Ole Miss Baseball Gains Commitment From Transfer Outfielder Mitchell Sanford

The Ole Miss Rebels are slowly making more progress in the transfer portal this offseason.

Jun 25, 2022; Omaha, NE, USA; Ole Miss Rebels head coach Mike Bianco talks with fans before the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports | Steven Branscombe-USA TODAY Sports

After a slew of losses to the transfer portal this offseason, the Ole Miss Rebels are quietly assembling more pieces to fill those voids, the latest of which is New Orleans Privateers outfielder Mitchell Sanford.

Sanford pledged to the Rebels on Friday, per a report from Rivals' Chase Parham, and he brings a productive bat to Oxford. His college has previous stops with LSU (36 games in 2021) and UT-Arlington, but at New Orleans, he hit for a career average of .351, including a mark of .381 in the 2024 season. He also hit 23 home runs in his two seasons with the Privateers, 15 of which came last season.

From a fielding perspective, Sanford has experience at all of the outfield patrols, but his most-played position is in right field. At New Orleans, he posted a career fielding percentage of .984, committing four errors across two seasons.

Sanford is the fifth portal player to pledge to the Rebels this offseason, joining the likes of Ryan Moerman (OF), Collin Reuter (C), Will McCausland (RHP) and Luke Cheng (SS). Ole Miss has also lost a total of 14 players from a season ago to the transfer market since failing to reach the NCAA Tournament in 2024.