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OXFORD — Ole Miss baseball is headed to Lincoln, Nebraska, as the first step in the goal of getting to Omaha for the College World Series.
Ole Miss (36-21) is the No. 2 seed in the Lincoln Regional hosted by Nebraska (42-15). The Cornhuskers are the No. 13 overall seed. Ole Miss will face No. 3 Arizona State (37-19) in the first round of the regional on May 29 (8 p.m., ESPNU). South Dakota State (24-31) is the No. 4 team in the regional.
Coach Mike Bianco spoke on May 25 shortly after the NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed. He said the Rebels have yet to decide on a pitching rotation.
"Everybody is going to talk about how good their regional is," coach Mike Bianco said. "Obviously I think this is one."
Here's what to look for as the Rebels play in the Lincoln Regional.
The Nebraska offense operates differently than Ole Miss'.
The Cornhuskers are No. 16 in the Big Ten in home runs (60). That's less than half of the home runs Ole Miss has hit (124). However, Nebraska is No. 5 in the Big Ten in scoring with 429 runs, compared to 498 for Ole Miss.
Nebraska racks up hits that don't leave the ballpark. The Cornhuskers have 621 hits, which is more than any team in the Big Ten or SEC. Of those hits, 123 have bene doubles.
That combines well with a reliable defense and steady pitching. Nebraska is tied for the best fielding percentage in the nation (.985).
Nebraska has three starting pitchers with an ERA under 4.00: Ty Horn (3.97), Gavin Blachowicz (3.94) and Carson Jasa (3.76).
Landon Hairston is a game-wrecker Ole Miss must be ready for.
Hairston, a sophomore who can play infield and outfield, has earned the nickname "Harry Bonds" as a tribute to former ASU great Barry Bonds.
Five of Hairston's family members have played in the majors, including his dad, Scott, and his grandfather Jerry.
Hairston is No. 5 nationally with a .413 batting average. He is tied for No. 4 in the nation with 28 home runs, which is the ASU single-season record.
Hairston has more home runs than strikeouts (24).
ASU's strength is its offense, which ranks No. 3 in the Big 12 in scoring, but Cole Carlon, a 6-foot-5 left-hander, is 5-2 with a 3.51 ERA.
"Certainly a big ace on the mound, and one of the best offensive players in the country," Bianco said.
Ole Miss was the victim of an incredible run from a No. 4 seed in 2025 when Murray State upset the Rebels to win the Oxford Regional and beat Duke in the super regional to make the College World Series.
Don't expect South Dakota State, an automatic qualifier from the Summit League, to go on a similar run.
SDSU is No. 239 in RPI and went 2-8 in Quad 1 games.
The Jackrabbits finished No. 4 in the six-team Summit League during the regular season. They have a .275 team batting average and a 7.17 ERA.
SDSU lost 5-4 to Nebraska on March 4.
Ole Miss has a much more difficult matchup than Nebraska in the first game. It makes sense for the Cornhuskers to save their best pitchers to utilize in the winner's bracket game.
Even if Ole Miss gets to the game, the Rebels will be behind the eight-ball.
Despite Ole Miss' CWS-level ceiling, Nebraska does enough to get out of its home regional and end the Rebels' season.
Friday, May 29
Game 1: Nebraska vs South Dakota State, 3 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Game 2: Ole Miss vs Arizona State, 8 p.m. CT(ESPNU)
Saturday, May 30
Game 3: Game 1 loser vs Game 2 loser, 2 p.m CT
Game 4: Game 1 winner vs Game 2 winner, 7 p.m. CT
Sunday, May 31
Game 5: Game 3 winner vs Game 4 loser, 2 p.m. CT
Game 6: Game 4 winner vs Game 5 winner, 7 p.m. CT
Monday, June 1
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs Game 6 loser, if necessary
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss baseball prediction for NCAA Tournament regional
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Ole Miss (36-21) is the No. 2 seed in the Lincoln Regional hosted by Nebraska (42-15). The Cornhuskers are the No. 13 overall seed. Ole Miss will face No. 3 Arizona State (37-19) in the first round of the regional on May 29 (8 p.m., ESPNU). South Dakota State (24-31) is the No. 4 team in the regional.
Coach Mike Bianco spoke on May 25 shortly after the NCAA Tournament bracket was revealed. He said the Rebels have yet to decide on a pitching rotation.
"Everybody is going to talk about how good their regional is," coach Mike Bianco said. "Obviously I think this is one."
Here's what to look for as the Rebels play in the Lincoln Regional.
Nebraska's offense is strong, but it's not home run heavy
The Nebraska offense operates differently than Ole Miss'.
The Cornhuskers are No. 16 in the Big Ten in home runs (60). That's less than half of the home runs Ole Miss has hit (124). However, Nebraska is No. 5 in the Big Ten in scoring with 429 runs, compared to 498 for Ole Miss.
Nebraska racks up hits that don't leave the ballpark. The Cornhuskers have 621 hits, which is more than any team in the Big Ten or SEC. Of those hits, 123 have bene doubles.
That combines well with a reliable defense and steady pitching. Nebraska is tied for the best fielding percentage in the nation (.985).
Nebraska has three starting pitchers with an ERA under 4.00: Ty Horn (3.97), Gavin Blachowicz (3.94) and Carson Jasa (3.76).
Arizona State's Landon Hairston might be best player in regional
Landon Hairston is a game-wrecker Ole Miss must be ready for.
Hairston, a sophomore who can play infield and outfield, has earned the nickname "Harry Bonds" as a tribute to former ASU great Barry Bonds.
Five of Hairston's family members have played in the majors, including his dad, Scott, and his grandfather Jerry.
Hairston is No. 5 nationally with a .413 batting average. He is tied for No. 4 in the nation with 28 home runs, which is the ASU single-season record.
Hairston has more home runs than strikeouts (24).
ASU's strength is its offense, which ranks No. 3 in the Big 12 in scoring, but Cole Carlon, a 6-foot-5 left-hander, is 5-2 with a 3.51 ERA.
"Certainly a big ace on the mound, and one of the best offensive players in the country," Bianco said.
South Dakota State doesn't profile like another Cinderella No. 4 seed
Ole Miss was the victim of an incredible run from a No. 4 seed in 2025 when Murray State upset the Rebels to win the Oxford Regional and beat Duke in the super regional to make the College World Series.
Don't expect South Dakota State, an automatic qualifier from the Summit League, to go on a similar run.
SDSU is No. 239 in RPI and went 2-8 in Quad 1 games.
The Jackrabbits finished No. 4 in the six-team Summit League during the regular season. They have a .275 team batting average and a 7.17 ERA.
SDSU lost 5-4 to Nebraska on March 4.
Ole Miss baseball prediction for Lincoln Regional
Ole Miss has a much more difficult matchup than Nebraska in the first game. It makes sense for the Cornhuskers to save their best pitchers to utilize in the winner's bracket game.
Even if Ole Miss gets to the game, the Rebels will be behind the eight-ball.
Despite Ole Miss' CWS-level ceiling, Nebraska does enough to get out of its home regional and end the Rebels' season.
Lincoln Regional schedule in 2026 NCAA Tournament
Friday, May 29
Game 1: Nebraska vs South Dakota State, 3 p.m. CT (ESPN+)
Game 2: Ole Miss vs Arizona State, 8 p.m. CT(ESPNU)
Saturday, May 30
Game 3: Game 1 loser vs Game 2 loser, 2 p.m CT
Game 4: Game 1 winner vs Game 2 winner, 7 p.m. CT
Sunday, May 31
Game 5: Game 3 winner vs Game 4 loser, 2 p.m. CT
Game 6: Game 4 winner vs Game 5 winner, 7 p.m. CT
Monday, June 1
Game 7: Game 6 winner vs Game 6 loser, if necessary
Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss baseball prediction for NCAA Tournament regional
Continue reading...
