What Ole Miss Rebels Said After Advancing to College World Series

Following a 5-3 win over Auburn, the Rebels took to the podium.

Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco (5) talks in the dugout 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

The Ole Miss Rebels defeated the Auburn Tigers 5-3, advancing to Omaha for the seventh time in school history.

The Rebels were led by dominant starting pitching performances from Taylor Rabe and Hunter Elliott, which propelled Ole Miss to a crucial 2-0 sweep of the Auburn Tigers. The relievers were also a key part of the sweep, as Walker Hooks and Hudson Calhoun got the job done for Ole Miss out of the bullpen.

The power of the Ole Miss bats shined throughout the Auburn Regional, as the home run ball and extra base hits propelled the Rebels not only through the Auburn Super Regional, but throughout the Lincoln Regional as well.

Huge Emphasis on Loyalty

Ole Miss Rebels' Will Furniss (36) celebrates his home run as Auburn Tigers take on Ole Miss Rebels during the NCAA Super Regional game two at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Ole Miss Rebels defeated Auburn Tigers 5-3 clinching the series. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Will Furniss and Judd Uttermark stuck with this Ole Miss program through the highs and lows of their careers with the team.

The Rebels went through some really rough patches in their careers, as Ole Miss failed to make Omaha after reaching it during the magical 2022 season. Many key players left, including Liam Doyle, Wes Mendes, and Andrew Fischer, all of whom were key contributors for Ole Miss.

In 2023, the Rebels went 25-29, including a 5-25 record in SEC play. In 2024, Ole Miss improved slightly, but it was still a disappointing season, finishing 27-29 with an 11-19 SEC record.

"I'm proud of Will and the entire group, Elliott and Judd Uttermark," Bianco said. "The road has not always been easy, but the way they stuck together, they developed into great teammates and great leaders and are the faces of the program."

Preparation Pays Off for Ole Miss

Ole Miss Rebels' Taylor Rabe (50) catches a fly ball as Auburn Tigers take on Ole Miss Rebels during the NCAA Super Regional game two at Plainsman Park in Auburn, Ala. on Saturday, June 6, 2026. | Jake Crandall/ Advertiser / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Taylor Rabe mentioned that Ole Miss was focused on following the scouting report while pitching.

"I wouldn't say I felt any different. We had a really good scouting report that we spent a lot of time on and looked at closely. We knew Auburn was going to be a team that took a lot of short swings, hit a lot of ground balls, and played station-to-station baseball," Rabe said.

Mike Bianco deserves a lot of credit for Ole Miss' success this season, as Rebels fans always seem to be debating whether Bianco is on his way out as the Ole Miss skipper.

The scheme worked, as Auburn did not hit many extra base hits during the two-game series. The Tigers hit a ton of ground balls, and the Rebels limited the damage throughout the Auburn Super Regional.

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