Ole Miss faces Troy elimination game after opener loss

Ole Miss will play Troy in an elimination game on Sunday, June 14 at 2 p.m. ET at Charles Schwab Field after Ole Miss dropped its opener to North Carolina on June 12. ESPN will carry the game, and the matchup comes with both teams fighting to stay alive in the

Ole Miss didn’t just lose its opener—it watched a late advantage slip away, and now the Rebels are back in survival mode with an elimination game against Troy looming.

Troy and Ole Miss are set to meet in the 2026 College World Series on Sunday. June 14 at Charles Schwab Field in Omaha. Nebraska. First pitch is scheduled for 2 p.m. ET, with ESPN broadcasting the game. Streaming options include the ESPN app. which requires a valid cable login. and Fubo. which carries the ESPN family of networks and offers a free trial.

The stakes are clear: after losses in their opening games, Troy and Ole Miss will play one more day in the CWS bracket, while the losing team is sent home. By the end of the weekend, the field in Omaha has gone from eight teams chasing a national championship trophy to seven still standing.

Troy’s path to this game runs through its first CWS appearance, with the Trojans making it after a run that had them rolling. Their six-game NCAA tournament win streak ended on June 12 when Troy fell 7-5 to No. 16 West Virginia.

In that loss, Troy’s offense produced two doubles from Sean Darnell and a home run from Jimmy Janicki. Janicki’s solo shot went 430 feet, coming with an exit velocity of 111 miles per hour.

Ole Miss, meanwhile, is in Omaha for its first trip to the College World Series since winning the national championship in 2022. The Rebels weren’t able to record a win in their opener against No. 5 North Carolina, dropping a 6-2 decision on June 12.

Even in defeat, Ole Miss managed 8-5 in hits against the Tar Heels, and the start from pitcher Taylor Rabe kept the game from getting out of hand early. Rabe surrendered just one earned run and struck out seven in 5 2/3 innings, but the Rebels couldn’t turn that momentum into a win.

The matchup with Troy now hinges on whether Ole Miss’s pitching can hold up in the pressure cooker of an elimination game. Ole Miss has been described as having too much pitching for the Trojans to handle. and the Rebels are expected to have Hunter Elliott and projected first-round pick Cade Townsend available. Either is viewed as capable of shutting down Troy.

A sharp contrast sits underneath the schedule: Troy’s Cinderella run reached the CWS. but its momentum was broken by a 7-5 loss to West Virginia on June 12. Ole Miss. despite a strong start from Taylor Rabe and an 8-5 advantage in hits over North Carolina. still found itself surrendering a late lead in the opener.

With one loss already on the ledger for both teams, Sunday’s 2 p.m. ET first pitch at Charles Schwab Field becomes the defining moment in Omaha. Odds going into the game have Ole Miss favored.

BetMGM listed the spread at Ole Miss (-1.5) with an over/under of 10.5 runs. The moneyline has Ole Miss at -100 and Troy at +154. One prediction going into the elimination matchup called for Ole Miss to win 6-1.

For Ole Miss, the message after the opener was blunt: live to play another game, even after surrendering its late lead against North Carolina. For Troy, the hope is just as direct—extend what’s been a remarkable first CWS appearance by surviving the next one.

Ole Miss vs Troy College World Series Charles Schwab Field ESPN Omaha elimination game Taylor Rabe Sean Darnell Jimmy Janicki Hunter Elliott Cade Townsend