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AUBURN, AL — It was an odd sight when Ole Miss baseball third baseman Judd Utermark strode to the plate last week.
In the bottom of the sixth inning, during Ole Miss' 5-4 win against Arizona State to clinch the Lincoln Regional, Utermark carried a gray bat to the plate.
It was teammate Tate Sirmans' bat, and not Utermark's signature pink one that he's used for the past two years.
Utermark never swung the new bat. He was intentionally walked.
"The MAV1, the pink bat, it didn't feel good in my hand," Utermark said June 4.
Utermark said it's back to feeling good. The Ole Miss home run king will use the hot pink bat against Auburn in the NCAA super regionals beginning June 5 (7 p.m., ESPN2).
"I call it Miami Beach," Utermark said. "The sunset vibe. I saw it, swing it and liked the feel of it. It's really loud, so I better swing good with it, but it's been kind of a staple the last two years."
Utermark has used the MAV1 since 2025. It's coincided with his best play. He hit 22 home runs in 2025 and is up to 21 this season.
Utermark broke the program record by hitting hit 49th career home run against UT Martin on May 12. He is up to 50 career home runs.
"That bat has, I think, three specific color ways," Utermark said. "They've made that for three years now, the MAV. Obviously this one is called the flash. The two previous bats, the first one was camo. Digital camo all the way around. And then the second one was all gray. Then they just said we're completely switching this up. We're going to go as bright as we can."
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: Why Judd Utermark uses pink bat for Ole Miss baseball
Continue reading...
In the bottom of the sixth inning, during Ole Miss' 5-4 win against Arizona State to clinch the Lincoln Regional, Utermark carried a gray bat to the plate.
It was teammate Tate Sirmans' bat, and not Utermark's signature pink one that he's used for the past two years.
Utermark never swung the new bat. He was intentionally walked.
"The MAV1, the pink bat, it didn't feel good in my hand," Utermark said June 4.
Utermark said it's back to feeling good. The Ole Miss home run king will use the hot pink bat against Auburn in the NCAA super regionals beginning June 5 (7 p.m., ESPN2).
"I call it Miami Beach," Utermark said. "The sunset vibe. I saw it, swing it and liked the feel of it. It's really loud, so I better swing good with it, but it's been kind of a staple the last two years."
Utermark has used the MAV1 since 2025. It's coincided with his best play. He hit 22 home runs in 2025 and is up to 21 this season.
Utermark broke the program record by hitting hit 49th career home run against UT Martin on May 12. He is up to 50 career home runs.
"That bat has, I think, three specific color ways," Utermark said. "They've made that for three years now, the MAV. Obviously this one is called the flash. The two previous bats, the first one was camo. Digital camo all the way around. And then the second one was all gray. Then they just said we're completely switching this up. We're going to go as bright as we can."
Ole Miss vs Auburn super regional schedule
- Game 1: Friday, June 5, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)
- Game 2: Saturday, June 6, 4 p.m. (ESPN)
- Game 3: Sunday, June 7, TBA, 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: Why Judd Utermark uses pink bat for Ole Miss baseball
Continue reading...
