For the second consecutive season, Auburn baseball was eliminated at Plainsman Park as Ole Miss took care of business Saturday evening, earning a 5-3 victory and punching its ticket to the College World Series.
It was deja vu for the Tigers, who watched another team dogpile on the mound at Plainsman Park. In its last four Super Regional games, Auburn has struggled offensively, scoring six, one, four and three runs.
“We found a way to negotiate a couple runs and got a lead. Never could build on it,” Auburn head coach Butch Thompson said. “To their credit, I’d want Alex (Petrovic) and Jackson (Sanders) on that mound for us today. A couple days in row, they did a little more offensively and we couldn’t catch a rhythm with that and then outpitched us a little bit, too. Some of that credit for slowing our offense has to go their way.”
In the back-to-back biggest games of the season, Auburn’s inability to drive in runners loomed large as the Tigers went 3-for-19 with runners in scoring position (1-for-10 on Saturday).
In Game 2, it was a pitchers' duel through the first three frames as Alex Petrovic and Taylor Rabe both allowed no runs and minimal traffic on the bases. Petrovic didn’t face any more than the minimum to start his outing.
Unlike Game 1, in the fourth Auburn jumped out to the first lead of the ball game as Bub Terrell, who was 3-for-23 in the postseason coming into Saturday, singled through the right side to score Chris Rembert. Terrell worked some magic on the bases, getting into a rundown and allowing Ethin Bingaman to score and give Auburn a 2-0 lead as he moved safely into second.
AUBURN, AL - JUNE 06 - Auburn's Chris Rembert (2) during the game between the (4) Auburn Tigers and the Ole Miss Rebels at Plainsman Park in Auburn, AL on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Photo by Addi Ray/Auburn Tigers
Petrovic continued to be on cruise control, facing the minimum three batters in the fourth and working around a jam in the fifth, striking out back-to-back Rebels to keep the game at 2-0.
However, in the sixth, things fell apart for the Auburn right-hander as the Ole Miss bats finally came alive. Brayden Randle and Dom Decker reached safely, setting the table for the dangerous Judd Utermark. The All-SEC Second Team third baseman delivered for the Rebels, smashing a double to right-center field and driving in both Randle and Decker to tie the game at two apiece and ignite a small but rowdy contingent of Ole Miss fans along the third-base line.
AUBURN, AL - JUNE 06 - Auburn's Alex Petrovic (43) during the game between the (4) Auburn Tigers and the Ole Miss Rebels at Plainsman Park in Auburn, AL on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Photo by Addi Ray/Auburn Tigers
Jackson Sanders relieved Petrovic and was able to strand Utermark and work around hitting two batters in the bottom of the seventh.
Still in a 2-2 deadlock in the eighth, the Rebels were able to advance the go-ahead run into scoring position on a passed ball. Will Furniss and cleanup hitter Tristan Bissetta silenced Plainsman Park, coming through with the biggest swings of the year, belting back-to-back home runs to give Ole Miss a 5-2 lead.
Down to its final three outs, Auburn didn’t go down without a fight. Terrell led off with a single up the middle, but momentum quickly shifted back to Ole Miss as Brandon McCraine struck out on a crucial 3-2 pitch. With two men in scoring position, Taylor Belza flew out to right field, bringing home Terrell to cut the deficit to 5-3.
AUBURN, AL - JUNE 06 - Auburn's Bub Terrell (19) during the game between the (4) Auburn Tigers and the Ole Miss Rebels at Plainsman Park in Auburn, AL on Saturday, June 6, 2026. Photo by Zach Bland/Auburn Tigers
Mason McCraine was Auburn’s last hope but grounded out to Utermark at third base as Walker Hooks picked up the save and clinched Ole Miss’ seventh trip to Omaha for the College World Series and first since 2022.
One bright spot for the Auburn family to take away as it heads into the offseason is that Thompson’s young core of Chase Fralick, Jake Marciano, Bingaman and Terrell, among others, is expected to return to the Plains. Rembert’s availability for next year is in jeopardy, as he is eligible for the 2026 MLB Draft and expected to be selected early if he declares.
“We’ve got a great nucleus of this ballclub,” Thompson said. “We’ll visit with these guys and keep moving forward. Excited for the future. We’re doing some things at a high level. We have a ton of momentum, but you have to earn it. I think we’re good enough. I have no regrets. I know it’s grown. I’m excited about that. I saw a lot of growth with everybody. To be on this ride with them, I appreciate them for that. I wish it hadn’t ended for us, but nonetheless, they’ve been amazing to be with.”
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Rory Garvin, junior in journalism sports production, has been with The Auburn Plainsman since Spring 2025. Garvin previously served as a Sports Reporter. He is currently serving as the Assistant Sports Editor.
