The Ole Miss Rebels baseball team recently faced massive trolling from several universities after posting an ABS challenge graphic on social media. Baseball teams, including Mississippi State, Florida Gators, and more, have taken a jab at Ole Miss after they lost the ABS challenge.
On Tuesday, May 19, Ole Miss catcher Austin Fawley triggered the first Automated Ball-Strike challenge in college baseball history. This took place during the top of the first inning of their SEC Tournament opener against the Missouri Tigers. The team’s pitcher, Jake Reigert, threw a 2-2 pitch to Missouri’s batter, which was followed by the home plate umpire Jason Bradly ruling the pitch a ball and making the count 3-2.
Looking for an early strikeout, Fawley tapped his helmet to call the experimental ABS challenge system, and immediately after the review, the system confirmed that the pitch was 2.3 inches off the plate, supporting the umpire’s initial decision. Because the challenge failed, the team lost one of their three allowed challenges just minutes into the game. They ultimately lost the game (10-8), which led to their elimination from the tournament.
Amid this, Ole Miss posted a graphic celebrating being the first college team ever to make an ABS challenge, which absolutely backfired on them, as they lost the review. The graphic read:
“The first college baseball program ever to challenge a call using the automatic ball-strike system.”
The post’s caption read:
“History Made.”
This graphic invited trolls from various universities, including the Florida Gators, who, mocking them, shared a graphic on X that read:
“The 8th team in NCAA history to successfully win a challenge using the Automatic Ball-Strike System.”
Following them, Mississippi State also mocked them by designing a graphic that read:
“The first college baseball program in the state of Mississippi to ever successfully challenge a call using the Automatic Ball-Strike System.”
Its’s tweet read:
“History in Hoover.”
The Arkansas baseball team also joined in with a graphic, reading, ‘Not the first college baseball program ever to post a graphic about the automated ball-strike system.’ They penned a caption that read:
“Can we all stop making graphics now.”
Joining the trolls, the St. Paul Saints also create a graphic with the content:
“The First Triple-A baseball Team ever to make a graphic about the college automated ball-strike system. (We have made 112 challenges this year.)”
They also added a caption that read:
“We WILL be hanging this banner🤓☝🏻”
The trolls didn’t stop here; the UMBC Athletics also shared a graphic that read:
“The first team in the America East to make a post about this meme. Our conference tournament doesn’t have ABS.”
Along the similar lines, BSC Athletics chimed in:
“The first NAIA program ever to post a graphic about another graphic related to the Automatic Ball-Strike System.”
The caption read:
“I love inside jokes. Love to be a part of one someday.”
Ole Miss baseball team’s coach weighed in on the failed ABS challenge
After the Ole Miss baseball team lost their first-ever ABS challenge against Missouri, the team’s coach, Mike Bianco, spoke to the media about how it went for the team. Lauding his team, he said that he is proud of them for always being on the ‘edge’ of the sport. Admitting that there are things that they can focus on improving, he said:
“I’m sure there’s a lot of angst from the Southeastern Conference. I applaud them for trying to always be on the cutting edge of baseball. And to get it done and to get it running and to operate like it did in Game 1, I thought, was outstanding. I’m sure, like everything, there’s some things that maybe they’ll look back and can improve,” said Ole Miss team’s coach.
The Ole Miss baseball team will next compete in the NCAA regionals, which will begin on May 29, 2026.
Also read:
College Sports Network has you covered with the latest news, analysis, insights, and trending stories in baseball, tennis, college football, men’s college basketball, women’s college basketball, and college baseball!