So You’re Saying There’s A Chance: Watch Ole Miss topple No. 3 Texas A&M
Ole Miss breathed a pinch of life into its faint postseason hopes with a 4-3 win over No. 3 Texas A&M on Friday.
The teams are playing a three-game series in Oxford this weekend. The Rebels scored two runs in the bottom of the eighth inning — with closer Connor Spencer picking up his seventh save — and improved to 26-3 overall and 10-15 in the SEC.
Kendall Rogers of D1Baseball wrote afterwards he believes the Rebels need 13 SEC wins to have a realistic shot at making a regional. Twelve, historically, has kept teams out, regardless of RPI.
Ole Miss, with the win, now has an RPI of 23. The Rebels boast the nation’s No. 2 strength of schedule, and they’re a game ahead of LSU in the league standings.
Ole Miss missed the postseason entirely last season after winning its first-ever national championship in 2022.
“A lot of emotions,” Ole Miss slugger Jackson Ross said. Ross is a transfer from FAU and one of six seniors Ole Miss will honor prior to first pitch of Game 2 on Saturday.
“On a night like that, we’re holding one of the best offenses in the country to three runs and seven hits, the offense has to step up there. We kind of realized that late in the game. Riley (Maddox) pitched great for six innings.”
@OleMissBSB keeping hope alive in Oxford — some strong pitching in a 4-3 win over Texas A&M. With the win, the Rebels are still only at 10 wins — but are a game ahead of LSU in the SEC standings. Ole Miss needs 13 to have a shot.
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) May 11, 2024
Ross was responsible for both the game-tying hit and go-ahead run.
He doubled in Andrew Fischer, evening the score at 3-3, and later came home on a sacrifice fly from Ethan Groff.
Texas A&M fell to 41-19 (16-9) with the loss. Rebel freshman Wes Mendes picked up his second win in relief of Maddox. Maddox allowed just two earned runs on six hits with seven strikeouts.
Ole Miss had eight hits as a team. Ross and Luke Hill, a transfer from Arizona State, led the Rebels with two knocks apiece.
“I’m really proud of them,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said. Bianco is in his 24th season leading the Rebels. “They kept fighting and really pitched well. Showed a lot of toughness.”
The Rebels and Aggies face off again Saturday at 4 p.m. CT. The series finale, on Sunday, is set for 5 p.m. CT. The included highlights were provided by Ole Miss Athletics.
