Rain ruined the schedule. It always does. But when the clouds finally parted in Lincoln, Nebraska, the real storm started on the dirt. Arizona State and Ole Miss locked horns in a grueling, high-stakes opening clash of the NCAA Regionals, proving that postseason baseball cares nothing for your sleep schedule.
The Rebels are chasing ghosts. Four years ago, they ruled the college baseball world, but today they are just another hungry No. 2 seed trying to survive a double-elimination meat grinder. In their way stood a surging Arizona State squad, a No. 3 seed carrying a 37-19 record and a chip on their shoulder.
It was ugly. It was beautiful.
The scoreboard tells a story of relentless punching and counter-punching. The Sun Devils jumped out early, but Ole Miss answered with a four-run third-inning explosion that turned the game on its head. By the time the dust settled, both teams had scratched out six runs, leaving the bullpens to bleed out on the mound.
For ASU, Nu’u Contrades was a menace. He racked up three hits and drove in three runs, while Dean Toigo chipped in with two RBIs of his own. On the bump, Cole Carlon gutted through 100 pitches, striking out nine but getting tagged for six earned runs over 6.2 innings of work.
The Rebels countered with heavy artillery. Tristan Bissetta and Will Furniss each drove in a pair of runs, punishing ASU’s mistakes. On the mound, Hunter Elliott struggled through five innings, giving up four earned runs before handing the ball to Walker Hooks, who kept the fire contained with four solid innings of relief.
It is survival of the fittest now. Nebraska and South Dakota State are waiting in the wings, ready to feast on whoever stumbles first.
The game was scheduled for Friday, May 29, at 9 p.m. ET, broadcasted live on ESPN2.
