By Jeff Byrd
Ole Miss Coach Mike Bianco had a pretty good response on what it meant to be a baseball coach and experience Omaha, for a third time in his 26-year career with the Rebels.
Photo credits: Ole Miss athletics
“Almost all the teams in Division I baseball are going to end their season with a loss, with the exception of the winner here. If this is your last loss, make it here.”
The 2026 Ole Miss made that loss in Omaha, a 12-8 decision to the Troy Trojans, on Sunday. The loss finished Ole Miss at 41-23 for the season.
For a team that had so many ups and downs during its season: four losses against rival Mississippi State, an early exit loss to last-place Missouri at the SEC Tournament, a walk-off series loss at Arkansas and a blown error loss at Alabama, this one still made it to Omaha.
A big reason why is Bianco’s guidance and patience. Another is this team put together two weeks of flawless baseball. In five games, no team scored more than six runs. They won three grinding games in Lincoln, Nebraska, beating a talented Arizona State team twice, 7-6 in 14 innings, and 5-4 in the regional title game. They also turned back an excited host team in Nebraska.
The next week they went to Auburn and played two superb games to beat the Tigers 6-4 and 5-3. They followed the formula found true in baseball, pitching, defense, and timely hitting. They had it there on the Auburn plains.
Omaha, unlike 2022, when they left with the national championship, was harder this time. The pitching struggled in the latter innings.
North Carolina scored six runs in its last three at bats. Troy went on a 10-0 run to turn a 6-2 deficit into a 12-7 lead. The 12-8 loss ended the season.
But it ended in Omaha.
“We just didn’t make the big pitch to get out of things, or the really big hit. Today, we just couldn’t stop them,” Bianco said of Troy’s big run of runs in middle innings.
Afterwards, Bianco was asked about how he will remember this team.
“I don’t think about it,” he replied. “It’s not about me. All teams are different. I do know I have the coolest job in the world. To see these kids and their maturation process, is a big reward.
“I think in a few weeks, I’ll look back and think, ‘What a special team.'”
Now it will be what is next for 2027.
Ole Miss in 2026 was built on its rotation. The gritty Hunter Elliott and his 300-plus strikeouts in three healthy seasons, the multi-pitch, major-league prospect in Cade Townsend, and the rocket-ship emergence of Taylor Rabe, who became the team’s best pitcher in the post-season.
All three, however, are headed to the pros. Townsend and Rabe could hear their names early in the draft. Elliott is a bit of an unknown because of his injury history and lack of a dominant pitch, according to some scouts.
The staff next year will be anchored behind a mid-week starter in Wil Lippert, an All-SEC closer in Walker Hooks (3-1, 3.24 ERA, 63 strikeouts) and reliever J.P. Robertson who was 5-2. Robertson could move into a rotation role.
The Rebels were already getting portal additions from LSU and South Carolina Upstate to re-load there.
The offense will have to be rebuilt. Four-year seniors Judd Utermark and Will Furniss are gone. Utermark led the team at .309 and a career home run mark. Furniss hit .306 with 57 RBIs. Clemson transfer Tristan Bissetta hit a team best 23 home runs and drove in a team high 61 runs. Collin Reuter had a great post-season run capped by a home run Sunday against Troy. Leadoff man Dom Decker (.270, 10 HR) will likely be back as well.
The leaders will be the defenders in shortstop Hunter Paino, and outfielder Hayden Fedreico. Fed came on strong at the end with a 3-for-3 effort against Troy. He finished the season at .302, a big jump after a slow start. Brayden Randle had a great CWS. He had two in the UNC loss, and two more against Troy, including a two-run homer. He also had the game-winning hit to beat Arizona State in 14 innings.