Kyara Aycock
Veteran pitcher Kyra Aycock has looked great in Rebel Red and Blue so far this season. Through two starts, Aycock owns a 2-0 record with a 3.23 earned run average. She has struck out nine over her 13 innings of work.
A transfer from Oklahoma State, the 2026 season will be the last in the college ranks for the coveted portal pitcher. Aycock assembled a 16-6 record at Oklahoma State and a 3.31 ERA in 192.2 innings pitched. She brings with her a wealth of accomplishments, including pitching in the 2023 College World Series and being named to the All-Big 12 freshman team in 2023.
Why did she choose Ole Miss?
“It was closer to home,” said the Newnan, Ga., native, “and when I came on campus, I really fell in love with the campus and the entire coaching staff.”
THE 2-0 START
As for the 2-0 start to her Rebel career last weekend in California, was it the start she was hoping for at Ole Miss?
“I have to clean up some stuff, but it was a very good start for my first time. Just getting the experience, working with the defense and being able to watch the team perform was good, too,” she said.
PITCHING IN THE SEC
The SEC is a gauntlet and Aycock knows it. What are her expectations this season once conference play begins?
“I’m expecting it to be a dogfight. We have a really hard schedule, and I’m really excited for it. Like the OUs and Texas teams…Texas A&M and Tennessee…they’re going to be really, really hard. It’s going to be really fun to pitch against them,” Aycock related.
THE BENEFITS OF WCWS EXPERIENCE
Aycock discussed her deep experience in the collegiate postseason, particularly the Women’s College World Series.
“It’s a different environment,” she explained. “You get out there and you realize that your dreams have come true. It’s kind of hard in the first moments to realize that. You need to perform. Having that experience and being able to talk to the girls who haven’t been there yet…We’re here to play softball. Like it’s cool and all, it;s cool to take it in, but at the same time we have to win games.”
IS AYCOCK THE ACE?
It is early in the season, but she could make a case for being the team’s top pitcher after one weekend of action.
“We’re going to need everyone at the end of the day. You can’t make it to the World Series on just one arm. You need a lot of pitchers and a lot of other stuff, too, to make it,” said Aycock.
OBSERVATIONS ON EMILEE BOYER
To this scribe, and at this early juncture, Aycock’s top competition for the ace role is Division II transfer Emilee Boyer. Boyer pitched well last weekend but came out of the Easton Classic with an 0-2 record. Her ERA, though, 2.33 in two starts. She has fanned 13 and walked just one.
“She pitched really well,” Aycock said. “She was able to come in and throw strikes and get a lot of strikeouts. She never looked down when things weren’t going her way.”
THIS WEEK’S TOURNAMENT
The Rebels travel to Lafayette, La., for the Ragins Cajun Classic beginning Thursday. Ole Miss will play McNeese State in a doubleheader Thursday with game one set to get underway at 3 p.m. CT. They’ll also tangle with Texas A&M Corpus-Christi and host Louisiana-Lafayette during the three-day event.
The only game televised during the tourney is Saturday’s finale versus Louisiana-Lafayette. That game is set for 1:30 p.m. start and will be broadcast on ESPN+. OleMiss365.com will provide full coverage of all the action.