With a Regional Championship on the line, Coach Mike Bianco and the Ole Miss Rebels would take the field on Sunday night against a dangerous Arizona State team, with a Super Regional for the Rebels on the line. Ole Miss came into the Regional Championship with a perfect 2-0 record in Regional play and needed a single win on Sunday or, in the worst case, a win on Monday to make a return to a Super Regional with a possible hosting scenario in play with Auburn needed to win three games in about 30 hours to keep the winner of the Lincoln Regional from hosting a Super Regional. 

With a rematch with the Arizona State Sun Devils on the horizon, the Rebels would come into the game on Sunday night trying to not only earn a trip to a Super Regional but to have a chance to play in front of the Swayze faithful, needing just two wins to make a return trip to the College World Series. 

Keeping in mind, the first matchup between these two on Friday was an instant classic with Ole Miss coming out on top 7-6. Considering the stakes, the Sunday night showdown had all the potential to be like heavyweight prizefighters going at each other until one could land the deadly right hook on the other. 

With a spot in a Super Regional on the line, Ole Miss would go with Cade Townsend as the starter while bringing in Wil Libbert for a long relief stint. Townsend delivered for Ole Miss with five complete innings, giving up six hits, four runs, and seven strikeouts. Not a bad night for Townsend, as he gave the offense a chance to do what they’ve done all season: get the timely hits. Libbert came in and delivered three nearly perfect innings of scoreless innings while striking out two, setting the scene for JP Robertson to come in the 9th, tasked with retiring Arizona State without giving up a run to allow for potential heroics from the Ole Miss offense in the bottom half of the 9th inning. 

Ole Miss and Arizona State would exchange blows throughout the game. Arizona State would take a 3-2 lead over the Rebels into the third inning. Ole Miss would tie the game at three in the bottom of the 3rd inning, before the Sun Devils retook the lead in the top half of the fourth inning. Ole Miss would turn around off a double from Austin Fawley that scored Hayden Federico to tie the game at four. Ole Miss would have a chance in the bottom of the 9th for some Regional magic with Tristan Bissetta, Hayden Federico, and Owen Paino due up for the Rebels in the bottom half of the 9th inning. Nothing for the Rebels in the bottom of the 9th as Arizona State and Ole Miss needed extra innings to decide a winner on Sunday. Dom Decker would walk it off for the Rebels in the bottom half of the 10th inning with a sac fly that scored Cannon Goldin. 

Truly an incredible win for the Rebels tonight as they run through the Lincoln Regional and now have all the mometum in the world heading into a Super Regional where the path back to the College World Series comes down to winning two more games. 

With the win, Ole Miss will now await the winner of the Auburn Regional. An Auburn Regional victory would mean the Rebels would go to Plainsman Park to take on Auburn; an Auburn loss and the Rebels would be staying home to host a Swayze Super Regional against Milwaukee. 

Photo Credits- Ole Miss baseball on X