Ole Miss is one win away from its first College World Series appearance since 2022 — the year the Rebels won it all.
The road Rebels proved resilient once again, with Ole Miss (40-21) continuing its postseason winning streak after sweeping through last weekend’s Lincoln Regional. Mike Bianco’s club led with the long ball on Friday night, as a pair of timely home runs led the way for the red and blue in a 6-4 super regional win in front of a record crowd of 10,627 at Auburn.
Brayden Randle, who is making a case for the hottest bat in college baseball this postseason, had two hits and two RBI, while also playing in the outfield for the first time since he was 14 years old. Randle drove in the two runs — one in the top of the second and the other in the top of the fourth — with a pair of singles. Both hits were timely, as they occurred with two outs.
“I just go up there with the approach that I’m doing it for the team. No moment is too big, and just try to think that there are no outs,” Randle said after the game. “I think tonight, there were two outs, but when I got up [to the plate], I hit like there were no outs. I just put the ball in play and let good things happen.”
Ole Miss slugger Judd Utermark hit a two-run no-doubter over Auburn’s green monster in left field in the top of the fifth, while Collin Reuter hit a two-run shot in the top of the sixth to carry Ole Miss to victory. Auburn (42-21) punched back after both homers, adding runs in the bottom of the fifth and sixth.
Consider that monster slain ⚔️ pic.twitter.com/8cgtBh0KB3
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) June 6, 2026
The Tigers threatened earlier in the matchup, loading the bases in the bottom of the second with one out and third with no outs, but ace Rebel Hunter Elliott and a pair of fortunate double plays kept Auburn’s red-hot offense from tacking on much damage. Elliott, who wasn’t necessarily on his A game, was pulled in the bottom of the fifth after a leadoff walk turned into Auburn scoring a run and threatening a three-run lead Ole Miss had at the start of the frame.
Hudson Calhoun was called upon to take over, with Tiger runners on the corners and just one out. Calhoun, a Tupelo native, fanned his first batter, then forced a flyout to prevent the home club from eating into its deficit. Bianco referred to that moment as the turning point of the game.
“For our reporters and fans who have seen Hunter Elliott for so many years, he can have games like that where he looks like it’s not going to be his night. But he just makes pitches and gets off the field, and he’s got as much guts as anybody that has ever put on this uniform,” Bianco said. “It is great to have him out there, kind of grinding through and then, of course, I thought a huge part of the game besides the offense was (Hudson) Calhoun coming in the fifth and getting off the field with a couple big outs.”
Calhoun was aided by the insurance Reuter provided with his long ball, though a two-out Mason McCraine RBI double in the bottom of the sixth kept the Tigers within striking distance. The right-hander worked himself out of the inning and held Auburn scoreless in the seventh before Bianco turned to closer Walker Hooks in the eighth after the Tigers got a leadoff man on base courtesy of a four-pitch walk.
As the Rebels failed to score in the final innings of the matchup, Auburn ramped up the pressure in the bottom of the ninth. McCraine, a freshman, led things off with a solo home run. Following a flyout, Tiger slugger Chase Fralick was hit by a pitch, putting the tying run at the plate. Hooks was unfazed, however, and forced back-to-back lineouts to end the game.
Calhoun (5-3) earned the win on the mound, fanning three batters, while only giving up one run on two hits in 2.2 innings. Hooks got his eighth save of the season, punching out two batters and only allowing the solo shot in two innings. Elliott, who struggled with command all night, had two strikeouts while giving up two runs on six hits and four walks in 4.1 innings.
Auburn was led offensively by McCraine’s three hits, one home run, and two RBI. He was the only Tiger with a multi-hit night. Fralick, who has been his team’s hottest bat in the postseason, was hitless on the night and only reached base when getting hit by a pitch in the final inning. Meridian native Bub Terrell, Auburn’s left fielder, reached base three times, once with a hit and twice by being walked.
Andreas Alvarez (10-4) was handed the loss after surrendering five earned runs on seven hits and one walk. The right-hander notably had 10 strikeouts in 5.2 innings of work. LJ Cormier closed the game for Auburn, only allowing one earned run on three hits while fanning four batters in 3.1 innings.
Next up
Ole Miss and Auburn will return to action on Saturday at 4 p.m., with the game airing on ESPN and participating SuperTalk Mississippi stations.