dpTroy baseball is once again facing elimination.
Similar to its start to the Gainesville Regional, Troy lost its College World Series opener and now has its back against the wall in Game 2. This time, the Trojans may have an even tougher opponent.
Up next for Troy is Ole Miss, who is in the loser’s bracket after falling to North Carolina on Friday. Like Troy, the Rebels aren’t a national seed, but went on an impressive run to reach Omaha.
The loss to North Carolina was a competitive one too. The Tar Heels won 6-2, but were outhit 8-5 and didn’t pull away until late in the game.
To reach the College World Series, Ole Miss went on the road during regionals and Super Regionals. The Rebels swept both rounds, beating Arizona State twice and Nebraska to clinch the Lincoln regional and beating Auburn twice to win the Auburn Super Regional.
Pitching has been Ole Miss’ biggest strength during the postseason and one of its biggest all season. The Rebels have a staff ERA of 4.39 and their three starters are all capable of shutting down a lineup.
Taylor Rabe started for Ole Miss against North Carolina, and Rebels head coach Mike Bianco announced that Hunter Elliott will start against Troy.
Elliott was Ole Miss’ Game 1 starter during the Auburn Super Regional and gave up two earned runs, six hits and four walks against the Tigers.
Walker Hooks and Hudson Calhoun are Ole Miss’ top two options out of the bullpen and both pitched against North Carolina.
Neither had a great outing on Friday, with the two of them combining to give up five earned runs in 2.1 innings.
Calhoun only pitched a third of an inning against the Tarheels, but allowed two earned runs. Hooks threw 29 pitches in two innings and gave up three earned runs on three hits. With a day of rest, both Hooks and Calhoun could likely return against Troy.
Offensively, Ole Miss could best be described as boom or bust. The Rebels strike out 10.6 times per game, but have plenty of power to offset those strikeouts.
Judd Utermark and Tristan Bissetta are at the top of the scouting report with 22 and 23 home runs, respectively. Utermark drove in one of Ole Miss’ runs against North Carolina and both players homered during the Auburn Super Regional.
Utermark and Will Furniss are the only two Ole Miss players with a batting average over .300, but four Rebels have double-digit home runs.
With the power Ole Miss possesses, the biggest key for Troy will be to avoid free passes. The Rebels will swing and miss a lot, but in a tight game, one big swing with runners on base could be the difference.
