Ole Miss Unleashes Home Run Barrage in win over WKU, Stays Alive in Oxford Regional
OXFORD, Miss. — When the season was on the line, the Rebels didn’t flinch—they launched.
Ole Miss (41–20) kept its postseason hopes alive Saturday night at Swayze Field, slugging its way to an 8–6 elimination-game win over Western Kentucky (46–14) in the Oxford Regional. With their backs against the wall, Ole Miss did what they do best: hit bombs and battle.
Here’s postgame video of head coach Mike Bianco, Mitch Sanford and Hunter Elliott.
Powered by six home runs—yes, six—the Rebels rewrote the record books and punched their ticket to another day of postseason play. The long ball was the theme, as Mitch Sanford, Judd Utermark, and Austin Fawley each went deep twice. It marked the fourth time this season Ole Miss has hit four or more homers in a game, and it couldn’t have come at a better moment.
“We’ve scored in all types of ways this year,” said Sanford after the win.
“A lot of it has come from the long ball, but that’s just how our offense is built. I thought we did a really good job today with, not just our plan, but the attack against the pitchers today. If it comes with a couple of long balls, that’s fine.”
Mitchell Sanford
With those six home runs, the Rebels set a new single-season program record for home runs, breaking the mark set by the 2022 national championship team.
Hunter Elliott Delivers in the Moment Again
That 2022 squad? Hunter Elliott was front and center then—and he was again on Saturday.
The lefty ace didn’t have his sharpest outing statistically, giving up a season-high eight hits, but when his team needed a gutsy, composed performance, he delivered six critical innings, four of them scoreless. With the bullpen stretched thin after Friday’s loss to Murray State, Elliott’s start was nothing short of clutch.
“It was special,” Elliott said.
“As a kid, I grew up coming to postseason games in Oxford. Getting to experience it was truly special. The environment was really good today, the fans showed up and we are going to need them for the rest of the weekend.”
Hunter Elliott
What’s Next
With the win, Ole Miss advances to Sunday’s 2 p.m. CT matchup against the loser of Georgia Tech and Murray State. The game will stream live on ESPN+, and should the Rebels win, they’ll be back on the diamond again at 5 p.m. for a chance to fight for a spot in Monday’s final.
The path isn’t easy—but the bats are hot, the pitching is finding its rhythm, and Swayze Field is alive for it all.
Don’t count these Rebels out.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception. Email Evie at: Evie@TheRebelWalk.com
