Following a Champion’s Example, Ole Miss pitcher Taylor Rabe Carves His Own Path to Omaha
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OMAHA, Neb. — When Taylor Rabe arrived at Ole Miss as a freshman in 2024, he did what most young pitchers do when they walk into a clubhouse filled with veterans. He watched. He listened.
And he paid attention to Hunter Elliott.
At the time, Elliott was an established face of the program, having helped lead the Rebels to a national championship in 2022, en route to becoming one of the most recognizable players in college baseball. Although Elliott was sidelined in 2023 and 2024 due to injury, his presence remained large.
And Rabe was a freshman trying to find his footing.
Now, two years later, both pitchers are standing together in Omaha as Ole Miss prepares to open play in the Men’s College World Series this evening at 6:00 p.m. CT.
Only this time, Rabe isn’t looking for answers.
He’s become one of them.
During Thursday’s media day at Charles Schwab Field, Rabe reflected on his growth throughout his Ole Miss career and the influence Elliott has had along the way.
“Yeah. I think when I first came here as a freshman and met Hunter, I kind of looked to him for the answers to how to get to Omaha.”
Taylor Rabe
The answer, as it turns out, was never a secret formula.
It wasn’t found in a speech or a magical moment. It was found in consistency.
“One thing that I’ve kind of learned from him and is that a trait of really good teams is that you don’t really, win or lose, if you get swept or if you sweep someone, you don’t try to change everything up or do anything very different. You just stick with your process and continue to try to improve the things that you need to improve and be the same guys every day.“
Taylor Rabe
That mindset became especially important during a season that tested Ole Miss repeatedly.
The Rebels navigated one of the nation’s toughest schedules, endured the weekly grind of the SEC, and ultimately earned their way to Omaha by winning postseason games in some of the most hostile environments in college baseball.
There were moments when panic could have crept in.
Instead, Rabe said the team leaned on the lessons veteran players had been preaching all season.
“And so I think that’s something that Hunter’s kind of taught me and that I look for in the teams. And when we had some struggles this year, I just tried to keep the morale like we don’t need to panic. Like we’re still a really good team and especially in our league, like people get beat every week. And that’s not a reason to start to panic.“
Taylor Rabe
For Elliott, watching Rabe develop into one of the nation’s top arms has been one of the most rewarding parts of the season.
The growth, he says, goes far beyond velocity or statistics.
“I mean, the obvious stuff he’s made huge strides on the field,” Elliott said. “He’s developed into one of the elite stuff arms in the country.”
What has impressed Elliott most, however, is how Rabe handles pressure.
“The thing that I’m most impressed with him is, man, he seems to really find a way to own the big moment. Now it seems like he’s starting to understand that, man, jams are just part of it. You’re going to get yourself into jams. But man, he’s learning how to make the big pitch.“
Hunter Elliott on Taylor Rabe
That ability to navigate difficult situations has become one of Rabe’s defining traits.
Rabe to start the College World Series opener
It’s also one of the reasons Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco announced Thursday that Rabe will start the Rebels’ College World Series opener against North Carolina.
For Bianco, the decision reflects a season-long progression.
“He’s a kid that just continues to get better, it seems, week in and week out. He was really good at the beginning of the season, at whatever role we put him in. He seemed to flourish in if it was just a bullpen piece to the closer, to all of a sudden a weekend starter.“
Head coach Mike Bianco on Taylor Rabe
But like Elliott, Bianco pointed to something deeper than physical ability.
“The great ones learn how to make pitches and get off the field,” Bianco said. “And he’s learned that.”
The journey to this moment has not always been straightforward.
Rabe acknowledged that this is the first season in which he has been able to prepare and compete without the limitations injuries had previously created.
“It’s been fun,” Rabe said. “I knew coming into the year I was going to be able to do everything that we wanted to do in the offseason and in the preseason and the fall to get ready for the season.”
The result has been a breakout season and an opportunity few college players ever experience.
On Friday night, under the lights in Omaha, Rabe will take the mound for Ole Miss in the opening game of the College World Series as the Rebels take on North Carolina, one of the nation’s best teams at putting the ball in play.
Not long ago, he was the freshman studying a national champion and wondering what it took to reach college baseball’s biggest stage.
Now, as the Rebels begin their pursuit of another championship, he has become part of the answer for the next generation of Ole Miss players who are watching.
Just as he once watched Hunter Elliott.
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
