Report: Transfer shortstop JD Urso 'no longer joining' Ole Miss

Ole Miss faithful were excited by the news of former Tampa Spartans shortstop JD Urso taking his talents to the Rebels, but that’s no longer the case.

Evidently, Urso won’t be joining Ole Miss for this upcoming season. Chase Parham of Rivals is reporting that Urso is “no longer joining” the squad, although he didn’t specify what the shortstop would be doing instead.

JD Urso, the shortstop who transferred to #OleMiss from Tampa, is no longer joining #RebsBSB. Puts extra emphasis on Cooper Pratt's decision.

— Chase Parham (@ChaseParham) July 10, 2023

“JD Urso, the shortstop who transferred to #OleMiss from Tampa, is no longer joining #RebsBSB,” tweeted Parham. “Puts extra emphasis on Cooper Pratt’s decision.”

Without speculating, it’s certainly an interesting decision from Urso, who was ready to join arguably the best conference in all of college baseball with a ton of fanfare. He impressed over his time with the Spartans, and was ready to help Ole Miss return to form next season.

Moreover, Urso’s father is the coach of the Tampa Spartans baseball program, which is an interesting tidbit of information. Last season, the shortstop hit .374, and reached base in a school record 56 straight games.

Over his four seasons with the Spartans, Urso has compiled an average of .352 at the plate, while also adding on nine home runs and 44 doubles, totaling 118 RBIs as well. He would’ve been a nice piece for the Rebels, but that’s no longer coming to fruition.

For a team that didn’t reach the heights they expected to last season, Urso would’ve been a nice get. Mike Bianco and company are trying to get back to the College World Series, and looking for guys that fit the bill to do so, and they believed they had one in Urso, so it has to be disappointing to hear the news.

Regardless, Ole Miss dealt with a lackluster season in 2023, but they’ll hope to right the ship next season, without JD Urso helping them like they believed was the case up until Monday.