No. 6 State Secures Series At 18th-Ranked Rebels
March 28, 2026 | Baseball
OXFORD - No. 6 Mississippi State delivered another emphatic statement in its rivalry with No. 18 Ole Miss, riding power at the plate and dominant pitching to a 6-1 victory Saturday at Swayze Field.
With the win, the Diamond Dawgs secured yet another series edge over the Rebels, claiming nine of the last 10 meetings between the programs.
MSU (23-4, 6-2 SEC) set the tone early behind a strong outing from Tomas Valincius and a barrage of timely extra-base hits, while the Bulldogs' bullpen slammed the door over the final four innings.
Mississippi State broke through in the third inning when Kevin Milewski launched a solo home run to left, putting State on the board. The Bulldogs added to the lead in the fourth, capitalizing on traffic and execution. Noah Sullivan scored on a double-play ball before Gehrig Frei delivered an RBI single to make it 3-0.
The Diamond Dawgs put the game out of reach in the sixth inning with a power surge. After Ryder Woodson singled, Jacob Parker crushed a two-run homer to right field. Frei followed suit to give State back-to-back blasts, extending the lead to 6-0 and silencing the home crowd.
That was more than enough support for Valincius (6-0), who was in command throughout his five shutout innings. The left-hander allowed just three hits while striking out nine, keeping Ole Miss hitters off balance all afternoon.
Ole Miss (19-9, 3-5) managed its lone run in the sixth inning on an RBI single from Dom Decker, but the rally was quickly halted. Brendan Sweeney, Maddox Miller and Maddox Webb combined to limit further damage, allowing just three hits over the final four innings while striking out five.
At the plate, the Bulldogs produced nine hits, with Frei leading the way with two hits and two RBIs, while Parker drove in two with his home run. Milewski added a homer and reached base twice, helping power the MSU offense.
The Rebels struggled to capitalize on opportunities, leaving 11 runners on base and striking out 14 times against Mississippi State pitching.
From start to finish, the Bulldogs controlled the contest, showcasing the depth and balance that has kept them among the nation's elite. And once again, in one of college baseball's most heated rivalries, State proved it still holds the upper hand.
The Diamond Dawgs will go for the sweep on Sunday at 3 p.m. on SEC Network. Mississippi State will send Duke Stone (4-0, 4.10 ERA) to the mound while the Rebels respond with a sophomore righty of their own in Cade Townsend (2-0, 0.92 ERA).
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