KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – On Saturday, April 18, the Ole Miss Rebels defeated the Tennessee Volunteers 8-1 at Lindsey Nelson Stadium.
The Ole Miss offense came alive late in the game, putting together all eight of their runs in the seventh, eighth, and ninth innings.
Tristan Bissetta broke the game open in the ninth inning with a grand slam. This gave Ole Miss a comfortable 6-0 lead. Then, Judd Utermark hit a solo home run to make it a 7-0 game.
TRISTAN BISSETTA GRAND SLAM pic.twitter.com/MbapeP37Ye
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) April 18, 2026
Dom Decker, Hayden Federico, and Collin Reuter also had RBIs for Ole Miss during Saturday’s win over Tennessee.
Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco talked about the offense’s ability to come alive late against the Volunteers, which led to the series victory.
“We were able to put up one big inning,” said Bianco. “It was huge to be able to take ball four and get guys in from third base. When you are facing off against guys like Bissetta, Utermark, and [Will] Furniss, it is tough to navigate.”
The Rebels’ head coach also talked about a streak of three-straight SEC series wins that his Ole Miss team is currently on.
“I have to hand it to the guys,” Bianco said. “They have hung together. They are a really good team with really good leadership. I feel like we have kind of reinvented ourselves.”
Cade Townsend delivers a brilliant start, and Walker Hooks shines out of the bullpen
Cade Townsend started on the mound for Ole Miss against Tennessee on Saturday. In six innings of work, he had seven strikeouts. Over that same stretch, he allowed just one hit, two walks, and gave up no runs.
Townsend has been a big-time arm around the Southeastern Conference (SEC) this season. Bianco talked about his huge performance.
“We needed his performance,” Bianco said, regarding Townsend. “He was brilliant today.”
Walker Hooks pitched in relief for the second straight day for the Rebels. He closed out the final 1 ⅔ innings and had two strikeouts. The only hit and run he allowed was a solo home run at the end of the game by Tennessee’s Trent Grindlinger.
For Hooks, it was his fourth save of the season. He has become a staple pitcher to go to in the Ole Miss bullpen. Bianco talked about the Rebels’ dangerous reliever.
“He is not your typical SEC closer,” Bianco said, regarding Hooks. “There is not a lot of mid-to-upper 90s stuff. However, it is a really tough four-pitch mix with a ton of swing and miss. He checks all the boxes for somebody you are handing the ball to at the end of the game.”
Up next for Ole Miss
After Saturday’s win over Tennessee, the Ole Miss Rebels have a 29-11 overall record and a 10-7 record in SEC play.
They will go for the series sweep against the Volunteers on Sunday, April 19. The game at Lindsey Nelson Stadium in Knoxville will begin at 1:00 p.m. ET.
WBN NCAA: https://worldbaseball.com/league/ncaa/
PHOTO: Mississippi pinch hitter Brett Moseley (2) celebrates his grand slam with Will Furniss (36) and Judd Utermark (27) against Ohio State during an NCAA baseball game on Saturday, Feb. 28, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Michael Wyke).
