Ole Miss Transfers Ready To Make Impact For Rebels Baseball In 2024
Mike Bianco took one look at Ole Miss' roster last April and knew change needed to come to Oxford.
In a sense, Bianco took a page out of Lane Kiffin's offseason playsheet to bring relevancy back to Swayze Field.
The Rebels kick off the new season Friday in Honolulu with a four-game series against Hawaii behind the backing of seven transfers. All seven players have proven experience with former schools and should be building blocks for a shot at returning to the postseason.
Bianco, who enters his 24th season with the Rebels, didn't buy into the portal initially. Yes, a few names made their way over to Oxford, but recruiting paved the path to a College World Series title in 2022.
Some players, like infielder Andrew Fischer, will be essential to the Rebels' dominance in conference play. Others, like pitcher Kyler Carmack, could be bullpen arms that provide value in situational moments.
"The hair stands up on my arms thinking about it," Fischer said about joining the Rebels. "You talk about a school like Ole Miss, you're gonna play in front of that crowd every single game, whether it's a midweek or a three-game series against whoever in the SEC."
Fischer, a New Jersey native, was the headline addition from the portal this offseason. Last year as a freshman at Duke, he hit .289 with 11 home runs and 33 RBI, earning freshman All-ACC and freshman All-American honors while helping the Blue Devils reach the Super Regionals.
Fischer is expected to command the hot corner at third. Arizona State transfer Luke Hill, who hit .314 last season in the Pac-12, will replace Jacob Gonzalez at short.
Bianco confirmed that Mercer transfer Treyson Hughes, who hit .387 with 11 home runs on his way to being named first-team All-SoCon last year, will take over as the everyday right fielder. Flordia Atlantic slugger Jackson Ross is expected to be the permanent first baseman.
Kiffin, who guided the Rebels to an 11-2 finish in 2023, was one of the pioneers of the transfer portal in college football. He embraced the rental option, adding senior talent along with up-and-comers with potential like quarterback Jaxson Dart.
For the Rebels, this isn't a transfer being added. It's a veteran joining a bunch of newcomers for promising results in 2024 and beyond. It's new waters for Bianco as 2024 feels like a must-win situation.
Fischer and the remaining newcomers will have to wait until Wednesday to debut in Oxford, but he's preparing for the atmosphere that is Swayze Field during a midweek game.
Last season, average attendance reached over 10,000 fans on weekends. In Durham, Fischer was used to seeing Jack Coombs Field filled to the brim with a capacity of slightly over 1,800.
"That’s super cool," said Fischer. "I didn’t have anything like that at my old school. Again, not knocking Duke, they’re a great program and a great school. But stuff like that’s cool about Ole Miss.”