Will Furniss was in line to be one of the heroes.
His fifth-inning, first-pitch home run was one out away from being the lone run of the game and the game winner. His ninth-inning defensive play at first base looked like one of the final bullets to dodge for Ole Miss against Mississippi State.
Instead, fewer than five minutes after that play at first base and following Connor Hujsak’s walk-off home run that gave the Bulldogs a 2-1 win to end Ole Miss’ season, Furniss, failing to fight back tears talked about his team.
State is 37-19 and faces Texas A&M on Wednesday.
“Wasn’t a great season but it was good with people we had,” Furniss said. “We’ve all had our disagreements with each other and everything and didn’t end the way we wanted, but I wouldn’t trade (the time with teammates) for anything.”
Hujsak’s blast off Liam Doyle wasted Riley Maddox’s career night. Maddox, pitching two days shy of normal rest after throwing 80 pitches on Thursday, blanked the Bulldogs for 7.1 innings, giving up three hits with seven strikeouts and no. His sinker was brilliant, as he threw 67 strikes in 98 pitches.
The fatigue likely helped his primary pitch dance and dart, forcing MSU into weak contact most of the night. It’s another tough-luck decision, as Ole Miss lost four games this season when he allowed three or fewer earned runs and another two when he gave up four earned runs.
“He was terrific,” Mike Bianco said. “Gutsy on short rest and tough enough to handle it and wanted the ball and pitched his butt off.”
Doyle, Ole Miss’ typical No. 2 starter, entered with no outs in the eighth and stranded an inherited runner. He walked the leadoff batter in the ninth, and the runner moved to second on a passed ball.
The Rebels only had four at-bats with runners on base, going 0-for-4. Brooks Auger matched Maddox, striking out 13 with no walks in eight innings. He threw a ridiculous 66 strikes out of 78 pitches including 25 straight strikes at one point.
The micro was a difficult loss to a rival, but the macro remains the same despite the result. Ole Miss’ season was over this week regardless, unless it won the entire tournament. The Rebels are 27-29 overall and went 11-21 against SEC opponents.
Over the past two seasons, Ole Miss is 52-58 overall and 17-43 in the SEC. Mike Bianco won at least 13 SEC games in all of his first 21 seasons — and 14 in all but one — before the last two clunkers.
Ole Miss athletics director Keith Carter is expected to meet with Bianco for their annual year-end meeting as early as tomorrow.
Bianco has four years remaining on the six-year agreement he signed following the national championship in 2022.
His annual salary is $1.625 million, and his current buyout figure is approximately $5.2 million paid out over the four years. Taxes and assistant coach buyouts would push the amount owed to change coaches to approximately $7.7 million.
David Eckert of the Clarion Ledger asked Bianco following the game if he expects to be back next season.
“You’ll have to ask my boss, but I expect to be back,” Bianco said.
The Rebels simply weren’t good enough for the second straight season. Furniss’ quote was potentially revealing as far as team chemistry, and Ole Miss struggled to get consistent play in any phase — finishing 13th in the SEC in hitting and pitching and 14th in defense.
“It’s always miserable and bad and tough when it ends,” Bianco said. “When you’re a coach you don’t expect it to end and not like that so quickly. You’re a pitch way and baseball is a tough game and it’ll rip your heart out.
“This wasn’t a good team, as far as wins and losses, but they stuck together and hung in there and gave themselves an opportunity at the end. We just weren’t god enough. I love those guys and respect the heck out of them. Continued to fight and play.”
