The SEC softball tournament opened with a major upset Wednesday night, as the Ole Miss Rebels knocked off the Tennessee Lady Vols 4-1 in Kentucky.
The 13-seed Rebels now advance to the SEC quarterfinals after eliminating fifth-seeded Tennessee in the Lady Vols' first 2026 tournament matchup.
“When you lose a softball game like we did today, pretty much everything that adds up to a loss was there,” Tennessee head coach Karen Weekly said after the loss.
“We missed opportunities when we had runners in scoring position. We didn’t make plays when we needed to keep them from scoring. And then we allowed too many free passes.”
Tennessee grabbed an early lead in the second inning, after Ella Morrison scored off an RBI singe from Bella Faw. The run briefly put the Lady Vols ahead 1-0.
“I was just looking to attack the zone,” Faw said. “Coach said that postseason is an opportunity to start over, start fresh and just play free.”
However, that would be Tennessee's only run of the night.
Ole Miss responded in the fourth inning after capitalizing on a Tennessee error. That error led to two unearned runs and a 2-1 lead. The Rebels added insurance in the fifth when Maddi George delivered a two-run single to stretch the advantage to three.
The Lady Vols created chances throughout the game but struggled to convert, stranding eight runners on base.
Tennessee ace Sage Mardjetko took the loss after allowing two unearned runs over 3.2 innings, while hurler Karlyn Pickens took over for the final 3.1 innings.
Kyra Aycock earned the win for Ole Miss, allowing one run across four innings before Emilee Boyer secured the save.
How to Watch the 2026 SEC Softball Tournament
Ole Miss next faces defending champion Texas on Thursday at 5 PM ET, live on SEC Network.
SEC firepower will fuel the 2025 Women's College World Series (WCWS), as No. 2 Oklahoma, No. 3 Florida, No. 6 Texas, No. 7 Tennessee, and unseeded Ole Miss all advanced out of this weekend's Super Regionals to book trips to Oklahoma City.
The SEC's five teams ties the record for most WCWS-bound squads from a single conference, with the additions of former Big 12 powerhouses Oklahoma and Texas notably boosting the league's WCWS roster this year.
Big Ten newcomers No. 9 UCLA and No. 16 Oregon plus the Big 12's No. 12 Texas Tech round out the eight teams entering the double-elimination tournament later this week, all battling for one of two spots in next week's best-of-three championship series.
Despite coming into the postseason as the No. 2 seed, the Sooners are still the team to beat as they hunt their fifth straight NCAA softball title.
With their 18th program ticket to OKC, Oklahoma's consistency in advancing to the national championship's last stop is dwarfed only by UCLA: The Bruins have appeared in 34 editions of the WCWS, missing the final cut only nine times in NCAA history.
In contrast, both Ole Miss and Texas Tech will be making their WCWS debuts after upsetting top seeds last weekend.
The Rebels, who first eliminated No. 13 Arizona in Regionals, outlasted No. 4 Arkansas to book their first-ever WCWS trip on Sunday.
Meanwhile, the Red Raiders are flying high behind transfer pitcher and 2024 National Player of the Year NiJaree Canady, emerging victorious in their first-ever Super Regional with two straight wins over No. 5 Florida State.
How to watch the 2025 Women's College World Series
Oklahoma City veterans and debutants alike will begin their WCWS campaigns on Thursday, when all teams will contend in the tournament's initial four games.
Kicking off the 2025 WCWS is an all-SEC afternoon session, with No. 6 Texas facing No. 3 Florida at 12 PM ET before No. 7 Tennessee takes on No. 2 Oklahoma at 2:30 PM ET.
Evening play pits the newcomers against each other as Ole Miss clashes with No. 12 Texas Tech at 7 PM ET, with a Big Ten battle between No. 16 Oregon and No. 9 UCLA closing out the night at 9:30 PM ET.
Live coverage of the afternoon games will air on ESPN, with ESPN2 broadcasting the two evening matchups.