Rebels Baseball Climbs to No. 13 After Weekend Sweep

OXFORD, Miss. — The Ole Miss Rebels baseball team has soared to No. 13 in the Top 25 rankings following their third consecutive weekend sweep, this time against Jacksonville State. The Rebels secured this ranking after a stellar week that included four wins, marking their continued dominance in non-conference play.

Ole Miss’s climb in the rankings is reflected in their recent performance, highlighted by an extra-inning thriller against Murray State. Down to their final out in the ninth and trailing by two runs, first baseman Will Furniss stepped up with the bases loaded, hitting a crucial base hit that scored two runs. A third runner was thrown out at the plate, forcing the game into extra innings, where a critical hit by a freshman player helped secure an 8-7 victory.

The excitement carried into their series against Jacksonville State, where the opening game was filled with dramatic moments, but ultimately, it was the long ball that propelled the Rebels. Austin Fawley and Furniss hit back-to-back home runs, and shortly after, Federico contributed with a go-ahead home run—his first collegiate shot—allowing Ole Miss to take the lead for good.

The Rebels dominated the remainder of the series, outscoring the Gamecocks 24-8 over Saturday and Sunday. Their performance culminated in a 13-2 walk-off victory on Sunday, secured by a grand slam in just eight innings.

The D1Baseball rankings released recently feature an impressive 12 Southeastern Conference teams, with five occupying spots in the top 10 and ten within the top 20. Among those, Ole Miss stands alongside top competitors such as LSU, Tennessee, and Arkansas. The complete list includes:

No. 1 LSU, No. 2 Tennessee, No. 3 Arkansas, No. 4 Georgia, No. 5 Florida State, No. 6 North Carolina, No. 7 Florida, No. 8 Oregon State, No. 9 Oregon, No. 10 Clemson, No. 11 Texas, No. 12 Oklahoma, No. 13 Ole Miss, No. 14 Wake Forest, No. 15 UC Santa Barbara, No. 16 Vanderbilt, No. 17 Alabama, No. 18 Stanford, No. 19 Texas A&M, No. 20 Dallas Baptist, No. 21 Troy, No. 22 Southern Miss, No. 23 Virginia, No. 24 Coastal Carolina, No. 25 Auburn.

With this recent success, Ole Miss finds itself ahead of other SEC teams like Auburn and Alabama. However, a challenging week lies ahead as the Rebels are set to play a midweek game against South Alabama on Tuesday at 4 p.m. CT, before hosting No. 3 Arkansas for their first true SEC weekend series.