Ole Miss Baseball opens season with 2-1 win over No. 21 Arizona behind strong pitching
ARLINGTON, Texas – Behind the dominant return of starter Hunter Elliott and clutch relief work out of the bullpen, Ole Miss baseball opened the 2025 season with a 2-1 win over No. 21 Arizona at Globe Life Field.
Starting off 2025 with a Top 25 win!
We take down #21 Arizona on Opening Day!#HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/u7NqX5aC3y
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 14, 2025
Rebel head coach Mike Bianco spoke about the team’s gritty win after the game.
“I just told the guys (after the win) that everyone wants the easy road, but usually it’s not. Usually, you have to do something to win the game. They (Arizona) played really well today; they pitched it well, played good defense, they hit a home run. We made another play or two…and that was the difference in the game.”
~ Coach Bianco after the win
Game Recap
In his first start since 2023, the redshirt junior Elliott faced some adversity in the top of the first inning. Wildcat outfielder Brenden Summerhill singled up the middle after a tough at-bat, a tough play that freshman shortstop Owen Paino could not quite come up with in the shift.
Summerhill eventually stole second while Elliott struck out the next Arizona batter. Although eventually hitting a batter in the inning with a pitch inside and off the plate, the lefty got out of the top of the first unscathed thanks to a pop-out and Campbell Smithwick gunning down Summerhill at third on a steal attempt.
Welcome Back, @elliotthunter10
Watch the action now on @FloCollege➡️ https://t.co/HR8OWgmFNd pic.twitter.com/8AXampYXOM
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 14, 2025
Campbell Smithwick (@OleMissBSB) nabs the runner on this CS. Big time hose behind plate w/ C&T ability. Just a flat out gamer on both sides. So. ‘26 elig pic.twitter.com/lzd9Fbbh8U
— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) February 14, 2025
Smithwick batted in the leadoff spot and began the bottom of the first with a fly out to centerfield. A single off the bat of Luke Hill and a four-pitch walk for Isaac Humphrey then gave the Rebels a pair of runners with just one out, but it was back-to-back punch outs for Arizona starter Collin McKinney to end the inning.
Elliot cruised through the top of the second, picking up another strikeout and putting another zero on the scoreboard. In the bottom of the second, the Rebel designated hitter Ryan Moerman doubled off the wall in right-field, eventually advancing to third on a fly out. However, Ole Miss once again could not get the runner home as three hard hit balls that resulted in outs left Moerman on base.
You can’t see him 🚫👋
Ryan Moerman hits a double with style!📺: https://t.co/jCGIfEv0Wx#ShrinersShowdown | @shrinershosp | @GlobeLifeField | @OleMissBSB pic.twitter.com/FCweT0I4fP
— FloCollege | Baseball (@FloCollegeBSB) February 14, 2025
The Wildcats again left runners on base in the first inning, collecting a pair of walks and a hit off the lefty Elliott. However, it was the Ole Miss starter working himself out of his own doings as he walked the first Arizona batter but eventually picked him off at first base.
After striking out Summerhill this time around, Elliott gave up a single to Garen Caulfield, then walked the next Wildcat batter before getting a visit from new Rebel pitching coach Joel Mangrum. The Rebel lefty ended the side with a fly out after the mound visit to keep things knotted at zero.
Despite the second base knock of the day for Hill, and Mitchell Sanford reaching via a hit by pitch, the Rebels came up empty in the third with McKinney still finding a way for Arizona to get off the field.
Both Elliott and McKinney continued into the fourth, getting six outs for a quick top and bottom half of the inning. Going into the top of the fifth, the Rebel lefty made it seven straight outs for the Arizona lineup as he cruised through the side. The bottom of the fifth was the final appearance for Elliott, finishing with three strikeouts, three walks and a pair of hits allowed on 75 pitches.
After the win, Elliott commented on what it felt like returning to the mound for the Rebels.
“It felt good, adrenaline was flowing, couldn’t feel the body at times. It’s been a long time since I’ve been out there (on the mound). I thought my stuff was good early, then I kind of settled in. Maybe kind of tired late; I haven’t had the adrenaline flowing of big game like this in a long time…It was good to get those last couple inning to keep the team in it and then offense got going.”
~ Elliott after the win
McKinney was knocked off of the hill in the top of the fifth after walking Brayden Randle. The Ole Miss infielder stole second and eventually tagged up to take third on a fly out when McKinney was replaced by Casey Hintz. However, it was Hill at the plate up next for Ole Miss working a count and scoring Randle on a sacrifice fly to right. McKinney pitched 4.1 innings for the Wildcats, punching out three but walking three as well.
Humphrey was up next for Ole Miss, and he hammered the first pitch Hintz showed him into the right-center field bleachers for his first career home run as a Rebel. Hintz would eventually get out of the inning thanks to a double play, but the Wildcats trailed, 2-0, after five played.
Isaac Humphrey blasts one over the right field wall for his first homer as a Reb!
Watch the action now on @FloCollege ➡️ https://t.co/HR8OWgmFNd pic.twitter.com/ca0zymZKsH
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 14, 2025
After the game, the Ole Miss outfielder gave credit to a teammate before talking about his at-bat.
“It was just a great AB by Luke Hill in front of me. He was the one that got the job done, got us on the board, got us going. It took a lot of pressure off of me. I was able to just let one loose and not have to worry about it. I kind of just ambushed the fastball and put a good swing on it.”
~ Humphrey on his HR
Junior Mason Morris took over for Elliott to begin the top of the sixth, giving up a single and walking a batter to begin his outing. However, the righty put up another zero on the scoreboard for the Rebels thanks to a punchout and a double play turned by Randle and the freshman Paino up the middle.
Mason Morris (@OleMissBSB) comes out the pen pumping. Fastball 93-95 with late life. Slider 84-87 (2700 RPM) with bite. Physical 6-4 frame and ball just sizzles out of the hand. ‘25 Elig. @PG_Draft pic.twitter.com/UlSftW3669
— PG College Baseball (@PGCollegeBall) February 14, 2025
Hintz put the Rebels down in order in the bottom half of the sixth to end the side and Morris gave up a double in the top of the seventh, again allowing no runs to cross as the Rebels kept a 2-0 lead. In the bottom half of the seventh it was Hintz this time picking up six straight outs for the Wildcats and sitting Ole Miss down in order again.
Morris picked up two quick outs to begin the eighth inning, but it was a deep blast to right off the bat of Mason White that cut the Wildcat deficit to one. The Ole Miss reliever walked the next batter, leading to coach Bianco bringing closer Connor Spencer in to shut the door on the side and strand the Arizona runner.
The righty Morris finished with 2.2 innings of work, punched out a pair, walked two and gave up three hits along with the one run on the solo shot in the eighth.
Singles by Humphrey and Judd Utermark started the bottom half of the eighth for the Rebels, and a walk drawn by Will Furniss loaded the bases with just one out. However, Hintz punched out the next two Ole Miss batters to give the Wildcats one last chance in the top of the ninth.
Spencer trotted back out for the top of the ninth looking for the save but getting into trouble with a pair of walks to begin the inning. After a mound visit, the first out came from a sacrifice bunt that moved the tying run to third and the leading run to second.
The Ole Miss closer then punched out the next Arizona batter, and after an intentional walk of Summerhill to load the bases, Spencer got a pop up to right field to secure the 2-1 win for the Rebels.
Hill and Humphrey both led the way for Ole Miss at the plate, going 2-for-3 on the day and producing the two runs for the Rebels. Elliott was credited for the win with his five innings of work and Spencer picked up the save, pitching the final inning and a third.
Coach Bianco praised Hill and Humphrey for their performances at the plate after the win.
“I thought Luke (Hill) swung it really well tonight. He’s arguably our best hitter, and I don’t think a lot of the times he gets the publicity for that…Isaac (Humphrey) being able to come in there and get a good swing to extend the lead, that was huge.”
~ Bianco on Hill and Humphrey at the plate in the win
Up next
Coach Bianco and the Diamond Rebs will be back in action for the second game of the weekend in Arlington on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 7 p.m. CT. The Ole Miss Rebels will take on the No. 19 Texas Longhorns on the FloSports streaming app.
Kameron Wicker
Kam is a senior at Ole Miss, currently pursuing a degree in Journalism. Even though he's from Delhi, Louisiana, that didn't stop Kam from growing up a diehard Ole Miss fan. He's a sports guru who watches and follows all sports at all times. He lettered four years in football and baseball in high school and is an avid Saints, Pelicans, and Astros fan. In his free time, you can find him watching sports or at the rec participating in them.
