Weakness to Strength: All three Ole Miss catchers likely to play Opening Weekend
The issues were endless for Ole Miss baseball last season, the second with a losing record for the Rebels since their title win in 2022.
But arguably no position gave Ole Miss more headaches than catcher. Every area of the field (hitting, fielding and pitching) was affected by the collective inconsistency of Campbell Smithwick, Eli Berch and Trenton Lyons.
Smithwick was the primary starter and returns. Berch and Lyons both transferred. Smithwick spent most of the last several months working on his defense after surrendering 11 passed balls as a true freshman.
“We feel really good about the catching situation,” Ole Miss hitting coach Mike Clement said Monday on the Rebel Yell Hotline, which is co-hosted by the Ole Miss Spirit’s Chuck Rounsaville.
“We lacked depth there and it really hurt us a year ago. Smithwick is much-improved. He’s a guy who has to be in our lineup every single day, whether he’s catching or DH or we put him in a corner outfield spot. It’s been a good battle.”
D1Baseball currently ranks Smithwick No. 22 in its Preseason Top 50 Catchers for 2025.
He’s the third-highest-ranked sophomore and seventh-highest-ranked catcher from the SEC.
The Rebels brought in transfers Collin Reuter (BYU) and Austin Fawley (Kentucky) over the off-season. Fawley is the best of the bunch defensively and was one of the team’s better hitters in the fall.
“Austin Fawley is really special behind the plate,” Clement said. “Can really receive and really throw. His arm is in the mold of (Hayden) Dunhurst and Cooper Johnson and some of those guys who can really, really throw. He’s special back there.
“Reuter gives us some versatility of a guy who can catch (and) play first base. It’s really a position of strength, as it has been for most of (Mike Bianco’s) 25 years here and was not a year ago.
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“When you’re not as good as you want to be at that position, it affects the pitching staff and the defense. It’s a position you just can’t go offense-first at.”
The 6-foot-3 Reuter is originally from Olive Branch.
He was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection last season. Reuter hit .265 for the Cougars, including 10 home runs, 28 walks and a .860 OPS. He tallied a .311 average, eight of his homers and a 1.054 OPS in conference play.
Reuter clubbed two home runs in scrimmage action for the Rebels on Sunday. He missed the first weekend of the preseason as he recovered from a concussion suffered in a live bullpen. Reuter was catching and was hit in the head with a bat.
Ole Miss opens the season February 14 against Arizona in the Shriners Children’s College Showdown in Arlington, Texas.
“Big power,” Clement said of Reuter. “There’s a real chance you’re going to see multiple catchers put on the equipment opening weekend in Dallas. We’ll play it out that way.
“But I think Smithwick’s in our lineup every day if he’s not catching. He’s going to be hitting at the top or middle of the order anyway. He’ll certainly be in there and has swung the bat great.”
