The Recap: Ole Miss Baseball Suffers Brutal Series Loss to Mississippi State Bulldogs

Mike Bianco and Co. drop three consecutive games to the Bulldogs, Rebels fall at Swayze on Sunday afternoon.

Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco (5) returns to the dugout after a mound visit during the game against Mississippi State in Oxford, Miss. on Saturday, March 28, 2026. | Bruce Newman/Special to the Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

OXFORD, Miss. – Ole Miss baseball (19-10, 3-6 SEC) got swept for the first time since 2024 after Mississippi State (24-4, 7-2 SEC) took game three of the series, 7-1, Sunday afternoon at Swayze Field.

The Bulldogs claimed Friday's game, 5-4, and Saturday's match, 6-1.

Rebel pitchers recorded 14 strikeouts, the most the Bulldogs have struck out in an SEC game this season but gave up four home runs in the loss. Cade Townsend returned to the mound following a two-week hiatus from injury. He punched out eight batters for the third time this season but gave up a trio of homers and five runs to take the loss.

Walker Hooks looked solid as the first pitcher out of the bullpen. He worked 3.0 innings of relief work, fanning four batters and giving up no runs.

Will Furniss and Brayden Randle each went 2-for-4, and Collin Reuter drove in Ole Miss' only run with a single in the first inning. Austin Fawley and Brett Moseley also had a hit, the former extending a team-long hit streak to seven games.

The Bulldogs got started early with a two-run blast to right field in the first inning. Ole Miss responded in the bottom half of the frame when Judd Utermark walked and maneuvered the bases to third. Reuter then smacked a ball into left field to drive Utermark home, halving Mississippi State's lead to 2-1.

Ole Miss Rebels Baseball.

Townsend was in the midst of five consecutive Ks when Mississippi State hit its second and third homers of the day in the fifth inning, with a walk sandwiched between. The Bulldogs three more runs upped the score to 5-1.

The Bulldogs poured another run in the fifth off a single to left, then secured an insurance run in the form of the fourth homer of the game in the top of the ninth.

Ole Miss' offense found success getting hits and loading the bases but continued to struggle driving them home. The Rebels loaded the bases in four innings, ending with no runs on each occasion. Ole Miss stranded 14 runners in the game.

Ole Miss will play Little Rock on Tuesday morning for the annual Kid's Game. First pitch is slated for 11 a.m. and will be streamed on SECN+.

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