Ole Miss claims first College World Series title
An unlikely run in the 2022 NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament ended in an unconventional eighth-inning comeback -- and a national championship -- for Ole Miss.
The last team to secure a spot in the tournament, Mississippi lost one game en route to the College World Series before securing a sweep of Oklahoma on Sunday.
It is Ole Miss baseball's first national championship, despite five previous College World Series appearances.
Despite ultimately earning a no-decision, Oklahoma starter Cade Horton stole the show over his 7 1/3 strong innings, allowing two runs on four hits and striking out 13.
Both Horton and Ole Miss starter Hunter Elliott were virtually unhittable through five innings, allowing just three hits between them, before Rebels shortstop Jacob Gonzalez hit a solo shot off Horton in the bottom of the sixth, opening the scoring. The Sooners answered in the top of the seventh with two runs.
Horton was lifted in favor of right-hander Trevin Michael after opening the bottom of the eighth with a strikeout and a single. Ole Miss rallied against Michael, who had enjoyed an outstanding 2022 season (2.66 ERA, 1.03 WHIP, 95 strikeouts in 71 innings), tying the game with Gonzalez's RBI single before a pair of wild pitches allowed two additional runs to cross the plate.
Brandon Johnson sealed the deal for the Rebels in the ninth, striking out the side on 14 pitches.
Rebels ace Dylan DeLucia, who threw a four-hit shutout on Thursday vs. Arkansas to secure Ole Miss a spot in the finals, was named the Men's College World Series Most Outstanding Player for 2022.
Lance Lynn is probably the most notable current big leaguer who went to Ole Miss, and it was a big day all around for Rebels alum Nick Fortes, who hit a walk-off homer for the Marlins. Don Kessinger, Gee Walker, Jim Hickman and Jeff Fassero are among the other successful big leaguers to hail from Ole Miss.