Ole Miss Baseball Cruises to Series-Clinching Win Over Wright State

The Ole Miss Rebels easily secured a series-clinching win over the Wright State Raiders on Saturday.

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

OXFORD -- The No. 24 Ole Miss Rebels easily secured a series-clinching win over the Wright State Raiders on Saturday by a final score of 8-3.

Ole Miss (9-1) has now won eight straight games dating back to its opening weekend in Arlington, and the Rebels rode an early offensive onslaught to the blowout result, pushing across a combined seven runs in the first two innings.

The biggest moments of that early push at the plate came from a pair of two-run home runs from left fielder Ryan Moerman (4) and first baseman Judd Utermark (4) in the bottom of the first. Hayden Federico then brought home a run on a bunt single in the second followed by Owen Paino scoring on a wild pitch in that same inning. A Luke Hill single provided the third and final run of the second inning.

Both teams were held scoreless through the third and fourth innings, but Ole Miss was able to scratch across another run in the fifth off the bat of center fielder Isaac Humphrey who singled to right field and scored Moerman. That marked the Rebels' final run of the day.

On the hill, Ole Miss gave the ball to right-hander Riley Maddox for the start. Maddox worked five complete innings and faced one batter in the sixth before surrendering an infield single that pulled him from the game. He surrendered two hits and four walks while striking out five, but he was not responsible for a run despite the base traffic.

Maddox was relieved by Ryne Rodriguez in the sixth who allowed one baserunner but stranded both his and Maddox's man on the corners in that frame. Landon Walters entered on the mound in the seventh and surrendered one run on an RBI double, and Sam Tookoian handled pitching duties in the eighth and also gave up a run on an RBI double to make Ole Miss' advantage 8-2.

Gunnar Dennis came into the game in the ninth inning and closed things out on the mound for Ole Miss while allowing a Wright State run on an error by second baseman Brayden Randle that brought the score to its final 8-3 tally.

The Rebels will look to extend their winning streak to nine games on Sunday when they face Wright State in the series finale at Swayze Field. First pitch is slated for 1:30 p.m. CT on SEC Network+.