OXFORD | The Oxford Regional final featured 11 home runs, 22 hits, three separate offensive innings of at least four runs scored and two desperate lineups trying to keep pace with the ball jumping out of Swayze Field.

So, in the seventh inning, when Taylor Broadway started stretching and throwing, not many of the 10,923 in attendance assumed the game’s outcome was decided.

But maybe that should have been the case.

Broadway entered in the eighth inning and continued his late-season mastery in the Ole Miss 12-9 win that clinched the regional and sent the Rebels (44-20) to a super regional date with No. 5 national seed Arizona (43-15).

The senior has had an excellent year, compiling a 2.51 ERA and 64 strikeouts in 46.2 innings. He holds the school record with 16 saves, including three in the regional, and he’s only walked nine batters all season.

He has a repertoire that could work as a starter, but the four-pitch mix makes things all kinds of confusing for batters in short outings.

“I haven’t had a closer like him, in that he can beat you in a lot of different ways,” Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco said. “An above average, dominant fastball or beat you with the command of his fastball, throw it in or out or elevate it. He can throw it a little off the plate. Tremendous curve and slide and changeup. You don’t see guys at the end of the game with four pitches who absolutely dominate the strike zone.”

Broadway used technology and some tweaks to improve his performance prior to the 2020 season, and in the COVID-shortened campaign, he gave up one run in 16 innings with 18 strikeouts and three walks.

[Related: Broadway's 'rise' lifts Rebels]

It was a noticeable jump that’s continued this season, but he’s arguably never been more dominant, considering the competition, than he has been during this stretch run.

In the past four weeks, Broadway has seven saves in nine appearances, and the Rebels have won every one of those games.

Broadway has thrown 15 innings, in that stretch, and yielded one earned run with 21 strikeouts and two walks. Opponents only have six hits. They are all SEC or Oxford Regional opponents.

“You have to hit him because he’s not walking you,” Bianco said. “There are hitters who seem like they can’t catch up, and he’ll go fastball or he can go breaking ball or changeups in the strike zone. There’s no approach because he attacks a lot of different ways.”

On Monday, Broadway gave up an infield single in the eighth but retired the other six batters faced. He ended the game with a punch out looking and struck out three in the two innings.

With a bullpen that’s struggled with consistency at times this season, Broadway has been the constant. And Southern Miss was finished for the evening when the Ole Miss closer’s walk-out music echoed through the stadium.

“We wouldn’t want to be the other team hearing those bells coming in,” Ole Miss designated hitter Tim Elko said.