Ole Miss Bullpen Falters After Strong Start by Taylor Rabe Against UNC

For much of the NCAA Tournament, Ole Miss baseball's bullpen was a beacon of reliability, with Walker Hooks and Hudson Calhoun playing pivotal roles in the Rebels' successful run. However, during their College World Series opener against North Carolina on June 12, that reliability crumbled, leading to a disappointing 6-2 defeat.

Taylor Rabe delivered a solid performance, shutting out the Tar Heels for five innings before allowing a leadoff home run in the sixth, which tied the game at 1-1. He finished his outing with two hits and four walks while striking out seven batters, after throwing 108 pitches. “It was all right,” Rabe reflected on his outing. “Not my best stuff, I would say. I was a little out of sync with four walks, and that’s something you can’t do against this team.”

Despite Rabe's strong start, Calhoun, who took the mound in the sixth, struggled to maintain the lead. He recorded the final out of the inning but faced challenges in the seventh, walking the leadoff batter and allowing another walk shortly after. This prompted Hooks to come in, but the situation quickly deteriorated. A sacrifice fly tied the game, and Gavin Gallaher’s RBI single put North Carolina ahead.

Hooks managed to secure two outs in the eighth but lost control, hitting a batter and giving up a crucial three-run homer to Colin Hynek. “We gave them seven free base runners,” lamented Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco. “You can’t do that when the game’s on the line.” Calhoun’s defeat marked his first since April 25, while Hooks tied a season-high in runs allowed.

As a result of this loss, Ole Miss (41-22) is now facing elimination in the tournament and will take on Troy (38-31) on June 14 at 1 p.m. ET. The Rebels will need to regroup quickly if they hope to continue their postseason journey.