KSR's 2025 SEC Baseball Preview: Ole Miss

With the 2025 College Baseball season just around the corner, KSR will be previewing all 15 SEC teams that will be competing with Kentucky for an SEC crown this season. Up next; the Ole Miss Rebels.

It’s been a treacherous two seasons for Mike Bianco’s Ole Miss Rebels, which have missed the NCAA Tournament two seasons in a row since winning the Men’s College World Series in 2022. They haven’t just missed the Tournament however, but they’ve been one of the worst teams in the SEC. Over the past two seasons, Ole Miss sports a combined 52-58 (17-43) record.

The Rebels snuck into the 2024 SEC Tournament as the No. 12 seed, but fell to rival No. 5 seed Mississippi State in the first round. Ole Miss will have to bounce back this season, or the Rebel faithful will start having uncomfortable conversations about legendary coach Bianco (which I’m sure have already begun). In 24 seasons coaching in Oxford, Bianco has posted a 906-543-1 (359-330) record with 18 NCAA Tournament appearances, eight Super Regional appearances, and two Men’s College World Series appearances (one win in 2022).

Returning Players:

• Jr. INF Luke Hill (2024: 54 G, .291 AVG, 6 2B, 3 HR, 27 RBI, .378 SLG%, .404 OBP%)
• Jr. INF Will Furniss (2024: 51 G, .236 AVG, 8 2B, 9 HR, 31 RBI, .473 SLG%, .350 OBP%)
• So. INF Brayden Randle (2024: 43 G, .204 AVG, 4 2B, 2 HR, 14 RBI, .310 SLG%, .316 OBP%)
• Jr. INF Judd Utermark (2024: 36 G, .230 AVG, 6 2B, 5 HR, 12 RBI, .440 SLG%, .313 OBP%)
• So. C Campbell Smithwick (2024: 30 G, .266 AVG, 5 2B, 1 HR, 12 RBI, .367 SLG%, .449 OBP%)
• Sr. OF Connor Chisolm (2024: 1 G, .000 AVG, 0 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .000 SLG%, .000 OBP%)

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• Sr. RHP Riley Maddox (2024: 15 APP, 14 GS, 3-7, 5.48 ERA, 69 IP, 53 K, 23 BB, .276 B/AVG)
• Sr. LHP Gunnar Dennis (2024: 16 APP, 8 GS, 4-2, 7.88 ERA, 40 IP, 46 K, 21 BB, .325 B/AVG)
• Sr. RHP Mason Nichols (2024: 17 APP, 6 GS, 4-2, 4.15 ERA, 39 IP, 42 K, 21 BB, .217 B/AVG)
• Jr. RHP Mason Morris (2024: 23 APP, 1 GS, 1-2, 6.55 ERA, 33 IP, 37 K, 21 BB, .240 B/AVG)
• Jr. RHP Brayden Jones (2024: 21 APP, 0 GS, 1-0, 5.54 ERA, 26 IP, 26 K, 14 BB, .277 B/AVG)
• Sr. RHP Connor Spencer (2024: 18 APP, 0 GS, 0-2, 6.16 ERA, 19 IP, 28 K, 10 BB, .194 B/AVG)
• Jr. LHP Ryne Rodriguez (2024: 14 APP, 0 GS, 0-0, 2.45 ERA, 14 2/3 IP, 15 K, 7 BB, .236 B/AVG)
• Jr. RHP Sam Tookoian (2024: 9 APP, 0 GS, 0-0, 4.66 ERA, 9 2/3 IP, 16 K, 4 BB, .250 B/AVG)
• So. RHP Patrick Galle (2024: 6 APP, 0 GS, 0-0, 6.75 ERA, 4 IP, 6 K, 4 BB, .313 B/AVG)
• So. RHP Hudson Calhoun (2024: 2 APP, 0 GS, 0-0, 6.75 ERA, 1 1/3 IP, 6 K, 4 BB, .250 B/AVG)

Departing Players:

• Sr. INF/OF Jackson Ross (2024: 56 G, .280 AVG, 11 2B, 10 HR, 49 RBI, .492 SLG%, .438 OBP% – 9th Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• Sr. OF Ethan Groff (2024: 56 G, .258 AVG, 11 2B, 5 HR, 25 RBI, .392 SLG%, .361 OBP% – Graduated)
• So. INF Andrew Fischer (2024: 55 G, .285 AVG, 10 2B, 20 HR, 57 RBI, .643 SLG%, .397 OBP% – Transferred to Tennessee)
• Jr. OF Treyson Hughes (2024: 50 G, .227 AVG, 4 2B, 2 HR, 26 RBI, .307 SLG%, .306 OBP% – Transferred to Virginia Tech)
• Sr. OF Ethan Lege (2024: 43 G, .323 AVG, 11 2B, 13 HR, 38 RBI, .645 SLG%, .424 OBP% – 15th Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• So. C Eli Berch (2024: 42 G, .204 AVG, 2 2B, 1 HR, 9 RBI, .255 SLG%, .333 OBP%)
• Sr. INF Reagan Burford (2024: 33 G, .210 AVG, 6 2B, 4 HR, 14 RBI, .432 SLG%, .305 OBP% – Graduated)
• Sr. INF Bo Gatlin (2024: 23 G, .219 AVG, 1 2B, 1 HR, 7 RBI, .344 SLG%, .372 OBP% – Graduated)
• Fr. C/UTIL Trenton Lyons (2024: 22 G, .256 AVG, 1 2B, 0 HR, 3 RBI, .282 SLG%, .326 OBP% – Transferred to NC State)
• Fr. INF/OF Drew Markle (2024: 18 G, .083 AVG, 0 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .083 SLG%, 214 OBP%)
• Jr. OF John Kramer (2024: 8 G, .000 AVG, 0 2B, 0 HR, 1 RBI, .000 SLG%, .125 OBP% – Transferred to Appalachian State)
• Fr. OF Seth Farni (2024: 7 G, .143 AVG, 0 2B, 0 HR, 0 RBI, .429 SLG%, .143 OBP% – Transfer Portal)

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• So. LHP Liam Doyle (2024: 16 APP, 11 GS, 3-4, 5.73 ERA, 55 IP, 84 K, 21 BB, .230 B/AVG – Transferred to Tennessee)
• So. RHP Grayson Saunier (2024: 11 APP, 10 GS, 4-3, 5.64 ERA, 44 2/3 IP, 35 K, 16 BB, .278 B/AVG – Transferred to Texas)
• Fr. LHP Wes Mendes (2024: 17 APP, 2 GS, 2-1, 6.82 ERA, 31 2/3 IP, 43 K, 19 BB, .273 B/AVG – Transferred to Florida State)
• Jr. RHP Josh Mallitz (2024: 17 APP, 0 GS, 0-1, 4.28 ERA, 27 1/3 IP, 30 K, 20 BB, .252 B/AVG)
• Sr. RHP Mitch Murrell (2024: 14 APP, 0 GS, 2-1, 7.27 ERA, 17 1/3 IP, 16 K, 6 BB, .299 B/AVG – Graduated)
• So. RHP JT Quinn (2024: 8 APP, 3 GS, 1-2, 7.63 ERA, 15 1/3 IP, 23 K, 14 BB, .348 B/AVG – Transferred to Georgia)
• Fr. LHP Austin Simmons (2024: 13 APP, 0 GS, 2-0, 3.21 ERA, 14 IP, 20 K, 11 BB, .173 B/AVG)
• So. RHP Kyler Carmack (2024: 9 APP, 1 GS, 0-0, 9.28 ERA, 10 2/3 IP, 11 K, 9 BB, .318 B/AVG – 20th Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• Jr. RHP Cole Tolbert (2024: 6 APP, 0 GS, 0-1, 7.71 ERA, 4 2/3 IP, 5 K, 4 BB, .304 B/AVG – Transferred to Troy)
• R-Jr. LHP Hunter Elliott (2024: DNP – 20th Round of 2024 MLB Draft)
• Sr. LHP Xavier Rivas (2024: DNP – 16th Round of 2024 MLB Draft)

Incoming Transfers:

• Sr. OF Mitchell Sanford (2024: 57 G, .381 AVG, 21 2B, 15 HR, 68 RBI, .708 SLG%, .460 OBP% – Transferred from New Orleans)
• Sr. OF Isaac Humphrey (2024: 54 G, .310 AVG, 13 2B, 10 HR, 39 RBI, .565 SLG%, .412 OBP% – Transferred from Louisville)
• Sr. OF Ryan Moerman (2024: 53 G, .259 AVG, 5 2B, 19 HR, 53 RBI, .580 SLG%, .370 OBP% – Transferred from Illinois)
• Jr. C Collin Reuter (2024: 48 G, .265 AVG, 8 2B, 10 HR, 37 RBI, .486 SLG%, .379 OBP% – Transferred from BYU)
• Sr. INF Luke Cheng (2024: 16 G, .373 AVG, 3 2B, 0 HR, 11 RBI, .431 SLG%, .522 OBP% – Transferred from Illinois State)
• So. C Austin Fawley (2024: 10 G, .222 AVG, 1 2B, 2 HR, 5 RBI, .611 SLG%, .263 OBP% – Transferred from Kentucky)

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• Sr. RHP Alex Canney (2024: 19 APP, 19 GS, 14-3, 3.21 ERA, 106 2/3 IP, 99 K, – Transferred from Tampa)
• Jr. RHP Will McCausland (2024: 15 APP, 15 GS, 4-4, 4.78 ERA, 81 IP, 91 K, 20 BB, .315 B/AVG – Transferred from Saint Joseph’s)

Ole Miss was hit hard in the Transfer Portal, losing two of its best players from last season (INF Andrew Fischer and LHP Liam Doyle) to defending National Champion Tennessee. Fischer and Doyle were just two of a dozen players to depart the program. Baseball America tabbed the Rebels as a Transfer Portal loser, lamenting the losses of Fischer, Doyle, LHP Wes Mendes, RHP Grayson Saunier, RHP JT Quinn, and OF Treyson Hughes.

They recovered somewhat nicely however, recouping their losses with the addition of big time players such as former Louisville outfielder Isaac Humphrey, 2024 Southland Hitter of the Year outfielder Mitchell Sanford (New Orleans), and 2024 All-Big Ten Second Team selection Ryan Moerman (Illinois). As a Fighting Illini last season, Moerman homered in the Lexington Regional.

Along with some quality bats, Ole Miss is bringing in two extremely experienced starting pitchers. Senior right-hander Alex Canney pitched to a 14-3 record in 106 2/3 innings last season at Tampa, and junior right-hander Will McCausland struck out 91 batters in 81 innings at Saint Joseph’s. Both players will likely receive major shine in the Rebel pitching staff this season.

The future looks bright in Oxford, as the Rebels’ incoming freshman class was tabbed as the fourth best in all of College Baseball. Right-hander Cade Townsend (No. 100 ranked player in C/O ’24) is listed as an Instant Impact Pitcher, while shortstop Owen Paino (No. 21 ranked player in C/O ’24) is named the Instant Impact Position Player.

Ole Miss is scheduled to face five SEC teams present in D1Baseball’s Preseason Top 25 Rankings this season (No. 4 Tennessee, No. 5 Arkansas, No. 10 Florida, No. 16 Vanderbilt, at No. 18 Mississippi State, No. 19 Texas). Four of these series will be played in Oxford, while the Texas game is apart of the Shriners Children’s College Showdown. No. 18 Mississippi State will be Mississippi’s lone ranked road series.

Kentucky will host the Rebels at Kentucky Proud Park the weekend of April 3-5. Last season, the then No. 15 ranked Wildcats swept Ole Miss in Oxford. Nick Mingione’s squad outscored the Rebels 37-13 on the weekend. Ole Miss however still leads the all-time series against Kentucky 54-39.