For the fifth and final time in 2024, Ole Miss and Mississippi State will meet on Tuesday night of the 2024 SEC Tournament for one of the intriguing early matchups. Ole Miss and Mississippi State split the regular season, with each winning two games, setting the scene for a wild Tuesday night in Hoover between the two Mississippi schools. 

Ole Miss, undeterred by the setbacks of an arduous series against the LSU Tigers, is heading to Hoover with a fighting spirit. Despite the weekend’s challenges, where they lost all three games to LSU, the Ole Miss Rebels are ready to face a do-or-die situation on Tuesday night under the leadership of Mike Bianco. The silver lining for Ole Miss is their past success against Mississippi State, having won two out of three games in Oxford back in April. 

Ole Miss has been a team of surprises this season, keeping the Rebel Nation on their toes. At times, they Ignite hope with their impressive performances, and at others, they leave the fan base questioning the team’s direction. After the weekend’s disappointment, many Ole Miss fans have shifted their focus to the upcoming fall season for Ole Miss Football, adding another layer of unpredictability to the team’s narrative. 

Despite taking the series over Mizzou, Mississippi State’s Bulldogs have a bit more work to do to secure their position as an NCAA Tournament Regional Host. According to those same people, Mississippi State must win at least one over Ole Miss and maybe another in Hoover over Texas A&M to feel comfortable bringing an NCAA Tournament Regional back to Dudy Noble for the first time since winning the National Championship 2021. 

As of late, Mississippi State has been a team that has caught fire, collecting offensive explosions combined with stellar pitching from the starting rotations. Mississippi State is in the best position they have been in two years to make a deep run this postseason. However, the Bulldogs will only go as far as the bullpen will take them. Mississippi State has had bullpen issues all season and will look for a different narrative heading into the postseason. 

Mississippi State and Ole Miss will play the last game of the day on Tuesday night. The winner will advance to play Texas A&M on Wednesday night. The winner between the Bulldogs and Rebels will have baseball bragging rights for an entire year as all the marbles are in on this one-time do-or-die game between the two powerhouses from Mississippi.