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Ole Miss

Bullpen arms continue to come up big for Ole Miss in Oxford Regional

11by: Jake Thompson06/02/25JakeThompsonOn3
NCAA Baseball: NCAA Oxford Regional-First Round Mississippi at Murray State
Jun 1, 2025; Oxford, MS, USA; Mississippi Rebels starting pitcher Gunnar Dennis (32) pitches during the first inning against the Murray State Racers. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

Sunday was going to be a day of relying on arms usually not relied upon at this juncture of postseason play in the situation Ole Miss found itself in.

But the postseason always finds a way to put the spotlight on those maybe not ready for the moment, but thrusted into it regardless.

Gunnar Dennis fits the bill as he ate up outs and innings in the 18-9 win over Murray State to keep Ole Miss alive in the Oxford Regional. Of course Dennis, nor anyone else for that matter, knew the bats were going to awaken and the game get out of hand by the fourth inning.

Still, Dennis had to work those four innings before Ole Miss (43-20) put the game away and he answered the bell at a time the pitching staff desperately needed him to. He allowed six runs off eight hits and walked a pair while striking out five other Murray State batters.

By the time he allowed those six runs they were inconsequential after the Rebels had opened up an nine-run lead at the time.

“To get some length out of Gunnar Dennis in that second game was huge,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said. “We were really limited in that second game with available arms”

After Dennis it was Ryne Rodriquez who entered the game and gave the Rebels 3.2 innings of relief, allowing only a run off four hits and walked a pair. He also struck out four in his longest outing of the season.

Landon Waters also provided 1.1 innings of one-run relief, striking out one Racer batter.

“For Ryne Rodriguez to come in and put up, I think he pitched three and two-thirds, was lights out,” Bianco said. “Maybe he his best performance of his career here and you need that. You need that to win Regionals. You need that, especially to come through the loser’s bracket.”

What Dennis and Rodriguez were able to do was allow the arms of Mason Morris, Connor Spencer, Will McCausland to rest and not be used. Spencer and McCausland had already thrown in the first game of the day against Georgia Tech but would have probably been considered if things were tight in what was another elimination game for Ole Miss.

Now the Rebels and Murray State will play at 5 p.m. CT on Monday for the Oxford Regional Championship.

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