OXFORD | Garrett Farmer had started 15 times this season and threw more than 100 innings. No team had got to him for more than four runs.

But in the third inning of the opening-day matchup between Ole Miss and Jacksonville State, a hanging offspeed offering never found Nic Gaddis' catcher’s mitt. Instead Tyler Keenan launched the pitch over the student section in right field, giving the Rebels four quick runs in three innings.

It was just the tipping point.

Host Ole Miss (38-25) roughed up the Ohio Valley champion Gamecocks, 16-2, to advance to a winners’ bracket date with No. 3 seed Clemson at 6 p.m. Saturday. Illinois and Jacksonville State are in the elimination game at 12 p.m.

“We played really well tonight, and I think that’s a good team in the other dugout,” Ole Miss coach Mike Bianco said. “That was as complete of a game as we’ve played in a long time.”

The No. 12 national seed Rebels popped Farmer for five earned runs and and 10 total, as his defense unraveled in the five-run fifth that ended his day. Anthony Servideo hit a two-run shot of his own to end Farmer’s appearance.

Ole Miss poured on five more runs in the seventh to turn it into a laugher and set its bullpen for the Tigers. Taylor Broadway pitched the final two innings for the Rebels.

While Farmer walked a season-high four (after walking four in the last 41.2 innings entering Friday) and seemed to overthrow in the early innings, Will Ethridge put forth an efficient gem for Ole Miss. The Gamecocks got an early lead with a leadoff double to start the game, but Ethridge put up five straight zeroes before JSU picked up a run in the seventh.

The junior right-hander threw only 78 pitches in the seven innings and didn’t walk a hitter. Ethridge scattered three hits and struck out three to break Jacksonville State’s 12-game winning streak.

Ethridge retired 20 in a row at one point Friday.

“Their guy just kind of shut us down from that point on,” Jacksonville State coach Jim Case said.

Ethridge said: I looked up in the sixth and realized I hadn’t given up a hit in a while. I was mad about that first-inning double because I’d have a perfect game going.”

Ole Miss had 14 hits and Thomas Dillard hit a late home run for the Rebels’ fourth extra base hit of the day.

“Everybody likes home runs,” Bianco said.

The Rebels had four straight hitters reach base safely to start the game but only got two runs in the inning. Keenan’s home run created separation, and JSU didn’t play clean most of the night in front of a packed Oxford-University Stadium.

Ole Miss is 7-2 in home regional openers and has been 2-0 all six times it has won the first game at home.