Ole Miss Dominates Missouri State For Rebels’ Fourth Straight Victory; Austin Simmons Earns First Collegiate Win
OXFORD, Miss. – It was a chilly night at Swayze Field Wednesday, but the bats remained hot for Ole Miss as the Rebels scored at least 12 runs for the third time in four games, winning their fourth straight contest with a 12-3 victory over the Missouri State Bears. Ole Miss improves to 6-4 with the win. True freshman Austin Simmons recorded his first win for the Rebels on the mound as well.
Getting Things Started
Riley Maddox took the mound for the Rebels and pitched a scoreless first inning, allowing just a one-out walk.
Andrew Fischer managed a one-out single for the Rebs in the home half of the first, but that would be it.
Maddox was not quite as sharp in the second inning. After a leadoff single and an error, the leadoff man was at second base. But Maddox would bounce back with a flyout and a strikeout and it looked like he would get out unscathed. Unfortunately, he then walked Cody Kelly, which was followed by a wild pitch to score the Bears’ first run. An RBI single would follow the wild pitch, making it 2-0 Missouri State, before a groundout would finally end it.
The Rebels would go down in order quickly in the home second inning, with a groundout and two strikeouts.
Maddox would bounce back quite nicely in the top of the third, working around a one-out single and keeping the Bears off the board.
The Rebels Threaten And Deliver
In the home half of inning number three, the Rebels struck out to start the frame. But Brayden Randle would follow with a walk, Ethan Groff would be hit by a pitch, and Andrew Fischer would walk, loading the bases for Jackson Ross. After the Bears made a pitching change, “Sergeant Ross,” as he’s affectionately known around the dugout, kept his hot streak going, welcoming the new hurler by ripping a two-RBI double down the left field line to tie the game at two.
Bring ’em home, sarge!
🫡 @Jackson_Ross55 pic.twitter.com/gDRLtuZikC
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 28, 2024
After the Rebs struck out for out number two, Ethan Lege then smoked a two-RBI double of his own into left center, giving the Rebs their first lead at 4-2.
Gapper by @_ethanlege and the Rebs lead!
📺 SECN+ pic.twitter.com/tAwZG1HbwV
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 28, 2024
After another Missouri State pitching change, the Bears would get out of the inning, but not before the Rebels had sent nine men to the plate and taken the lead.
Limiting Damage
Austin Simmons, the dual-sport hurler, would come on to replace Maddox to start the fourth. Maddox would finish with three complete innings, allowing three hits and two runs, walking two and striking out two. Simmons would start the frame by showing why he’s not just highly touted on the football field, recording back-to-back strikeouts to start.
Back-to-back Ks for @austnsimmons ‼️@OleMissFB x #RebsBSB pic.twitter.com/lEKX0yFEzx
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 28, 2024
A walk, double, and passed ball would follow, allowing the Bears to score a run to bring the score to 4-3, and with a runner at third they were threatening for more. Simmons would stay calm, however, and a groundout would end the inning with no further damage.
The Rebels would respond in the bottom half, also taking advantage of a miscue. With Brayden Randle on first, Andrew Fischer would hit a routine fly ball into center, but the center fielder dropped it, allowing Randle to score to make it 5-3 Ole Miss.
Rebs add one on the drop 🫳 pic.twitter.com/BtKzLls4tE
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 28, 2024
The Bears would also escape without allowing anything further.
Dual-Sport Dealing
After struggling a bit with two outs in the fourth, Austin Simmons came back with a vengeance in the fifth, getting the Bears in order with a strikeout and two groundouts, keeping the Rebels in front by two runs. That would be it for Simmons, and he would be replaced by freshman flamethrower Patrick Galle for the sixth.
Coach Bianco talked about Simmons after the game.
“Just again, proud of him. It’s not easy to pitch as a freshman. It’s not easy to come out here in January, a kid that missed the fall because of football comes out and you can tell a lot of times those football guys, it doesn’t phase them as much. He doesn’t seem to have the jitters or the nerves. He just challenges the hitters and has really good stuff, low 90’s, good breaking ball. He pitches two innings, gives up one unearned run. Again, we’ll keep taking those outings, for sure.“
– Mike Bianco on Austin Simmons’ outing
Bases Loaded? No Problem.
After Galle gave up a leadoff walk, he retired the next batter he faced on a pop out to third base. A single, flyout, and walk would follow, loading the bases for Missouri State with two outs. Mike Bianco would elect to make a pitching change, going to Cole Tolbert. The move would prove to be the right one, as Tolbert would need just three pitches to record a strikeout, ending the threat and escaping the jam.
“There’s a lot of difference makers throughout the games when you have success, guys that change the game for you. That’s one of the ones that will get lost in the box score, a guy that pitches one third of an inning. But I think it was a two-run lead at the time, bases loaded, and the game could’ve switched to the other side and flipped a little bit, but he comes out and gets a punchout on three pitches. Super dominant and something we needed right there.”
– Mike Bianco on Cole Tolbert
The Rebels would load the bases as well in the bottom half, but a double play followed by a groundout would allow just one run to score, making it 6-3 after six complete.
An Eventful Seventh
With the Rebels up by three runs, Ole Miss would turn to its superstar hurler out of the bullpen in Josh Mallitz. Mallitz would start the frame promptly with a strikeout, but would then issue a walk. That’s when things got interesting.
With Zack Stewart at the plate, Missouri State’s head coach would be ejected from the game after arguing balls and strikes. Stewart would then swing and miss, but the ball got away from Rebel catcher Campbell Smithwick, allowing Stewart to reach first and Taeg Gollert, the runner from first, to reach third. However, interference was called on Stewart after his bat made contact with Smithwick’s headgear. Stewart was ruled out, and Gollert had to return to first base. Mallitz would promptly record a flyout to end it and keep the three-run lead in tact.
Ole Miss would add an insurance run in the bottom half on a Reagan Burford RBI groundout, and the lead would grow to four, 7-3.
Turning On The Jets, Putting It Away
With a comfortable lead in the eighth, the Rebels decided to show off some of the speed their roster possesses, starting with Brayden Randle. Randle found the gap in left center, and showed off his wheels for a leadoff triple.
Freshman got wheels
💨 @BraydenRandle pic.twitter.com/shFTCrAMru
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 29, 2024
Ethan Groff would promptly score him with an RBI single, making it 8-3 Rebels. Groff would then swipe both second and third base. Jackson Ross and Drew Markle would then walk to load the bases for Ethan Lege. After a wild pitch scored a run to make it 9-3, Lege would get plunked, loading the bases again. After a strikeout, Trenton Lyons would hit a one-hopper to first base, but an error allowed another run to score, making it 10-3. Treyson Hughes would the continue his big night, smoking a two-RBI single into the outfield to make it 12-3 Rebels.
Fourth straight game with 12-plus runs scored for the Rebs!
🥊 @HughesTreyson pic.twitter.com/38RtYGHFaS
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 29, 2024
Treyson Hughes ended the contest with three hits and two RBI’s, breaking out of his slump in a big way. Liam Doyle would slam the door in the ninth, sealing the Rebels fourth consecutive win, 12-3.
“He’s really located well, he’s really attacked the strike zone and got ahead and we’re going to need that. We’re still trying to figure out roles… This staff looks a little different from what we’ve had the last few years, and another left hander in the bullpen never hurts.“
– Mike Bianco on Liam Doyle
With the victory, the Rebels improve to 6-4, and have scored 61 runs in their last four games. Three of those four have featured 12 run games, while Sunday’s outburst against High Point saw the Rebels blow up the scoreboard with 25 runs.
Coach Bianco praised Treyson Hughes for his performance.
“He’s a really good player. When you don’t get off to a good start I think sometimes you search, but the great thing about Treyson is you saw last night he comes in and makes a diving catch. He’s made some really nice defensive plays. That’s what you sometimes worry about is when the hitters struggle a little bit offensively will they flip the script and when they go out on the field will they play defense, and he’s done that. He’s a great kid, he’s worked hard. I know he’s worked with Coach [Mike] Clement, and he’s going to be fine. You look at nights like this where he gets three hits and extends the lead there at the end, you’ve gotta hang in there, and he knows that. He’s a mature kid and he understands that.”
-Mike Bianco on Treyson Hughes
Looking Ahead
The Rebels have a ton of momentum, and just in time, as a very good Iowa Hawkeyes team will visit Swayze Field this weekend for a three-game series. Coach Mike Bianco is switching up the pitching rotation slightly, moving Gunnar Dennis to Friday and JT Quinn to Saturday, while keeping Grayson Saunier in his Sunday spot.
Friday’s game is scheduled for a 6:30 PM first pitch, Saturday at 1:30 PM, and Sunday at noon. All three games will stream on the SEC Network+. As always, stay tuned to The Rebel Walk for all of your updates! Don’t let the Rebs get hot!
Austin Eldridge
Austin has more than ten years in sports media, including sports talk radio, play-by-play broadcasting and journalism. He has followed Ole Miss athletics for his entire life and has covered the Rebels and the rest of the SEC while working in the Memphis media market. Outside of sports media, Austin is a musician and outdoorsman. Before a serious accident forced him to be medically discharged, he was a multi-media journalist with the Mississippi National Guard.
