Ole Miss Overmatched In Blowout Loss to Arkansas

The No. 17 Ole Miss Rebels fell to the No. 22 Arkansas Razorbacks on Friday night, unable to find much offense and struggling on the mound in a blowout loss.

Ole Miss baseball coach Mike Bianco talks to players before the game against the Texas Longhorns at the Shriners Children's College Showdown in Arlington, Texas. | Ole Miss Athletic

Ole Miss never gave itself a chance on Friday night, falling 12-2 in seven innings. The Rebels are now 31-16 (11-11).

The Rebels fell into an early hole, and even though Judd Utermark and Austin Fawley cashed in with home runs, Ole Miss never came close to digging its way out.

Hunter Elliot never looked fully in command, and Arkansas took advantage early. The Razorbacks sat on his changeup and punished his mistakes, by crushing three home runs that broke the game open early.

With two outs in the second inning, TJ Pompey delivered the first major blow with a two-out, three-run shot that erupted the crowd in Baum-Walker Stadium. Ole Miss was unable to escape the frame, which immediately flipped the tone of the game.

In the third, Camden Kozeal jumped on another mistake pitch and sent a two-run shot down the right-field line, extending the Razorback lead to 5-0. Kuhio Aloy homered to center field in the fourth and extending the lead to 6-0.

That would end Elliott's day as he finished with 3.0 IP, giving up six earned runs and only two strikeouts.

Offensive Struggles Continue

Ole Miss infielder Topher Jones (7) spits while taking warm up swing during a college baseball game between Ole Miss and Southern Miss at Trustmark Park in Pearl, Miss., on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. Ole Miss defeated Southern Miss 10-3. | Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

After an underwhelming performance Tuesday night against Mississippi State, Ole Miss continued to struggle at the plate. The team struck out 11 times, including nine looking, and failed to put together competitive at-bats for much of the night.

Ole Miss got little production from the top of the order as Hayden Federico, Tristan Bissetta, Judd Utermark and Will Furniss combined to go three-for-fourteen with six strikeouts.

Strikeouts are expected with an offense built to hit the long ball. The more concerning issue is that the hitters who spray the ball and work counts did not perform well tonight. Dom Decker and Topher Jones went 0-for-6 with three strikeouts; without production in those roles, the offense becomes overly home-run dependent.

Saturday provides an opportunity to reset, and even the series as Ole Miss turns to Cade Townsend on the mound. The sophomore enters with a 7-3 record and a 2.33 ERA. If Townsend can provide length and stability early , it could allow the offense to settle in and reestablish the approach that fueled the surge in production during April.

First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. on Saturday and broadcast on SECN+

Sign up to our free newsletter and follow us on Facebook and X for the latest news.