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The Women’s College World Series is set, and among the usual powerhouses stands one unlikely underdog: Ole Miss. Unseeded and overlooked after a sub-.500 SEC record, the Rebels clawed their way through the Tucson Regional and Fayetteville Super Regional to punch their ticket to Oklahoma City for the first time in program history. Now, they’re staring down the nation's best — and embracing their Cinderella status.
“This is special,” said head coach Jamie Trachsel. “We came straight up here from Arkansas just to get settled in and kind of rest from an exciting and emotional weekend.”
Ole Miss fought through adversity all tournament long. They took two of three against Arizona in the regionals, then stunned No. 4 seed Arkansas in the supers. Their road was anything but smooth — in seven tournament games, they were barely above water in run differential (41-40). But it didn’t matter. They got the job done, often thanks to clutch hitting and gutsy pitching.
Two-way star Alyiah Binford has been electric. She’s crushed four homers with a 1.440 OPS in the tournament and delivered in the circle when it mattered most. Brianna Lopez also came through in big moments, showing poise despite constant pressure from opposing lineups.
Ole Miss softball marches on in the College World Series
After a blowout loss to Arizona in Game 1 of the Tucson regional final, the Rebels bounced back in the do-or-die rematch, riding early home runs from Binford and Mackenzie Pickens to a 7-3 win.
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In the Super Regionals, Ole Miss opened with a wild 9-7 victory, powered by Ashton Lansdell’s homer and key contributions from Lexie Brady and Taylor Roman. After getting blanked in Game 2, they bounced back in Game 3, jumping out to a four-run first inning and never looking back in a 7-4 series-clincher.
The bats have been scorching. Ole Miss leads the WCWS field in home runs this postseason with 15, more than even juggernaut Oklahoma. But they’ve also given up runs in bunches, with a 3.25 team ERA — the worst of any team left standing.
Now comes the real test. The Rebels open the WCWS against No. 12 Texas Tech and elite pitcher NiJaree Canady. The Red Raiders are aggressive on the bases and stingy on the mound, which means Ole Miss will need another complete effort.
“They have an elite pitcher, one of the top in the country,” Trachsel said. “We have to pitch really well, limit free passes, be clean on defense and get some timely hitting. Expect it to be a dog fight.”
There’s no doubt the Rebels are the underdog. But they’ve already defied the odds. One win at a time, they’re proving they belong on college softball’s biggest stage. Game 1 begins Thursday at 6 p.m. CST.
