Mississippi State coach Brian O’Connor will make his first appearance in the in-state rivalry with Ole Miss this weekend as his 21-4 team (4-2 Southeastern Conference) visits Oxford, O’Connor said. Mississippi State has been ranked as high as No. 3, and Ole Miss enters at 19-7 (3-3), according to school records and national polls.
O’Connor recalled his first trip to Swayze Field nearly 17 years ago, when his Virginia Cavaliers came back to win a Super Regional and advance to the College World Series. “You don’t forget something like that, especially when it sends you to Omaha for the first time,” he said.
The rivalry includes a three-game SEC series and a Governor’s Cup midweek game, and Mississippi State leads the all-time series 268-213-5, according to school records. O’Connor said he has deep respect for Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco, calling him “the staple of consistency at Ole Miss” and praising the program Bianco has built, including the Rebels’ 2022 national championship.
O’Connor noted Ole Miss still features left-hander Hunter Elliott, the freshman who started the 2022 championship-clinching win, and said Elliott is expected to start Friday night’s opener. Mississippi State will counter with a lineup that O’Connor described as powerful and deep after a 12-0 victory over No. 11 Southern Miss. The Bulldogs entered the weekend with a .347 team batting average, a .452 on-base percentage, a .571 slugging percentage, 39 home runs and 66 doubles in 25 games, according to Mississippi State statistics.
The series begins Friday at 6:30 p.m., followed by games Saturday at 1:30 p.m. and Sunday at 3 p.m. O’Connor said the matchup “is just another reason why you come to the SEC to coach or play baseball,” adding that players and fans alike relish the rivalry.
