Ole Miss Baseball: 2026 Astros Foundation Classic Opponent Review

OXFORD, Miss. – On Tuesday, the Houston Astros announced the six teams that will be taking part in the 2026 Astros Foundation College Classic, naming Ole Miss baseball as one of the six.

Along with the Rebels, Coastal Carolina, Texas, Baylor, Ohio State, and UTSA will also participate in the three-day in-season tournament, scheduled to start February 27.

Ole Miss’ first game will be against Baylor, followed by Ohio State the next day, and finishing up with Coastal Carolina on the last day, Sunday, March 1.

As the Rebels face some tough opponents, here Ole Miss fans can find a tentative review of the opponents head coach Mike Bianco’s squad will be facing.

Baylor

Last season, the Bears finished with an overall record of 33-22 and a conference record of 22-11 after losing Game 1 of the Big 12 Championship Tournament.

Baylor also took part in the Amegy Bank College Baseball Series last season, facing Ohio State, Oregon State, and Auburn, ending the series with a 1-2 record. 

Last year, Baylor finished with five players who batted for an average over .300, and the Bears will have four of those players returning for the upcoming season. The Rebels, on the other hand, had three batters go for over .300 and will be returning two of them.

It is also important to mention that Ole Miss hit more than double the amount of home runs that Baylor did last season, hitting 124 compared to the Bears’ 51, even with fewer players hitting high averages.

The Bears’ leading pitcher in strikeouts last season, Hunter Simmons, attained a 5.18 ERA while also throwing a total of 60 strikeouts. To put it in perspective, Ole Miss had three pitchers throw more strikeouts, while only one of the three had an ERA over 3.29.

The Rebels had somewhat of a different experience than the Bears did, earning a 43-21 record, going 6-3 at neutral sites, and was one of 16 teams to host in the NCAA Regionals after losing to Vanderbilt in the championship game of the SEC Tournament.

Ole Miss also has twice as good of an incoming recruiting class as the Bears do, as the Rebels’ class is currently ranked at No. 31, while the Bears sit at No. 68.

Although the trip isn’t far for Baylor, they struggled at neutral sites last year. Ole Miss will be the more talented team walking into the game; all they will have to do is execute come game time.

Ohio State

Last year, the Buckeyes’ baseball team was not good, to put it simply. Ohio State finished the season with an overall record of 13-37, finishing 5-25 in conference play.

Unfortunately for Ohio State, their leaders in BA and HRs have all moved on from Columbus to begin their professional careers. They have also lost around half the team to the transfer portal.

Their pitching situation is also in turmoil; their pitcher who earned the lowest ERA (5.74) has also entered the transfer portal. This leaves them with Hunter Shaw, who threw 35 strikeouts but also had an ERA of 6.09. 

On the bright side for Ohio State, they are returning their pitcher who led the team in strikeouts (49). However, he also finished the season with a 12.15 ERA.

It is still uncertain who Ohio State will have on the roster next season; however, they are bringing in the No. 99-ranked recruiting class, which is both good and bad considering the Buckeyes’ circumstances.

Who knows what magic Ohio State head coach Justin Haire will be able to pull off, but it’ll take a lot of work over the offseason if they want to even be competitive next season. 

Coastal Carolina

After a spectacular post-season run by the Chanticleers, they proved themselves as the second-best team in college baseball when they lost to LSU in the NCAA CWS Championship series.

After going 26-4 in conference play and winning the Sun Belt Tournament too, Coastal Carolina will be in a great position for continued success heading into the next season.

The Chanticleers are bringing back all of their leading batters from last season, which includes four players who bat for over .300, and infielder Blake Barthol, who led the team with 12 HRs.

They’re also in a great situation with their pitchers; their three pitchers who led the team in strikeouts, who also all had an ERA of 3.19 or less, are all returning.

Although Coastal is only bringing in a recruiting class ranked No. 59, with two transfers committed, it seems as though they’ll be fine as long as their returnees continue to perform.

Whether it was a Cinderella run or sheer talent, the Chanticleers bring an experienced and talented team coming off a College World Series appearance. This will be the toughest of the three matchups for Ole Miss, and the Rebs will need to be ready come time for the 2026 Astros Foundation Classic.