Ole Miss gear in high demand as fans celebrate baseball national championship win

JACKSON, Miss. (WLBT) - Rebel fans across the state are celebrating and looking for ways to show off the team’s new national championship title.

The baseball room at the Mississippi Sports Ball of Fame highlights the state’s greatest athletes and moments in baseball. The 2022 Ole Miss baseball team made its own mark in the history books Sunday. It’s what a lot of the state is talking about.

Out of Bounds host Bo Bounds had three hours of sports talk radio dissecting the Ole Miss journey and win Monday morning.

“Nobody’s experienced this as an Ole Miss fan or alum, just like Mississippi State last year,” said Bounds. “So you’re, you’re walking, you know, 10 feet above the ground for the rest of the summer, and you’re now a national champion, and you join that exclusive group.”

Bounds notes the domino effect that comes along with this kind of win from prospective students to economic development.

“Takes it to a whole nother level,” added Bounds. “If people thought that Swayze and Dudy Noble was already hard to get into, just wait.”

One thing fans aren’t waiting for is gear. At College Corner, the online presales started online right after the last out, and people are still stocking on all things red and blue.

“It’s been kind of crazy in the store, honestly. We’ve had orders left and right. We’ve had to restock a ton of different shirts,” said College Corner employee Makenzie Young. “It’s been really high demand. We had orders, we dropped stuff on the website as soon as they won.”

“When I woke up this morning, I said it’s got to be a journey,” noted fan Tommy Freeny. “And I was just ecstatic when we won. I mean, I actually cried. I’m not ashamed to say it because we love the Rebels.”

“Of course I am excited,” said Ole Miss grad Will Stonewall. “First national championship that I have experienced in my lifetime. So I’m pretty much excited to bring for us to have a trophy back in Oxford.”

Academy Sports has a few shirts out already.

“They were available immediately after the game was over, and we had customers coming in within 15-20 minutes of the game being over wanting to know, calling, do you have the merchandise? Yes, come on,” said Madison Store Director Melanie Turner. “And they were in here buying it last night.”

Long past the rush for gear, the team will be remembered alongside the other baseball greats at the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame with a new photo replacing a 2014 Ole Miss photo that’s next to the Mississippi State photo from 2021.

“College baseball is ruled by the state of Mississippi. There’s so many good programs,” explained Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame Executive Director Bill Blackwell. “Yesterday after the game, sent text to both Mike Bianco and Keith Carter, thanking them for job well done, and for keeping that trophy here in the state of Mississippi.”

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