Ole Miss catcher Kennedy Bunker and third baseman Ryan Starr.
LEXINGTON, Ky. – Following a thrilling end to the regular season, the Ole Miss softball program is set for postseason play, traveling north to John Cropp Stadium on the campus of Kentucky for the 2026 SEC Tournament.
The Rebels (32-23, 6-18 SEC) open up the event as the No. 13 seed, facing off against No. 12 seeded South Carolina (30-25, 7-17 SEC). Tuesday’s opener was moved up two hours, to approximately 4 p.m. CT, due to potential inclement weather in the evening forecast in Lexington.
Tuesday’s game will follow 35 minutes after the second game of the day. The opener, between Missouri and Auburn is set for 10 a.m. CT.
HOW TO WATCH
The first three rounds of the tournament will be televised on the SEC Network. The semifinals and final will shift over to ESPN. Should the Rebels advance, they would be slated to face No. 5 seeded Tennessee on Wednesday at 4 p.m. CT.
Madi George
CLUBHOUSE NOTES
- Ole Miss opens the 2026 SEC Tournament on Tuesday, clashing with No. 21 South Carolina.
- Ole Miss enters the tournament following back-to-back walk-off wins via home runs from Kennedy Bunker and Rachel Connors and the first series win over Mississippi State since 2021.
- Freshman Madi George (21) set the single season Ole Miss home run record, passing Lexie Brady (17 – 2025). George now has 11 home runs in her last 15 games and also set the total bases record (134) in the win over Southern Miss and RBI record (56) at Auburn.
- The Rebels have hit 78 home runs in 2026, averaging 1.42 home runs per game and setting a new program-record, passing last season’s mark (67). Ole Miss ranks 22nd nationally in the figure.
- Defense has become paramount for the Rebels, who are 20-7 when they don’t make an error, versus 12-16 when making one or more errors.
- The Rebels have generated 27 double plays this season, ranking 16th in the nation and third in the SEC. The program record is 28, set in 2017.
- The Rebels are 19-5 this season when issuing just two walks or less, compared to 13-18 otherwise.
SCOUTING SOUTH CAROLINA
The No. 12 seed and 30-25 South Carolina Gamecocks enter the SEC Tournament battle-tested, as one of just two teams with a more difficult strength of schedule than the Rebels. Head coach Ashley Chastain Woodard led South Carolina to the NCAA Super Regional in 2025 and has eyes on another postseason bid in 2026.
The Gamecocks are powered by a balanced offense with perhaps its most impactful hitter being Tori Ensley. Ensley is hitting .360 with 13 home runs and 45 RBI, while adding 12 stolen bases. Quincee Lilio has drawn 38 walks to along with a .331 batting average, while Arianna Rodi remains a big power threat, tallying 11 home runs and 28 RBI.
Where the Gamecocks have found their best form is behind the play of Jori Heard, who has been remarkable in 2026. Heard is 11-10 with a 1.94 ERA, tallying 122 strikeouts and holding hitters to a .226 batting average. South Carolina features several talented arms, including Emma Friedel, who is 10-6 with a 3.17 ERA over 81.2 innings and Nealy Lamb, who is 4-7 with a 3.93 ERA.
South Carolina has shown fight through a tough schedule, earning several standout wins. The Gamecocks have beaten nationally ranked Louisville, Washington and Clemson in non-conference play, while earning series wins over Texas A&M and Missouri in SEC play.
TOURNAMENT TIME
After completing one of the most daunting schedules in the nation and securing each of its last two SEC series, the Ole Miss Rebels attention turns to the 2026 SEC Tournament. The Rebels have won at least one round in the SEC Tournament each of the last four seasons.
The Rebels own the third-most difficult schedule in nation, trailing only Arkansas and South Carolina.
The Rebels have already played 21 games against the RPI Top-25 and 30 games against the Top-50, with several other teams sitting just outside the top-50. The Rebels will face the No. 25 RPI team (South Carolina) to open the postseason.
BOURNE MAGIC
On Friday, May 1, the Ole Miss Softball Stadium officially became the Alisa and Mark Bourne Stadium, through a generous donation from the Bourne family. In the two games that have followed since the naming, the Rebels won both via walk-off home runs from Kennedy Bunker and Rachel Connors against No. 16 Mississippi State. After not hitting any walk-off’s in 2025, the Rebels have had a flair for the dramatic with four, including three at home.
SEC SOFTBALL STANDINGS
| conf | cpct | overall | opct | home | road | neutral | strk | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Oklahoma | 20-4 | 0.833 | 48-7 | 0.873 | 24-1 | 16-4 | 8-2 | W2 |
 Alabama | 19-5 | 0.792 | 47-6 | 0.887 | 28-2 | 14-4 | 5-0 | W3 |
 Florida | 17-7 | 0.708 | 47-9 | 0.839 | 26-3 | 13-5 | 8-1 | L2 |
 Tennessee | 16-8 | 0.667 | 42-9 | 0.824 | 18-4 | 10-5 | 14-0 | L1 |
 Texas | 16-8 | 0.667 | 39-10 | 0.796 | 19-6 | 14-3 | 6-1 | W1 |
 Texas A&M | 16-8 | 0.667 | 36-16 | 0.692 | 21-5 | 8-6 | 7-5 | L2 |
 Arkansas | 15-9 | 0.625 | 41-10 | 0.804 | 24-3 | 11-6 | 6-1 | L1 |
 LSU | 13-11 | 0.542 | 37-16 | 0.698 | 28-5 | 8-7 | 1-4 | W5 |
 Georgia | 12-12 | 0.500 | 36-17 | 0.679 | 25-9 | 6-7 | 5-1 | W2 |
 Mississippi State | 9-15 | 0.375 | 37-17 | 0.685 | 20-7 | 9-10 | 8-0 | L2 |
 Missouri | 9-15 | 0.375 | 28-28 | 0.500 | 13-10 | 10-10 | 5-8 | W1 |
 South Carolina | 7-17 | 0.292 | 30-25 | 0.545 | 20-14 | 8-8 | 2-3 | L3 |
 Ole Miss | 6-18 | 0.250 | 32-23 | 0.582 | 15-10 | 9-10 | 8-3 | W2 |
 Auburn | 4-20 | 0.167 | 25-27 | 0.481 | 15-11 | 2-13 | 8-3 | L3 |
 Kentucky | 1-23 | 0.042 | 26-28 | 0.481 | 9-13 | 9-13 | 8-2 | L3 |