How Hayden Federico turned his mistake into catch that helped Ole Miss make CWS

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OXFORD — Ole Miss baseball center fielder Hayden Federico is humble about his critical catch at Auburn to clinch a super regional title for the Rebels.

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He knows the play began with a mistake.

With two outs and two on in the top of the eighth inning and the score tied 2-2, Auburn's Ethin Bingaman belted a line drive to center field. 

"Off the bat I didn't get the greatest read," Federico said June 9, three days after Ole Miss earned a spot in Omaha. "I didn't realize he hit it as hard as he did. I was like 108 (miles per hour) off the bat. Eventually I figured out I had to retreat."

Federico spun backward and sprinted toward the outfield wall. He likened it to a football cornerback catching up with a receiver going deep.

"I opened up, kind of a like a football player, just went back and had a little leap," Federico said. "Thank God it went in my glove. Kind of snow-coned it. I opened the glove back up and it fell right in the pocket."

The catch ended the inning and kept the game tied. It wound up being a monumental moment in the game.

The Rebels took the lead in the bottom of the eighth on Will Furniss' two-run home run.

Ole Miss won 5-3, and the Rebels (41-21) will take on No. 5 North Carolina (50-12-1) in the College World Series opener on June 12 (6 p.m. CT, ESPN).

Federico said he had fun with the fans in the outfield, who were ruthless all weekend. After his catch, the sophomore from West Monroe, Louisiana, slapped the green wall and said a quick prayer.

He threw the ball into the Auburn crowd. It was thrown right back as Federico jogged to the dugout.

"I took a big, deep breath," Federico said. "Gave all the glory to God. The fans out there in right field, they didn't like me too much."

Federico's father, Mike, is a longtime college baseball coach, and he was the Louisiana-Monroe coach from 2018-25. He's now the baseball director of player development at Louisiana Tech.

"I've been telling a lot of people, my dad has never been fortunate enough to coach there," Federico said. "He's been in regionals, super regionals but he's never made it to the final dance. And I always wanted to go as a kid, and he was like, 'No, you have to earn it or I have to earn it and we'll go there together.'"

2026 College World Series schedule, TV information

All times Central

Friday, June 12

  • Game 1: Troy vs. West Virginia, 1 p.m. on ESPN
  • Game 2: Ole Miss vs. North Carolina, 6 p.m. on ESPN

Saturday, June 13

  • Game 3: Oklahoma vs. Alabama , 2 p.m. on ESPN
  • Game 4: Georgia vs. Texas, 7 p.m. on ESPN

Sunday, June 14

  • Game 5: Game 1 loser vs Game 2 loser, 1 p.m. on ESPN
  • Game 6: Game 1 winner vs Game 2 winner, 6 p.m. on ESPN

Monday, June 15

  • Game 7: Game 3 loser vs Game 4 loser, 1 p.m. on ESPN
  • Game 8: Game 3 winner vs Game 4 winner, 6 p.m. on ESPN

Tuesday, June 16

  • Game 9: Matchup TBD, 1 p.m. on ESPN
  • Game 10: Matchup TBD, 7 p.m. on ESPN

Wednesday, June 17

  • Game 11: Matchup TBD, 1 p.m. on ESPN
  • Game 12: Matchup TBD, 6 p.m. on ESPN

Thursday, June 18

  • Game 13 (if necessary): TBD, ESPN
  • Game 14 (if necessary): TBD, ESPN

College World Series finals championship series

Best-of-three

  • Game 1: Saturday, June 20, 7 p.m. on ESPN
  • Game 2: Sunday, June 21, 1:30 p.m. on ABC
  • Game 3 Monday, June 22, 6 p.m. on ESPN, if necessary

Sam Hutchens covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at [email protected] or reach him on X at @Sam_Hutchens_

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Ole Miss OF Hayden Federico describes catch that helped clinch CWS trip

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