Ole Miss Travels to Alabama in Critical Final SEC Regular-Season Series

The Rebels are gearing up for another critical weekend series.

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

No. 15 Ole Miss (35-18, 14-13 SEC) heads to Tuscaloosa for a final-weekend showdown with No. 18 Alabama (35-17, 16-11), giving the Rebels one last opportunity in the regular season to strengthen their resume and carry momentum into the SEC Tournament.

With the middle of the conference standings tightly packed, tonight's opener carries significant weight for both clubs. The Rebels enter in ninth place in the SEC and need to move up one spot to avoid playing on the opening day of the SEC Tournament.

It also gives the Rebels a chance to secure their 15th conference win, moving them within one of the 16 victories most experts believe would be enough to host an NCAA Regional in Oxford.

Ole Miss Pitching Advantage

May 31, 2025; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels starting pitcher Hunter Elliott (26) pitches during the second inning against the Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images | Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Hunter Elliott looked like his old self again last weekend, continuing the strong finishing form that has marked his career. The Rebel ace owns a 7-2 career record with a 2.13 ERA in the month of May, and he reinforced that track record a week ago by tossing six innings with 11 strikeouts in a win over Texas A&M.

The Rebels also boast a red-hot closer in Walker Hooks, who leads the SEC in ERA (1.91), saves (7) and appearances (16) during conference play.

While the Crimson Tide are known for their defense, anchored by top-ranked shortstop prospect Justin Lebron, Elliot and company will need to be in top form against Alabama's top hitters. Brady Neal leads the team with a .341 batting average while Lebron also headlines the lineup with 13 home runs.

Players to Watch

With the pressure of chasing the program record for career home runs behind him, Judd Utermark enters the weekend focused on one thing: winning games.

"My job here is to try to win games, and if my job is to hit home runs to help us win those games, then that's what I'm going to do," Utermark said. "I'm glad it's off my back so we can focus on winning games."

He's not the only power bat to catch fire in May. Austin Fawley has also been scorching at the plate, going 10-for-22 with five home runs this month.

Key Matchup for the Weekend

It starts with getting on base, and leadoff hitter Dom Decker has embraced his role, hitting .545 with three stolen bases and two RBIs in last weekend's series win over Texas A&M, giving Ole Miss a boost at the top of the order.

Ole Miss has the pitching depth to control games once settled in, making fast starts offensively especially important against Alabama this weekend. Miss is 20-6 when scoring first, and the magic number may be six. The Rebels are 16-1 when scoring between six and nine runs in a game.

Ole Miss enters the series playing some of its best baseball of the season, but a road trip to Tuscaloosa presents one final test before postseason play begins next week. With SEC Tournament positioning and regional hosting implications still in play, every inning will carry extra weight this weekend.

First pitch is scheduled for May 14 at 6 p.m. and broadcast on SECN+

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