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Jun 14, 2026; Omaha, NE, USA; Mississippi Rebels head coach Mike Bianco walks out of the dugout during the first inning in the game against the Troy Trojans at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images
A questionable balk call in the middle of Sunday’s elimination game between Ole Miss and Troy seemed to unravel the Rebels in what turned into a slugfest loss.
Ole Miss led 6-2 in the top of the fifth inning with two outs and the bases loaded with starting pitcher Hunter Elliott on the mound. Umpires called a balk for Elliott reportedly starting and stopping his motion, but it appeared the pitcher was battling to hear from the pitching communication device in his ear. Announcers from ESPN said it looked like this same motion had occurred several times with no balk call previously.
From there, the Trojans ripped a single to make the game 6-5, and the bullpen took over for a beleaguered Elliott. It didn’t get better at all with Troy scoring seven runs over the last three innings to put the final nail in the coffin of Ole Miss’ title hopes.
Going 0-2 in Omaha is disappointing there is no getting around that no matter what anyone says. Yes, making it to Omaha and the College World Series is a great accomplishment that should be properly celebrated. However, every fan, every player and every coach had to look at this side of the bracket and think “ok, this team can make it to the final if it plays well.”
The problem was the team didn’t have its best in Omaha. The pitching staff which had carried the team most of the season and especially in the postseason was gassed, and the sputtering offense couldn’t push across runs when it mattered most.
Cade Townsend didn’t throw a single pitch in the Super Regional or CWS, and he likely will not play another game in an Ole Miss uniform. It is beyond baffling not to see him in some capacity though Bianco was thinking about a future game that would never come to be most likely.
It will be tough not to be a little salty about this team that showed so much promise at times this season. While I’m not sure I ever thought even under the influence of alcohol this team would be a national champion, it was a fun ride in this postseason to see the team elevate its play to make it to the pinnacle of the sport. They deserve all the accolades for making it when so many other teams didn’t.
This version of the Ole Miss Rebels should be remembered fondly years from now, but on Monday morning, this ending just pure stinks.
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