Patience Pays Off: Owen Paino Earns High Praise Following First Home Run of 2026 as Rebels Defeat LSU
OXFORD, Miss. — The No. 25-ranked Ole Miss baseball team came away with a crucial 6-3 win over the No. 24 LSU Tigers on Friday at Swayze Field. There are a number of storylines surrounding the game — and one of them involves Owen Paino, the Rebels’ designated hitter.
The night was mostly headlined by clutch late-game hitting and dominant pitching from both sides. But in the second inning, Paino skied a 3-2 fastball into right field, clearing the wall and cueing the beer showers, while also giving Ole Miss a 3-2 lead at the time.
OK @OwenPaino!!! 💣 pic.twitter.com/gXXQ8VMJmd
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) April 11, 2026
A member of the class of 2024, the New York native Paino came into Oxford ranked as Perfect Game’s No. 24 overall prospect in the class and even earned the starting role before the 2025 season. However, as can happen with true freshmen in the SEC, he came out a little slow and never really found a groove in his first season. Last year, he hit.236 at the plate with a .348 on-base percentage and a .345 slugging percentage with just one home run, which came on Feb. 25, against Southern Miss.
Before the 2026 season kicked off, head coach Mike Bianco announced that shortstop Brayden Randle would be the starter, and transfer Dom Decker would assume the second base role, leaving little room, it seemed, for Paino.
However, the Poughkeepsie native stayed patient, worked hard, and waited his turn.
This season, it feels like he has much more confidence and approach at the plate, fighting off pitches and working deep into counts. He currently sits at a .280 batting average with a .472 on base percentage and a .400 slugging percentage — and now has first home run of the season, hit on Friday night in a key conference game.
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) April 11, 2026
Following the win to open the LSU series, veteran left-handed pitcher Hunter Elliott, a vocal leader in the clubhouse, spoke about Paino and his experience through college.
“The main thing I’ve seen from him is no matter his role so far, man, he’s been a great teammate. A guy that came in here as high a rated we’ve ever had, probably and it hasn’t gone exactly how he has wanted or how we have, but recently he’s been picking up a little steam and gaining a little confidence. But throughout all of it, he’s a great teammate, he’s a great dude and I couldn’t be more proud of him.“
— Hunter Elliott on Owen Paino
Rebels’ skipper Mike Bianco also chimed in during his post-game press conference as well, with a similar message.
“He’s hung in there; it hasn’t been an easy road for him and he’s a terrific player. And I think the more he plays, the more everybody else will see what we see every day in practice or seen in the fall and what we’ve seen for the last year and a half; he’s just a really good baseball player.“
Mike Bianco on Owen Paino
Paino has totaled 35 plate appearances so far this season, but he has 7 hits, 9 walks, and a hit by pitch, slowly earning a starting role recently. While he is a shortstop by trade, he has found more playing time in the DH role and could be seen there for the rest of the weekend.
Next Up
Ole Miss looks to secure the series on Saturday at 4 P.M. CT for what would be the Rebels’ second straight series win in SEC play for the first time in 2026.
Billy Kuhl
Billy Kuhl joins The Rebel Walk as a sophomore at Ole Miss majoring in Journalism with a Sports Media concentration. He is from Jefferson Township, New Jersey and graduated from Jefferson Township High School where he played varsity baseball, and soccer, and swam competitively in his summers. You can contact him at wpkuhl88@gmail.com or DM him on X @Billykuhll or instagram @Billykuhll_
