Kentucky Visits Ole Miss to Open SEC Series

OXFORD, Miss. (Interstat) — Two of the Southeastern Conference’s hottest teams will meet when the sixth-ranked Kentucky Wildcats visit the 14th-ranked Mississippi Rebels to open a three-game series Thursday afternoon at Swayze Field.

First pitch is scheduled for 5 p.m. EDT under cloudy skies with a temperature near 50 degrees.

The Wildcats (18-2) carry a 10-game winning streak into conference play, having swept Alabama last weekend. The Rebels (17-5) have won seven of their last nine, including a 9-5 midweek victory over Austin Peay on Tuesday.

Kentucky’s surge has been fueled by strong pitching, notably from right-hander Nate Harris. In his last start, Harris dominated then-Alabama, allowing one hit and two earned runs over six innings with five strikeouts in a 6-4 win. For the season, he boasts a 1.72 ERA with 34 strikeouts in 26.1 innings.

Mississippi will counter with a powerful lineup anchored by outfielder Tristan Bissetta. The slugger is riding a torrid stretch, blasting four home runs with 13 RBIs over his last seven games. He went 2 for 4 with two homers and four RBIs in the win over Austin Peay.

The Wildcats lead the all-time series 57-53-1, but the Rebels took two of three games in their last meeting in Oxford in 2024.

According to Interstat’s game simulator, this opener projects to be a high-scoring affair, with a predicted final of Kentucky 8, Mississippi 7.

The series continues Friday at 7:30 p.m. and concludes Saturday at 2:30 p.m.