Ole Miss Baseball Crowned Champions of the 2023 Cambria College Classic

Ole Miss Baseball (10-2) were crowned champions of the 2023 Cambria College Classic Sunday afternoon as they beat the Nebraska Cornhuskers (5-4-1) 14-5 to sweep the weekend.

The Rebels came out swinging in the first inning, sending 13 batters to the plate and scoring eight runs on six hits. Every run was scored with two outs in the inning and four Rebels drove in the eight runs between them. Anthony Calarco stayed hot at the plate with a two-RBI single in his first plate appearance of the night, driving in Calvin Harris and Ethan Groff to make it 2-0 Ole Miss early.

Judd Utermark drove in another run in his first at-bat of the weekend, followed by a two-RBI triple to deep right center by TJ McCants. Groff put the exclamation point on the rally with a bases-loaded double that scored all three runners in what was his second plate appearance of the inning.

When it was all said and done, Ole Miss had built an 8-0 lead for starting pitcher Xavier Rivas. Rivas went 4.2 innings in just his third start as a Rebel, allowing just three hits while striking out four batters.

However, two of the three hits he gave up were Husker home runs, allowing a two-RBI shot in the third inning and a solo home run in the fifth.

Brayden Jones would come on in relief in the fifth inning, working 2.2 innings and allowing just one run on three hits.

With the Rebels leading 10-4 in the bottom of the fifth inning, Kemp Alderman drove home two more runs with a single to left field, bringing home Groff and Jacob Gonzalez. Ole Miss would score three more times over the next two innings, taking a 13-4 lead with two innings to go.

Nebraska would score one more time in the top of the eighth inning, but the Rebels had an answer in the bottom half of the inning as Harris drove in Groff to make it 14-5.

Tommy Henninger pitched a hitless ninth inning out of the bullpen to close out the win and earn Ole Miss the title of Cambria College Classic Champions.

Groff was named the MVP of the tournament hitting .500 (7-for-14) with eight RBI, five runs scored, and two stolen bases on the weekend. Calarco drove in seven total runs and Chatagnier went 6-for-12 at the plate in Minneapolis. Rebel pitchers racked up 33 total strikeouts while issuing just nine walks over the three games.

Ole Miss returns home this week to host Southern Miss on Tuesday March 7 and Purdue for a weekend series from March 10-12.

Courtesy of Ole Miss Sports