‘This is Why You Come Here:’ Veteran-Led Rebels Bring Postseason Baseball Back to Swayze Field

OXFORD, Miss. — Hosting a regional in the NCAA Tournament has been a goal all season for Ole Miss baseball, and now it’s reality as leaders like Luke Hill, Will Furniss and Riley Maddox say they’re ready to feed off the Swayze crowd in their return to the national spotlight.

🗣️ @WillFurniss https://t.co/4VZQ0fZkb1 pic.twitter.com/eMN7BhYc6D

— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 26, 2025

Ole Miss found out they were a hosting site the night before the selection show on May 25. After the full bracket reveal on Memorial Day, Hill explained that everything happening around the program now is what you come to Oxford for and played a huge part in his decision to stay heading into the offseason last year.

“The expectation here is to host regionals. When you are doing that and you are winning, it’s so much fun. The fans are involved, the whole town is rallying around you. It’s like you are fighting for a town and a state at the same time. What more can you ask for as a college kid; that’s everything you dreamed of when you go to sleep at night as a middle schooler. We want to be in these situations and we get to live those out right now.”

~ Hill on why you come to play at Ole Miss

The Rebel third baseman played a role in encouraging other players to stick around for the 2025 season, but Hill does not take all of the credit for it.

“(Will) Furniss has done an amazing job and I would say he was a leader of it, and the coaching staff. At the end of the day, they recruited good people. We are heavy transfer portal team this year and we have a ton of guys that are just fun to be around. There are no cancers on the team — you love playing with them and you want to play for them. When you have that extra motive you are going to win a lot more baseball games.”

~ Hill on helping return some of the 2024 Ole Miss roster

During the offseason, Furniss went out of his way to contact the Ole Miss media team to create a ‘hype’ video of all the players returning for the Rebels in 2025. The first baseman acknowledged the ups and downs of the offseason following the end of 2024 but knew there were goals that had to be set.

“We have accomplished all of our goals so far. Now we just have to go and take on this regional and do what we did this last week (in the SEC Tournament). We can beat anybody in the country.”

~ Furniss on the 2025 Ole Miss team

Maddox also had loads of confidence in the Rebels this season despite the two down years for the program. It has been emphasized all season long, but the starting pitcher went back to the topic of having an old team full of seasoned veterans when asked about shattering expectations.

“I think we knew we were good. Coach B says it a lot and I know we say it; we’re an old team and old teams win in college baseball. We had a whole senior outfield and just one underclassmen in the lineup — as the season went on…we became really confident. We knew we could play with anybody and beat anybody.”

~ Maddox on Ole Miss being an older team in college baseball

This bond. This team. This town

Following the selection show, each of the three leaders for the Rebels commented many times about winning for each other and the fan base. Throughout the season, many of the other Ole Miss players have commented on the close-knit bond that the 2025 roster has.

Maddox claimed that hosting a regional at Swayze Field this season is something that Rebel Nation deserves.

“It’s really big to bring the postseason back to Swayze. These fans deserve it. I think we deserve it. We have played great all year and this was one of the goals we wanted at the start of the season. To finally accomplish it is good, but we are not done yet. We have to win this weekend and worry about the next one.”

~ Maddox on having postseason baseball back at Swayze

2️⃣🤝@riley_maddox1 x #HottyToddy pic.twitter.com/azTQfgDiY2

— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 23, 2025

During the unforgettable National Championship run in 2022, the Rebels clicked at the right time. Now three years later, Furniss claims there is a feel of everything coming together. A wise Ole Miss baseball legend once said: “Don’t let the Rebs get hot.”

🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/hK8XOrHkq4

— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 24, 2025

The Rebel first baseman did not go as far as repeating that quote, but when asked about how this 2025 team is different from others; it’s been all about the bond.

“I have had really good experiences with all of the teams but this one is, I don’t know. Maybe it’s because we are older and more mature. That is what a lot of people like to say. I think there is truth to that but we are all super close — this one just seems like everything is clicking at the right time.” 

~ Furniss on the bond the 2025 Ole Miss team has

Just like the guy he gives credit to, Hill said much of the same when talking about his teammates. The veteran leader believes playing as good as they are now stems from relationships being built.

“We are a close-knit group of guys, and that is not anything towards the past teams but I feel like here we are clicking. We are playing really good baseball and off the field we are just as good as friends as we are off the field.”

~ Hill on the relationships outside of the diamond 

Up next

The Rebels are set to open the regional in Oxford against the Murray State Racers on Friday, May 30. First pitch is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT and with the television slot still to be determined.

The Oxford Regional is set! pic.twitter.com/8iEvrHh1LQ

— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) May 26, 2025