Ole Miss Softball Opens 2024 Season in Hawaii at Paradise Classic

HONOLULU, Hawaii – (Release) Traveling over 4,000 miles to the Aloha State, Ole Miss softball opens the 2024 season at the Paradise Classic, hosted by Hawaii at Rainbow Wahine Softball Stadium February 8-11.

LEADING OFF

• The Rebels finished their 2023 campaign with a 32-28 overall record, including their seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance with a trip to the Salt Lake City Regional Final.

• Head coach Jamie Trachsel became the fastest to 100 career wins at Ole Miss last season, needing only 159 games to accomplish the feat.

• Jalia Lassiter and Jaden Pone enter the season with national recognition, earning preseason praise from D1Softball in at their respective positions.

• Ole Miss’ coaching staff features three new faces. Daniel Nicolaisen, Karl Gollan and DJ Sanders all join the Rebels for their first season in Oxford.

• Ole Miss returns 13 players from last season’s roster, including fifth-year seniors Paige Smith and Makenna Kliethermes. The 2024 roster also includes four impact transfers in Brianna Lopez, Jaden Pone, Delaney Rummell and Ryan Starr.

• In 2024, Ole Miss begins its 28th season of collegiate softball. The Rebels boast a 707-803 record all-time and are 15-12 in season openers, including a perfect 3-0 under Jamie Trachsel.

• Fifth-year senior Paige Smith has made 203 starts in an Ole Miss uniform. The Corona, California, native elected to return for her final season of eligibility this season.

• The Ole Miss Softball Complex is in the midst of a $32 million stadium project, set to be completed by the 2025 season, as part of Ole Miss’ Champions. Now. Campaign.

SCOUTING THE FIELD

Gordon Eakin enters his 22nd season as head coach of the BYU Cougars, having a 800-372 record. Last year, BYU earned a spot in the National Invitational Softball Championship, posting a 35-17 record in the regular season. Brigham Young returns their conference defensive player of year, shortstop and leading hitter, Aliana Agbayani for her sophomore season. The new season brings a new conference for the Cougars, as they join the Big 12 for 2024. Thursday’s season opener will mark the first matchup between the two programs since 2011 and fourth overall between the two teams. The Cougars lead the all-time series 2-1.

Marina Demore enters her first season as the interim head coach for the Nevada Wolfpack. Nevada finished the 2023 season with a 31-19 record, including a 13-1 record in neutral contests. The Wolfpack return 19 players heading into the new season, including All-Mountain West First-Team selection, Chelie Senini. The senior enters 2024 named to the All-Mountain West Preseason Team after leading Nevada in batting with a .356 batting average, and a stolen bases with 50. Friday’s contest will mark the first time the two programs have met on the diamond.

Ranking fifth in wins among active head coaches with 1,122 wins, Bob Coolen returns for his 33rd season as head coach of the Hawaii Rainbow Warriors. Last season, he led Hawaii to a 30-23 record, finishing 5th in the Big West standings. The Rainbow Wahine return senior utility player, Maya Nakamura, who led the team in batting average with a .390 mark and the plate and started all but three games. Ole Miss and Hawaii have only faced four times in the history of both programs, with Hawaii leading the all-time series 3-1. The Rebels look to even the series when they travel to Honolulu for the 2024 Paradise Classic.

Kiki Stokes O’Connor, a former professional with NCAA Tournament experience as both a player and coach enters her second season as head coach of the Roos. Kansas City is coming off a 9-43 record a season ago. The Roos return senior infielder, Syndey Nichols who earned all-conference honorable mention honors, starting every game last year. Friday’s contest will mark the first ever matchup between the two programs.

PRESEASON BUZZ

Ahead of the 2024 season, D1Softball published its annual Preseason Position Power Rankings, featuring a pair of Rebels. Centerfielder Jalia Lassiter was ranked as the No. 44 Outfielder in the nation heading into her sophomore season. She shined in the outfield for Ole Miss last season, recording a perfect fielding percentage on 98 chances and leading the team with 48 hits. Transfer infielder Jaden Pone also checked in as the No. 14 second baseman in the power rankings. She joins the Rebels after spending two seasons at Longwood, where she hit .412 with 153 hits and recorded a .948 fielding percentage.

LEGACY AND LOYALTY

Playing in her fifth and final season of eligibility, Paige Smith elected to return to Ole Miss for legacy and loyalty. With unfinished business on her mind, Smith looks to leave her mark as one of the program’s top sluggers. A true threat in the middle of the Rebel lineup, she is one of seven players in Ole Miss history with 100 hits and 100 RBI and ranks fourth in the record books with 32 home runs and 134 RBI. With over 200 career games under her belt, Smith brings a veteran presence to the team and looks to carry Ole Miss back on a deep postseason run.

DOING THE MOST

No matter where her name is written on the lineup card, Aynslie Furbush finds a way to impact the game. A two-way star for the Rebels, Furbush is back for her senior season after her most productive season in Oxford. Last year, she played in 48 games, making 42 starts in the lineup between pitcher, DP and right field. A versatile player, the Longwood, Florida, native led the team with nine wins in the circle and a 2.24 ERA in 87.2 innings pitched while posting a .239 batting average at the plate with 28 hits, including 13 for extra bases. In 2024, she looks to leave her mark on the record books as one of the top pitchers in ERA (2.16) and opponent batting average (.196).

FRESHMAN PHENOM

Playing in every contest as a true freshman last season for the Rebels, Jalia Lassiter found a way to impact the game. The Atmore, Alabama, native brings a different level of energy to the diamond with her game-changing speed, swagger and confidence. Lassiter shined in centerfield, leaving her mark as one of the SEC’s best defenders last season while tying for the team lead with 48 hits, including 16 for extra bases. Her rookie campaign was capped off with NFCA All-South Region Third Team Honors, and now, heading into her sophomore season, she looks to put the conference and nation on notice.

THE BULL IS BACK

Nicknamed “The Bull” for her relentless energy and competitive mentality, Catelyn Riley has become one of the go-to arms in the circle for the Rebels. Back for her junior season, Riley boasts 19 career wins and a 3.26 ERA in 172.0 innings pitched over the last two years in an Ole Miss uniform. As a freshman, she racked up a team-high 12 wins, the second most ever by a freshman pitcher in program history. Last season, she tossed a team-high 106.2 innings and owned the second-best ERA on the team with a 2.69 mark and was instrumental to the Rebels, earning ranked wins over No. 10 LSU, No. 19 Auburn, No. 15 Kentucky, No. 14 Florida and No. 16 Baylor. Now a junior, the Dandridge, Tennessee, native is just eight wins shy of cracking the top 10 in Ole Miss history.

ROOKIES IN THE RANKINGS

A pair of rookies on the 2024 squad rank among the nation’s best. Alexa Rosales, a unanimous top 100 recruit in the nation by Extra Inning Softball, Perfect Game Softball and Softball America, was ranked as high as No. 13 in the country. A four-year letterwinner at Chino Hills High School in Chino Hills, California, she racked up nearly 100 hits in her high school career while batting .372. In the outfield, she registered a .978 fielding percentage, committing only five errors in 224 chances. Ma’Nia Womack, one of the top players in the state of Mississippi, was ranked No. 18 overall in the class of 2023 by Extra Inning Softball and checked in at No. 51 on the Softball America Top 100. A five-time first team all-district and all-state honoree at Hartfield Academy in Brandon, Mississippi, she led the Hawks to a pair of state championships in 2018 and 2021 and was recognized as MAIS Player of the Year in 2021.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports

Adam Brown

Adam Brown joins The Rebel Walk as the Managing Editor after being on the Ole Miss beat as a Sports Editor for over 11 years. He is a lifelong Oxford resident. Brown graduated from the University of Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.

Prior to The Rebel Walk, Brown was the sports editor of HottyToddy.com covering every Ole Miss sport and local high school sports in the community.