Razorbacks go through motions in SEC cameo appearance against Rebels

Many Arkansas fans feel that whole trip to Hoover, Ala., for the SEC Tournament was a giant waste of time.

Ole Miss knocked off the second-seeded Razorbacks, 5-2, and send them waiting to see who they'll play in the NCAA Regional next weekend. The Hogs are expected to host.

Rebels, seeded seventh, used a five-run first inning to seize control early and held off the Razorbacks’ late push to secure their spot in the semifinals.

It's a good bet Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn would like to win the thing again, but the players looked like they were ready to get to next weekend.

To say they played a little flat might be glossing it over a little.

The tone was set from the start. Ole Miss left fielder Mitchell Sanford drew a leadoff walk against Arkansas starter Zach Root, and the Rebels capitalized on defensive miscues and timely hitting.

A line drive from Ryan Morman brought home the first run, and Austin Follis followed with a towering three-run homer to left, giving Ole Miss a commanding 5-0 lead before Arkansas could record the final out of the first inning.

"We talked before the game about how Zach would respond coming off the last time he played Ole Miss," said Arkansas radio analyst Bubba Carpenter on the Razorback Sports Network. "He just didn’t have his best stuff early, and Ole Miss made him pay for it."

Despite entering the tournament as the No. 2 seed with a 43-12 record and fresh off a 20-win SEC regular season, the Razorbacks struggled to find their rhythm at the plate.

At times, they struggled to make good decisions and get a handle on the ball in the field. That's something you usually don't see from a Dave Van Horn team.

Ole Miss starter Riley Maddox, who entered the game with a 5-5 record and a 5.46 ERA, delivered one of his best outings of the year. He scattered hits and struck out seven over six innings, repeatedly working out of jams.

Arkansas threatened in the sixth, loading the bases, but Maddox froze SEC Player of the Year Wehiwa Aloy with a called third strike to end the inning and preserve the Rebels’ lead.

The game’s most tense moment came in the fourth inning, when two Ole Miss outfielders collided in right-center field chasing down a deep fly ball.

Both players were slow to get up, but after a brief delay, center fielder Isaac Humphrey stayed in the game, while Ryan Morman exited as a precaution.

The Rebels’ defense regrouped and continued to make key plays, including a critical outfield assist at home plate in the fifth to cut down an Arkansas runner and prevent a potential rally.

The Hogs simply didn't make plays.

After the game, Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco praised his team’s resilience.

"That first inning was huge for us. We knew Arkansas would make a push, but our guys stayed locked in and made the plays we needed," Bianco said.

Arkansas coach Dave Van Horn acknowledged the slow start.

"We didn’t execute early, and in a tournament setting, that can be the difference," Van Horn said". "Credit to Ole Miss. They came out swinging and played a clean game after that first inning."

The win marked Ole Miss’ first trip to the SEC Tournament semifinals since 2021. The Rebels improved their all-time record against Arkansas in Hoover to 5-6, avenging losses in their previous two tournament meetings in 2019 and 2021.

For the Razorbacks, the loss was a rare stumble in an otherwise dominant season that saw them tie their program record for home runs in a single year and notch their sixth 20-win SEC campaign.

With the win, Ole Miss advances to face the winner of LSU and Texas A&M in the semifinals, while the Hogs will regroup and await their NCAA Tournament seeding, still likely to host a regional as a top-eight national seed.

It can all be put down to how the key players for both teams performed:

Austin Follis: 3-run HR in the first inning
Riley Maddox: 6 IP, 7 K, escaped multiple jams
Mitchell Sanford: Reached base three times, scored twice

Wehiwa Aloy: SEC Player of the Year, held in check by Maddox
Zach Root: Struggled in the first, settled in but damage was done

The Rebels’ upset win shakes up the SEC Tournament bracket and gives them a boost as they look to solidify their NCAA Tournament resume.

For the Hogs, the focus shifts to the bigger prize. Teams in the exact same position have been known deep run in the NCAA postseason.

Even all the way to a title. That was the goal in February and it's still there for the taking.