The Ole Miss baseball team opened its 2026 season with a convincing victory Friday night, defeating the Nevada Wolf Pack 11-3 in a full nine-inning contest at Swayze Field. The Rebels overcame an early 1-0 deficit with explosive offensive innings, showcasing depth in the lineup and strong pitching to secure the win.
Nevada struck first with a solo home run, but Ole Miss responded with multi-run frames, capitalizing on timely hits, walks, and Nevada mistakes to build an insurmountable lead.
Nevada took a quick 1-0 lead in the top of the first when leadoff hitter Jake Harvey homered off Ole Miss starter Hunter Elliott, followed by a double from Jayce Dobie. Elliott limited the damage, escaping the inning with a rundown and strikeout.
Ole Miss exploded for four runs in the bottom of the first. Dom Decker doubled, Judd Utermark walked, and Will Furniss was hit by pitch to load the bases. Tristan Bissetta, in his Rebel debut, cleared them with a three-run double to right-center. Furniss scored on a wild pitch for 4-1.
The Rebels added three more in the second: Daniel Pacella singled in two after walks and hits loaded the bases again, pushing it to 7-1. Nevada scratched across two runs in the sixth off reliever Owen Kelly, narrowing it to 7-3 on hits and a walk. However, Ole Miss pulled away late adding one in the sixth and three in the eighth, highlighted by Brett Moseley’s two-run homer to right.
Elliott earned the win, pitching five innings with seven strikeouts, three hits, one run, and two walks. The bullpen, including Owen Kelly and Hudson Calhoun, closed it out, allowing two runs over four innings. Nevada starter Dominic Desch took the loss, yielding seven runs, all earned, over 3.1 innings with seven hits, three walks, and four hit-by-pitches. Overall, Ole Miss outhit Nevada 11-9 and drew six walks, while Nevada stranded runners and couldn’t mount a comeback.
The Rebels look to open the season 2-0 as they face off against Nevada again tomorrow at Noon CT in game two of the three game series. Kade Townsend will take the mound for his first start of the season. The game will be broadcast on the SEC Network+.
