5 fiercest college baseball rivalries of all time ft. Ole Miss-Mississippi State
At the heart of college baseball lie some intense rivalries. Some are geographical; some are based on conference alignment, while nearly all are based on competitive excellent.
Nobody gets concerned about a battle of two poor teams, after all. But a handful of top teams seemingly live to play each other. Here are five of the top rivalries in college baseball:
Five fiercest college baseball rivalries of all time
#5 Tennessee vs. Vanderbilt
Both members of the SEC, both located in the state of Tennessee, UT and Vandy has become a significant rivalry. The two teams started playing each other in 1897, but only in recent years has the rivalry really picked up steam.
Tennessee holds the all-time edge 187-166-2. That edge can be entirely credited to a 21-game winning streak UT had over Vandy from 1965 to 1970. While Tennessee had been to the College World Series four times before Vandy broke through in 2011, Vandy has gone on to win two CWS titles, while Tennessee has none. The Vols would love to narrow that gap in 2024.
#4 Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State
With Oklahoma's move to the SEC, the two rivals face an uncertain future. OSU leads the all-time series record 170-148. These two teams have played each other in the annual Bedlam Series matchup since 1935, but with the conference realignment, the future of the rivalry is uncertain.
The last annual battle was won by Oklahome State two games to one. The rivals met one final time for the Big 12 Tournament championship game, which Oklahoma State won. Whatever the future holds, the two could continue playing each other in some way.
#3 Florida State vs. Miami
Once upon a time, college baseball was a sport dominated by teams in California, Arizona and Texas. What happened?
Basically, Florida State and Miami happened. Sure, there were other teams in the south and southwest that had moments. But the Seminoles and Hurricanes built parallel winning traditions in the same general era.
Florida State leads the all-time series 162-136-4. More important than the head-to-head battles is the general excellence fostered on both sides of this battle. FSU has made 23 College World Series appearances, while Miami has 25.
Miami claimed the state's first CWS title in 1982 and has won three more sense, while FSU, despite three runner-up finishes, has never won the Series.
#2 Clemson vs. South Carolina
Despite not playing in the same conference, Clemson and South Carolina meet every year.
The Tigers swept the pair of 2024 meetings, pushing their series advantage to 188-145-2. One of baseball's top rivalries, the two schools are close enough to split the location of their annual two-game series.
This set got a boost in the early 2000s with a pair of College World Series meetings in 2002 and 2010. Clemson has played in the College World Series a dozen times, while South Carolina has made 11 appearances, winning the Series in 2010 and 2011.
#1 Ole Miss vs. Mississippi State
The battle for Mississippi pride has picked up a level of intensity with the success of both programs in recent years. As the teams are in the same conference, the series history is very rich, with Mississippi State holding a 257-216 all-time series edge.
State has made it to the College World Series a dozen times and won their first title in 2021. Ole Miss appreciated the feat so much that the Rebels won their first title the next year in their sixth Omaha trip. Odds are that the 2020s could hold more big moments for each program.
Which college baseball rivalries do you love? Let's hear your thoughts below in the comments section: