Fans of Ole Miss baseball cheer their team all the way to Omaha and the College World Series
Photo courtesy Marchell Graham
Ole Miss baseball players gear up for a game at Swayze Field.
June 18, 2022
There is a town that lies in the north central hills of Mississippi by the name of Oxford. Oxford is a place of literary history, tradition, and has an abundance of nightlife. It is also home to the University of Mississippi, more commonly known as Ole Miss.
Ole Miss has attracted many people to Oxford due to the athletic programs, with baseball and football being the most prominent sports for tailgating. The Ole Miss baseball team plays on Swayze Field, located on the Ole Miss campus. The student section in Swayze is located in right field. It is tradition for the students to throw their beers up in the air after each home run. This tradition has earned the name “beer showers.”
For many students, the atmosphere of Swayze is an important part of their college experience.
“[Swayze provides] a high-energy atmosphere that makes going to a baseball game at the University of Mississippi a experience of a lifetime,” said junior political science major Morgan Westemeier.
Many fans are excited to see the Rebels play for it all in the College World Series in Omaha. Tim Elko, Kevin Graham, and Dylan DeLucia and the rest of the team took the stage Saturday night for the Rebels, beating Auburn in their opener, 5-1.
“I was shocked…after all the preseason hype and then having the biggest collapse when we started SEC play, that team made it to Omaha? I guess Tim [Elko] was right: Don’t let the Rebs get hot,” said Ole Miss alumni Marin Troike.
The Ole Miss baseball team ended the regular season 37-22 and was eliminated from the SEC tournament by Vanderbilt. Ole Miss was one of the last teams to get a regional spot because of their regular-season record. The Rebels were placed in the Coral Gables regional with Arizona, Miami, and Canisius. Ole Miss beat all odds and advanced into the regional championship against Arizona. The Rebels won the regional against the Wildcats, 22-6. The fans rejoiced at the news of the Rebels getting to advance to a super regional.
“I was relieved that they had been selected for the tournament in the first place since I heard they were the one of the last teams chosen, so I was very excited to hear that they were selected for the super regional since they’re a great team and deserve to be able to prove that,” said senior accounting major Paige Wilkerson.
The Rebels were sent to the Hattiesburg Super Regional to play Southern Mississippi. The Rebels and Golden Eagles are in-state rivals. On top of the rivalry, the winner of the regional got the opportunity to play in Omaha for the chance to be named the College World Series champion.
Ole Miss won the first two games, 10-0 and 5-0, earning their ticket to Omaha. Mississippi State had won the CWS title last season.
–June 18, 2022–
