5 unforgettable moments from Ole Miss baseball's College World Series championship run

Nick Suss, Mississippi Clarion Ledger
·4 min read

Ole Miss baseball's run to and through the College World Series was as unlikely as it was remarkable.

The Rebels' path to their first national championship was shockingly adversity-free for a team that experienced as much hardship as any Ole Miss baseball team in coach Mike Bianco's 22 years. In 11 NCAA Tournament games, the Rebels went 10-1 and outscored their opponents 82-25 with three shutouts and four games scoring 10 or more runs.

Just because there weren't any walk-offs doesn't mean the championship run was without drama, though. Here's a look back at five unforgettable moments from Ole Miss baseball's NCAA Tournament run, culminating in the strikeout that won the Rebels the College World Series.

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Peyton Chatagnier comes up clutch ... twice

Ole Miss's Peyton Chatagnier during an NCAA baseball game on Sunday, June 5, 2022 in Coral Gables, Fla. (AP Photo/Doug Murray)
Ole Miss's Peyton Chatagnier during an NCAA baseball game on Sunday, June 5, 2022 in Coral Gables, Fla. (AP Photo/Doug Murray)

The Rebels trailed 4-2 in the top of the seventh inning of Ole Miss' Coral Gables Regional opener against Arizona. Pitcher Garrett Irvin had kept the Rebels off balance and a spot in the losers bracket was looming.

Then second baseman Peyton Chatagnier took over the game. Chatagnier crushed a two-run home run off Irvin to tie the score in the seventh. With two outs and the bases loaded in the eighth inning, Chatagnier returned to the plate and launched a bases-clearing double to give the Rebels a 7-4 lead, one they'd hold on to for a crucial Game 1 win.

The grand slam that wasn't

Ole Miss led 3-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning against Southern Miss in Game 1 of the Hattiesburg Super Regional. The Golden Eagles' offense was starting to get to Rebels ace Dylan DeLucia. Two two-out walks and an infield single loaded the bases for Southern Miss slugger Reece Ewing.

Ewing roped a 1-2 pitch deep down the right-field line, hurtling the ball toward the foul pole. From the concourses and on TV, it looked like Ewing curled the ball inside the pole for a grand slam. But the first-base umpire ruled the ball foul, triggering an official review.

The review conclusively ruled the ball foul, leaving Southern Miss a few inches away from a 4-3 lead. Instead, DeLucia struck out Ewing on the next pitch, ending the rally. Ole Miss went on to win 10-0.

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DeLucia pitches the game of his life

The only time the Rebels' backs were against the wall was in a winner-take-all elimination game against Arkansas in the College World Series semifinals. Arkansas turned to ace Connor Noland. Ole Miss countered with DeLucia. Both threw on four-days rest and both showed out.

Noland only needed 84 pitches to complete eight innings, striking out seven and allowing earned runs. But DeLucia was even better, tossing a complete-game shutout on 113 pitches, only allowing four hits and never letting a runner get to third base.

DeLucia was named College World Series most outstanding player.

Jun 25, 2022; Omaha, NE, USA; Ole Miss Rebels center fielder Justin Bench (8) hits a home run against the Oklahoma Sooners during the eighth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 25, 2022; Omaha, NE, USA; Ole Miss Rebels center fielder Justin Bench (8) hits a home run against the Oklahoma Sooners during the eighth inning at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-USA TODAY Sports

Rebels go back-to-back-to-back

Ole Miss' 10-3 win over Oklahoma in Game 1 of the College World Series final was much closer than the score indicated. The Rebels soared to an early 4-0 lead, but Oklahoma scored two runs in the sixth to make it 4-2, where it stayed until the top of the eighth inning.

Then Ole Miss put the game away.

After making the first two outs of the inning at third base, Ole Miss hitters T.J. McCants, Calvin Harris and Justin Bench launched back-to-back-to-back home runs, extending Ole Miss' lead to 8-2. The more than 20,000 Ole Miss fans in attendance turned Charles Schwab Field from a ball of nerves to something louder than Swayze Field has ever experienced.

Ole Miss went on to win 10-3.

The eighth inning that decided it all

Ole Miss entered the bottom of the eighth inning of Game 2 of the College World Series finals trailing 2-1. Oklahoma starter Cade Horton was dominating, but as his pitch count rose, the Sooners had All-American reliever Trevin Michael looming in the bullpen.

McCants chased Horton from the game with a one-out single. Michael came in. McCants advanced to third on a Bench single. One pitch later, Gonzalez singled McCants in and Bench to third to tie the score.

Then Michael uncharacteristically crumbled. A wild pitch scored Bench for the go-ahead run. A groundout advanced Gonzalez to third and then another wild pitch scored Gonzalez to make it 4-2.

That's where the scoring ended. Three outs later, the Rebels were College World Series champions.

Contact Nick Suss at 601-408-2674 or nsuss@gannett.com. Follow @nicksuss on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: 5 unforgettable moments from Ole Miss baseball's CWS run