There’s something about a rivalry series in May that brings out college baseball’s most intoxicating blend of tension and hope. Even though sometimes it leads to heartbreak. And when that rivalry is Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State… it just means more.
A doubleheader Friday gave us a microcosm of both teams’ identities. Ole Miss flashed postseason firepower, but Mississippi State found a heartbeat that’s been elusive for much of the season. By Sunday, the Bulldogs had not only clinched the series but may have reignited their postseason hopes in the process.
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There’s something about a rivalry series in May that brings out college baseball’s most intoxicating blend of tension and hope. Even though sometimes it leads to heartbreak. And when that rivalry is Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State… it just means more.
A doubleheader Friday gave us a microcosm of both teams’ identities. Ole Miss flashed postseason firepower, but Mississippi State found a heartbeat that’s been elusive for much of the season. By Sunday, the Bulldogs had not only clinched the series but may have reignited their postseason hopes in the process.
Let’s break it down, game by game and through the lens of a series that was more than just a win or loss.
Game 1: Ole Miss 10, Mississippi State 4 — Big Bats, Big Statement
In the opener, it looked like Ole Miss had shown up to end the weekend early. The Rebels jumped all over State with a five-run fifth inning that blew the game wide open. The centerpiece? Judd Utermark’s three-run bomb.
Utermark finished with three RBIs, while Hunter Elliott quieted the Dudy Noble crowd with 5.2 innings of lockdown pitching (3 H, 2 ER, 7 K). He handed things over to Will McCausland, who needed just 1.1 innings to close the case. Just like that, Ole Miss looked like a Top 25 team flexing its muscles on the road.
The stat line was loud: 10 runs on 11 hits. If you stopped watching there, you’d think the Rebels were set to cruise.
Game 2: Mississippi State 4, Ole Miss 1 — The Siary Show
Then came Evan Siary.
In the nightcap of Friday’s doubleheader, Siary threw what can only be described as a one-man rescue mission: 8 innings, 15 strikeouts, 0 walks, and 6 scattered hits. Career-high numbers on a rivalry stage. Not bad for a team that’s been searching for consistency since February.
He was locked in. He was in command. And he gave Mississippi State exactly what they needed: a win—and a pulse.
At the plate, Bryce Chance and Hunter Hines delivered timely RBIs, punctuating State’s four-run effort and proving that this wasn’t just a pitcher’s win—it was a team settling into something real.
Game 3: Mississippi State 6, Ole Miss 5 — A Surging Team, a Stumbling One
Saturday’s rubber match had all the makings of a meltdown—but not for the team you’d expect.
Mississippi State led 6–1 entering the eighth, having pieced together steady offensive innings and held Ole Miss in check with a mix of confidence and control. Then, the Rebels did what good teams do best. They fought back in a convincing way.
