HOOVER, AL — In a wild back-and-forth shootout to open the 2026 SEC Baseball Tournament, the No. 16 seed Missouri Tigers upset the No. 9 seed Ole Miss Rebels 10-8 at the Hoover Metropolitan Complex.
The first pitch was thrown at 9:33 a.m. under partly cloudy skies with the temperature at a comfortable 76 degrees. The marathon matchup lasted exactly three hours and 51 minutes. The on-field energy was palpable as the Tigers fought to extend their season.
Ole Miss struck first in the bottom of the first inning when Dom Decker launched a solo home run down the left-field line. The Rebels extended their lead to 2-0 in the second inning on another solo shot, this time off the bat of Austin Fawley into right field.
Missouri answered the bell in the top of the third inning. After Pierre Seals singled and stole second, Kam Durnin crushed a two-run homer to left-center, tying the game 2-2.
The fifth inning featured a massive offensive explosion from both dugouts. Missouri plated five runs, sparked by an RBI single down the right-field line from Mateo Serna. Kaden Peer then delivered the biggest blow of the game, launching a four-run home run to left-center to give the Tigers a 7-2 advantage. Ole Miss immediately answered in the bottom of the frame with four runs of their own, highlighted by an RBI double from Tristan Bissetta, a two-run single by Hayden Federico, and a ground-rule RBI double by Owen Paino, cutting the deficit to 7-6.
Missouri extended its lead in the top of the sixth on a solo home run by Jase Woita to make it 8-6. However, the Rebels fought back in the bottom of the seventh when Federico blasted a two-run homer to left field, tying the game at 8-8.
The Tigers ultimately secured the victory in the top of the eighth inning. Durnin singled to center field, and Blaize Ward followed with a single through the right side. A fielding error by the Ole Miss right fielder on Ward’s hit allowed Durnin to cross the plate for the game-winning run. Moments later, Serna provided an insurance run with an RBI single to right field, scoring pinch-runner Isaiah Frost to cap the scoring at 10-8.
Serna led the Missouri offense, going 3-for-5 with two RBIs, while Peer’s grand slam accounted for a massive four RBIs. For Ole Miss, Federico was the standout performer, going 2-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs.
“Just challenged our guys to come out today and play for one more day,” Missouri head coach Kerrick Jackson said following the upset. “Come out and play the best that we can play. Play with your hair on fire. We’ve got nothing to lose.” Serna echoed his coach’s sentiment, adding, “We just played team baseball today”.
On the mound, Missouri reliever Eli Skidmore earned the win, improving his record to 3-0. Skidmore was flawless under pressure, throwing 2.2 scoreless and hitless innings while striking out five batters to close the game. Ole Miss reliever L. Koenig (3-1) took the loss, surrendering two runs (both earned) on four hits over 2.0 innings. No save was recorded in the contest.
Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco expressed frustration with his pitching staff’s control. “We just didn’t pitch good enough to win,” Bianco said. “Not normal for us, but we walked seven… I don’t know if a reliever got through his outing without giving up a run, besides [O.] Kelly at the very end. It’s just not good enough”.
Despite the loss, Federico remained optimistic about the Rebels’ postseason future. “It’s a blessing that we get to keep playing, and we put ourselves in a good position, whether that’s hosting or as a 2 seed somewhere,” Federico noted.
Team Records and Tournament Status
- Missouri Tigers (24-30 Overall): The No. 16 seed Tigers advance to the Second Round to face the No. 8 seed Mississippi State Bulldogs on Wednesday, May 20 at 9:30 a.m. CT.
- Ole Miss Rebels (36-21 Overall): The No. 9 seed Rebels have been eliminated from the single-elimination opening round of the SEC Tournament and will await their NCAA Regional fate.
This was created with AI assistance using content provided by the SEC, and edited for content and accuracy by the webmaster.
