Rebels Beat Tennessee to Open Series, Extend SEC Win Streak

Ole Miss tops Vols 7-4, moves SEC win streak to 5 games

Apr. 18, 2026 at 2:04am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the dynamic action of a college baseball game, with fragmented shapes and planes of players, bats, baseballs, and the field in the team colors of Ole Miss and Tennessee.Ole Miss' offensive explosion and strong pitching performance propel the Rebels to a crucial SEC series-opening win over Tennessee.Knoxville Today

The Ole Miss Rebels defeated the Tennessee Volunteers 7-4 on Friday to open their weekend series. The win extends the Rebels' SEC win streak to five games and their overall streak to seven. Ole Miss hit three home runs, including back-to-back shots by Tristan Bissetta and Judd Utermark in the third inning, to power the victory.

Why it matters

The Rebels have turned around their early-season struggles in SEC play, winning six of their last seven conference games. This win over a top opponent in Tennessee keeps Ole Miss firmly in the hunt for an SEC title and potential NCAA Tournament berth.

The details

Ole Miss scored in four of the first five innings, getting four two-out RBIs and going 4-for-12 with runners on and 3-for-7 with runners in scoring position. Hayden Federico led the way, going 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Tennessee starter Landon Mack gave up a season-high six runs in 5.1 innings. Ole Miss pitcher Hunter Elliott went into the seventh inning, allowing three runs on six hits with five strikeouts.

  • The series opener was played on Friday, April 18, 2026.
  • Game two of the series was moved up to a 3 p.m. CT start on Saturday, April 19, 2026 due to expected rain in the Knoxville area.

The players

Tristan Bissetta

An Ole Miss player who hit one of the team's three home runs in the game.

Judd Utermark

An Ole Miss player who hit one of the team's three home runs in the game, hitting back-to-back with Bissetta.

Hayden Federico

An Ole Miss player who went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs in the game.

Hunter Elliott

The Ole Miss starting pitcher who went into the seventh inning, allowing three runs on six hits with five strikeouts.

Landon Mack

The Tennessee starting pitcher who gave up a season-high six runs in 5.1 innings.

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What they’re saying

“He was good, but the biggest thing was to get the heater in the zone, and we didn't think anything else could beat us. When you eliminate some pitches and put good swings, it ruffled his feathers.”

— Hayden Federico, Ole Miss Player

“Sometimes people are too critical of Hunter, and I'm probably too critical and fall into that also. One of those nights where he wasn't as dominant at times and stuff was a tick down, but how do you argue that the ace gets you in the seventh inning with two runs across?”

— Mike Bianco, Ole Miss Head Coach

“I'm so proud of this offense, and what they are showing.”

— Hunter Elliott, Ole Miss Pitcher

What’s next

Game two in the series is set for 3 p.m. CT on Saturday, April 19, 2026. The start time was moved up two hours due to expected rain in the Knoxville area.

The takeaway

Ole Miss has turned around its early-season struggles in SEC play, winning six of its last seven conference games including four straight. This win over a top opponent in Tennessee keeps the Rebels firmly in the hunt for an SEC title and potential NCAA Tournament berth.