his first collegiate homer. The last Rebel to hit a leadoff home run to begin a game was Mitchell Sanford on May 31, 2025, against Western Kentucky last season.

Missouri State responded the following inning with a homer of its own against Libbert. The Bears added a run in the top of the fifth after a throwing error advanced a baserunner from second to home.

Walker Hooks relieved Libbert following the fifth inning. Hooks had a strong start to begin his afternoon by fanning the first four batters he faced. The fifth batter flew out to right field and the sixth Bear grounded to third.

After four hitless innings, Reuter broke the streak in the sixth inning with a double to center, his fourth double and fifth multi-base hit this season. He proceeded to third following a deep fly ball but got stranded there in the next at-bat.

Reuter’s hit did manage to create some momentum as Utermark blasted his third home run of the series and sixth of the season. Utermark’s long bomb tied the game at two runs apiece. He has the most home runs by a Rebel through eight games to start a season since at least 2012.

JP Robertson entered the game for Hooks, who finished the day with 2.0 innings pitched, both clean, and a season high four strikeouts. Robertson started on pace with Hooks by fanning his first batter. He allowed one baserunner off a walk but struck out the final batter of the inning.

In the eighth, Reuter doubled again, and Austin Fawley reached on a walk. Randle then cracked a single up the middle which brought Reuter home for the game-winning run.

Robertson hung in the game to close it out. He opened strong with a strikeout on his first batter before a double threatened to tie the game. Robertson leaned on his defense to close the game, as the next two batters flew out and grounded to first to secure the series sweep.

Robertson earned the win for his efforts, the first of his career. Missouri State’s Brock Lucas took the loss.

Ole Miss will look to have its best start since the 2022 national championship season in a midweek matchup against Southeast Missouri State on Feb. 24. The game will be streamed on SECN+.

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