Jamie Trachsel cites 'consistent execution' for Ole Miss making it this far

Ole Miss heads to Louisiana to participate in the 2024 Lafayette Regional this weekend with the hopes of earning a trip to the Super Regionals for the first time since 2019.

Entering the four-team bracket featuring host Louisiana, Princeton and Baylor, the Rebels have won six of their last nine games including consecutive SEC series to end the regular season. Ahead of the start of their NCAA Tournament journey, head coach Jamie Trachsel broke down what helped the Rebels turn their season around over the last several weeks.

“Consistent execution in every area,” Trachsel said ahead of this weekend’s NCAA Regional action. “And I really think if we want to talk just timely hitting, we had left so many people on base sometimes and it hurts to say that because you get the loss and then on the other side you’re like, we’re just one swing away from that any of changing what the game feels like, and then in potentially the result of it.

“I think we left Alabama — We had left 27 people one base, they left 15 for the entire series and we’re like, man, you get one swing in one of those innings and maybe you flip one of those games. So it’s the consistency, the execution in all areas and I think just our timely hitting.”

Trachsel cited the two-game series between Western Kentucky last month as the turning point. Ole Miss would go on to run-rule the Hilltoppers during both matchups, scoring 24 runs in 11 innings of play.

Despite being swept by a top-10 ranked Texas A&M squad the following weekend, the Rebels finished the final nine games of the regular season 6-3 and managed to score at least four runs in each of those six wins.

“It just kind of freed up our offense a little bit you know and then winning that game against Auburn took the monkey off the back,” Trachsel continued. ‘Just to keep freeing ourselves up, to be as good as we can be. And you can only say it for so long, and ultimately it came down to them doing it, but timely hitting and the consistency of our execution.”

Now, the Rebels turn their attention toward their first matchup at the 2024 Lafayette Regional — the Baylor Bears.

Ole Miss is 17-15 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, including Super Regional berths in 2017 and 2019. Trachsel, who became head coach in 2021, has never made it past the regional round despite making the postseason in three-straight seasons.

First pitch is scheduled for 3:30 p.m. ET and will air live on ESPN+.