Developing Star? Ole Miss Freshman Brayden Randle Carving Out Role in Middle Infield
Freshman Brayden Randle has started to contribute out of the nine-hole for this Ole Miss Rebels baseball team.
A native of Rockwall, Texas, and Rockwall High School, Randle comes from a program that is always a competitor in the 6A ranks of Texas high school baseball. With that background, he obviously knows how to compete at a high level.
Ole Miss freshman Brayden Randle at second base against the High Point Panthers
Ole Miss Athletics
While going from high school to the SEC is a huge jump, Randle has dealt with the jump in competition mightily. He currently holds a .263 average and has worked some impressive at-bats in his handful of opportunities. He looks to be locked in at the plate after having one of his better games in the 12-5 win over Iowa on Saturday.
Randle was 1-for-3 with a double, a walk and two RBIs in that game, and he also has good speed and can execute in difficult bunt situations.
It seems that Randle is squarely in the second base rotation with Regan Burford moving forward, depending on the pitching matchup. Head coach Mike Bianco seems content with letting Randle get the starts on days against right-handed pitching.
As he continues to hit balls hard and work at-bats, his approach is highly developed for someone who played high school baseball last year. Look for Randle to continue to have good at-bats and take advantage of hitters counts, and with SEC play looming, he could be an impact player that can give you some consistency in the bottom of the order.
And as all baseball fans know, that is a luxury that is difficult to find.