Fast-approaching MLB Draft complicating the calculus, but portal-hunting trudges on for Ole Miss baseball

Ole Miss baseball so far has landed five players from the NCAA Transfer Portal. 

The Rebels are far from done. 

But as busy as head coach Mike Bianco and assistants Carl Lafferty and Mike Clement have been the last month-plus following the Rebels’ thud of a national-title defense, they’re somewhat hamstrung, mainly on the pitching side, by the fast-approaching MLB Draft July 9-11. 

Ole Miss has as many as five potential pitchers for next season positioned as potential draft risks, among them right-hander Zander Mueth, a five-star signee from Illinois widely expected to hear his name called early.

The uncertainty has certainly complicated the calculus for the Rebels’ roster-building for next season.

Ole Miss could be replacing every one of its starters in the field. Even more, the Rebels are looking to bring in immediate impact to a pitching staff ravaged by injury last season.

“Looking for people you think they can make a difference,” Lafferty, the long-time pitching coach for Bianco, said this week. “There’s so much in flux with the draft approaching. So, you’re just trying to do the best you can to make sure you have the right amount of players. 

“Hindsight being 20/20, but you look at the portal and you look at this time last year, we were winning a national championship. But I think we missed out on the opportunity to bring some pieces in. Then we lose some pieces in the draft and you have some injuries, so you wake up and go, ‘Man, I wish we had a little more depth on the mound, obviously.’ That’s the thing we’re trying to do. 

“We’re trying to make sure we’re prepared this year (and) that we’re bringing in the right pieces. The tricky part is trying to figure out the draft. What’s going to stay? What’s going to go? Who are we going to get, and how does that affect the next kid that we recruit? I wish I had a crystal ball. 

“Just know that by the time I get to like August 2, I’m going to be in a really good place. I’m not going to sleep much until then.”

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Two of Ole Miss’ five portal additions are pitchers.

The Rebels this week committed Southeastern Louisiana right-hander Connor Spencer. He previously threw at a pair of Mississippi junior colleges in nearby Northwest, as well as Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Spencer is a 6-foot-2, 225-pound pitcher. He had a 5.65 ERA last season and struck out 23 while walking 10 in 14.1 innings pitched. He gave up 13 hits and 10 runs over that span. Ole Miss is his fourth and final stop.

The other transfer pitcher is Arkansas State RHP Kyler Carmack. Carmack earlier this month was tabbed by MiLB scouting analyst Joe Doyle as a name to watch in next year’s draft.

“I don’t think there’s any college program out there that enjoys the draft being in the middle of July,” Lafferty said. “A lot of us would prefer it be back at the beginning of June, where we had a good idea what we were looking for the rest of summer and how to best put together our roster. 

“You can get to July 9 and things kind of get blown up and you’re out looking for players to bring in next year. In years past, where you may have been more focused on younger, high-school kids, you’re constantly focused on any of the available portal pieces that are out there and junior-college guys. Trying to do your homework and make sure you take your notes, because when you get to the draft, anything can happen. It’s a crazy few days for everyone, so you just have to be as prepared as you can.”