After glancing at Ole Miss’s roster in April of last year, Mike Bianco realised something had to happen in Oxford.
To revive Swayze Field, Bianco, in a way, borrowed a leaf from Lane Kiffin’s offseason playbook.
With the support of seven transfers, the Rebels begin the new season on Friday in Honolulu against Hawaii in a four-game series. With their demonstrated track records against previous institutions, all seven players should be good starting points for a chance to make it back to the postseason.
Bianco, who will play with the Rebels for a record 24 seasons, wasn’t immediately sold on the portal. Indeed, a few names were transferred to Oxford, but recruiting cleared the way for the team to win the College World Series in 2022.
The Rebels’ domination in conference play will depend on a few guys, notably infielder Andrew Fischer. Some, such as pitcher Kyler Carmack, might be useful bullpen arms in certain circumstances.
When Fischer thought about joining the Rebels, “the hair stands up on my arms.” “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.”
This offseason, Fischer—a native of New Jersey—was the portal’s most notable addition. He led the Blue Devils to the Super Regionals last year as a freshman at Duke, hitting.289 with 11 home runs and 33 RBI, and earning freshman All-ACC and freshman All-American honours.
At third, Fischer is anticipated to dominate the hot corner. Luke Hill, an Arizona State transfer who hit.314 in the Pac-12 last season, will take Jacob Gonzalez’s place at shortstop.
Treyson Hughes, a Mercer transfer who hit.387 with 11 home runs and made the first team All-SoCon last season, will take over as the starting right fielder, according to Bianco. Jackson Ross, a Florida Atlantic slugger, is anticipated to be the starting first baseman for life.
Kiffin was one of the college football industry’s pioneers of the transfer portal, leading the Rebels to an 11-2 record in 2023. He took use of the rental option, bringing in both experienced players and promising young players like quarterback Jaxson Dart.
This is not an added transfer for the Rebels. With a veteran joining a group of rookies, the results should be positive through 2024 and beyond. For Bianco, it’s uncharted territory because 2024 seems like a win-now scenario.
Though Fischer and the other rookies won’t be making their Oxford debuts until Wednesday, he’s getting ready for the vibe of Swayze Field during a midweek game.
