Rebels Take the First Step, Top Auburn 6-4 in Super Regional Opener

AUBURN, Ala. – Ole Miss defeated Auburn, 6-4, Friday night, never allowing the Tigers to fully seize momentum and answering every Auburn rally with a response of its own. Now the Rebels head into Saturday needing just one more victory to clinch the super regional and return to Omaha for the second time in five seasons, while Auburn must win twice to keep its season alive.

AIN’T DONE YET pic.twitter.com/YG3AZM4Imz

— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 6, 2026

Hunter Elliott and Auburn’s Andreas Alvarez delivered exactly what was expected in Friday’s opener, trading zeros through the early innings in a matchup featuring two of the SEC’s top arms.

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After Alvarez struck out the side in the first, Elliott answered with a pair of strikeouts and a popout. Ole Miss broke through first in the second inning when Brayden Randle lined an RBI single to right field, scoring Hayden Federico for a 1-0 lead.

Randle delivers again! pic.twitter.com/kcZZCuVMIL

— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 6, 2026

Auburn immediately threatened, loading the bases in the bottom half of the inning, but Elliott escaped the jam with an inning-ending double play off the bat of Cade Belyeu.

The Tigers finally broke through in the third on Chase Fralick’s sacrifice fly, but Elliott again limited the damage with another double-play ball. Ole Miss responded in the fourth when Austin Fawley doubled and later scored on Randle’s second RBI single of the night, putting the Rebels back in front 2-1.

Brayden Randle NCAA Tournament RBI Single Counter: 5 pic.twitter.com/c4ywhI3fNq

— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 6, 2026

Randle finished 2-for-3 with two RBIs and continued his recent postseason surge at the plate.

The Rebels created some breathing room in the fifth. After Dom Decker reached with a single, Judd Utermark launched a two-run homer to left field, extending the lead to 4-1. The blast was the 51st home run of Utermark’s Ole Miss career and was hammered off the bat at 113 miles per hour.

Consider that monster slain ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/8cgtBh0KB3

— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 6, 2026

Auburn answered with a run in the bottom of the inning on Chris Rembert’s RBI single, trimming the deficit to 4-2.

Elliott’s night ended after 4.1 innings, allowing two runs on six hits while battling through four walks. With Auburn threatening to build momentum, Ole Miss turned to Hudson Calhoun, who delivered another critical postseason relief appearance.

The Rebels added what proved to be the decisive blow in the sixth when Collin Reuter hammered a two-run homer, pushing the lead to 6-2.

AMBUSHED 👋 pic.twitter.com/4ytNoQ6kWW

— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 6, 2026

Auburn got one run back on Mason McCraine’s RBI double later in the inning, but Calhoun prevented the Tigers from drawing any closer.

Calhoun earned the victory after allowing one run over 2.2 innings while striking out three. He sits at 5-3 on the season.

Walker Hooks handled the final six outs for his save, though Auburn made things interesting in the ninth when McCraine connected on a solo home run. The Tigers’ outfielder finished 3-for-4 with two runs scored and two RBIs, but Hooks recorded the final outs to secure the 6-4 win.

GAME ONE BELONGS TO THE REBS‼️ pic.twitter.com/VgfwgupCJe

— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 6, 2026

Hooks’ save is his eighth of the season.

Ole Miss has spent the postseason answering every challenge placed in front of it. Friday night was no different. With Game 1 in hand and confidence building, the Rebels will take the field Saturday with a chance to finish the job and continue their march toward Omaha.

REBS WIN! pic.twitter.com/9GYHpNyCjN

— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 6, 2026

Next Up:

The Rebels look to close out the Auburn Super Regional with a win over the Tigers on Saturday at 4 p.m. on ESPN.