Ole Miss Baseball to Face North Carolina in 2026 Men’s College World Series Opener
OMAHA, Neb. — Ole Miss Baseball is set to face North Carolina in the opening game of the 2026 Men’s College World Series on Friday, June 12, at 6 p.m. Eastern on ESPN. The Rebels, with a 41-21 record, are making their seventh appearance in the tournament’s history, their first since 2024.
Ole Miss advanced to Omaha after sweeping through the Lincoln Regional and the Auburn Super Regional. The team has made three trips to Omaha under head coach Mike Bianco, winning the national championship in 2022. The Rebels’ roster features key contributors such as Brayden Randle, who hit .500 with two RBIs during the NCAA Tournament, and Judd Utermark, who batted .429 with four RBIs and a home run.
Randle has also played in the outfield for the first time in his career during the postseason. Taylor Rabe pitched seven innings with just two runs allowed in the Super Regional’s second game, marking his longest outing of the season. Rabe has struck out 17 batters over 13 innings in the tournament, maintaining a 2.08 ERA.
Ole Miss’s pitching staff has accumulated 688 strikeouts this season, second in the NCAA and leading the SEC. The team’s offense is powered by Austin Fawley, who has 13 home runs in the season, mostly against SEC opponents. Fawley, along with Utermark and Tristan Bissetta, has hit 58 home runs, accounting for 54% of the team’s total.
The Rebels will face North Carolina, which enters the series with a 50-12-1 record. The Tar Heels have a strong defense, leading the ACC with 56 double plays and a .982 fielding percentage. Their pitching staff has a 3.86 team ERA, with freshman Caden Glauber posting a 2.20 ERA this season. Owen Hull leads North Carolina hitters with a .390 batting average and is on a nine-game hitting streak.
Ole Miss’s roster includes players with Omaha experience, such as Hunter Elliott, who played in the 2022 championship, and Dom Decker, who appeared in the 2025 College World Series with Murray State. Coach Mike Bianco has made eight trips to Omaha, dating back to his playing days at LSU in 1989.
The game will be broadcast on ESPN, with commentary from Mike Monaco, Eduardo Perez, Ben McDonald, and Taylor McGregor during the day session, and Karl Ravech, Kyle Peterson, Chris Burke, and Kris Budden in the evening. Ole Miss fans can listen on the Ole Miss Radio Network, with David Kellum and Brad Henderson calling the action.
Source: Original Article
