Ole Miss Faces Troy in June 14 CWS Elimination Game After 6-2 Loss to North Carolina

Q: Will future MLB stars from Ole Miss or Troy decide this high-stakes College World Series elimination game?

Yes—this game is likely to turn on pro-level talent, and the clearest candidates are Troy catcher Jimmy Janicki and Ole Miss pitchers Cade Townsend and Taylor Rabe. Janicki is the most prominent MLB-caliber position player in this matchup. Evaluators have called him the top draft prospect in this College World Series field for 2027, with plus power, strong bat-to-ball ability and the kind of offensive production that can decide a one-game elimination setting. He already set Troy’s single-season RBI record and has been one of the biggest reasons the Trojans reached Omaha. For Ole Miss, the likely game-changers are on the mound. Townsend, ranked among the top 2026 draft prospects, has the deepest pure arsenal on the Rebels’ staff, with five above-average pitches and first-round buzz. Rabe, another rising 2026 prospect, brings upper-90s velocity and one of the SEC’s best strikeout-to-walk profiles. In an elimination game, that kind of swing-and-miss stuff can be decisive. Ole Miss also has proven power in Judd Utermark, the program’s career home run leader, while Troy’s Jabe Boroff has been one of the hottest bats in the postseason. Troy is expected to start Ben Stubbs, a senior left-hander with a solid pro profile who has pitched well in the NCAA tournament. So the answer is likely yes: if this game swings on one or two defining performances, the most probable difference-makers are Janicki for Troy and Townsend or Rabe for Ole Miss.

Q: Will the Sun Belt's 'dark horse' eliminate SEC giant Ole Miss from the College World Series?

Yes—Troy can eliminate Ole Miss, but it has not happened yet. The matchup is set for Sunday, June 14, at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN in Omaha, and it is an elimination game because both teams lost their College World Series openers. Ole Miss fell 6-2 to North Carolina after surrendering five late runs, while Troy lost 7-5 to West Virginia. In the CWS double-elimination format, the loser of this game is out. Troy fits the “dark horse” label. The Sun Belt club is making its first College World Series appearance and reached Omaha by winning the Gainesville Regional with two wins over Florida, then sweeping Little Rock in a super regional. Its postseason form has been strong, and players such as Sun Belt Player of the Year Jimmy Janicki and hot-hitting Jabe Boroff give the Trojans a credible upset chance. Left-hander Benjamin Stubbs is expected to start and has been effective in the NCAA tournament. Ole Miss still enters with the stronger pedigree and more high-end talent. The Rebels are in their seventh CWS, won the national title in 2022, and have multiple MLB draft-caliber arms and hitters, including Judd Utermark and pitchers Taylor Rabe and Cade Townsend. Ole Miss also owns a 4-0 all-time record against Troy, though the last meeting was in 1995. So the answer is that Troy has a real opportunity to knock out Ole Miss, and given its postseason run, the upset is plausible. But whether the Sun Belt underdog actually eliminates the SEC power will be decided Sunday.

3 articles · Updated · Clarion Ledger · Jun 12

June 14 at 1 p.m. ET on ESPN, Ole Miss will play Troy in a College World Series elimination game after opening Omaha with a loss.
North Carolina beat the Rebels 6-2 on June 12, erasing a 2-1 deficit in the seventh on Gavin Gallher's RBI single before Colin Hynek's three-run homer in the eighth.
Troy reached the matchup after a 7-5 loss to West Virginia and enters at 38-31, while Ole Miss is 41-22.
Ole Miss has not played Troy since 1995 but is 4-0 all-time against the Trojans, who advanced to Omaha by beating Florida twice in the Gainesville Regional final and then winning a super regional over Little Rock.