The University of Mississippi Athletics

Brayden Randle

Preseason Accolades Roll In For Ole Miss Baseball

10/8/2024 | Baseball

D1Baseball Top 50 Transfer Impact Hitters

#30 Mitchell Sanford

“Sanford has been around college baseball for a long time. The 6-foot-2, 205-pounder, was a freshman at LSU during the 2020 COVID campaign. He spent another year in Baton Rouge before transferring to UT-Arlington for a season, and then finally finding a new home at UNO. There, he hit .319 with eight homers and 60 RBIs in ’23 before having a massive 2024 season that included a .381 average, 21 doubles, four triples, 15 home runs and 67 RBIs, along with 18 stolen bases and a 1.168 OPS. There’s a transition going from UNO to the SEC, but I love the experience that Sanford brings to the table for the Rebs.” – Kendall Rogers, D1Baseball

D1Baseball Top 50 Transfer Impact Hitters

#42 Isaac Humphrey

“Humphrey is headed to the Rebels and the Southeastern Conference after three seasons with the Cardinals in the ACC. Humphrey is an athletic 6-foot-3, 210-pounder, who had plenty of production during his time at Louisville. As a freshman, he hit .328 with 15 doubles, a triple, five homers and 38 RBIs, while he still hit for a bit of pop in year two, but also regressed to a .246 average. Then, this past season, Humphrey recalibrated yet again with a .310 average, 13 doubles, two triples, 10 homers and 39 RBIs, along with a .977 OPS. In addition to his power production, Humphrey is also a base-stealing threat. He finished last season with nine stolen bases.” – Kendall Rogers, D1Baseball

D1Baseball's 2024 Top 100 College Baseball Programs

#15 – Ole Miss

"If you compare what Ole Miss and rival Mississippi State did in the SEC immediately following their national titles, you’d think there was something in the water in the Magnolia State. The reality is that times have been tough for the Rebels since reaching the sport’s mountain top back in 2022 with a series win over Oklahoma and a 42-23 overall record. With a national title in tow, there are still so many things to like about this Ole Miss program. The Rebels are in a solid location with an attractive profile, have one of the more passionate fan bases in the sport, and reside in a park known for its beer showers and constantly evolving landscape. With that said the Rebels have been through some tough times the last two seasons, going 25-29 and 27-29 overall, respectively, while also somehow going an unbelievable 17-43 in the SEC in those two campaigns. Conventional wisdom suggests these struggles can’t continue. We shall see. I still like this program a lot overall." — Kendall Rogers

Baseball America Top 25 College Baseball Recruiting Classes for Class of 2024

#4 – Ole Miss

  • Recruiting coordinator: Carl Lafferty
  • Top recruit: Owen Paino, SS
  • BA 500 freshmen: 8

 

“Since capturing the program’s first-ever national championship in 2022, the Rebels have failed to make the tournament in each of the last two seasons. However, this year’s recruiting class has the chance to breathe new life into the program. It is unfair to stick high expectations on freshmen right out of the gate, but this class has the chance to leave Ole Miss way better than it found it when all is said and done.

The Rebels’ highest-ranked recruit is shortstop Owen Paino. Paino has long been a famous name in the recruiting world, and the 2024 New York Gatorade Player of the Year could be an impactful player in year one. His swing decisions are sound, though his hit tool will need to improve for him to achieve his offensive upside.

On the other side of the baseball, Cade Townsend is a dynamic, lean righthander who has seen his stuff take a noticeable jump over the last year. He was up to 97 mph at this year’s draft combine, and both his slider and curveball—especially his curve—have the chance to be above-average secondary offerings. A mighty intriguing arm to keep tabs on is Cooper Johnson. Johnson is a 6-foot-5 southpaw who is a bit lacking right now in the stuff department, but there is plenty to dream on with his frame and strike-throwing ability.” – Peter Flaherty, Baseball America

Baseball America Top 10 Newcomer Classes for 2025

#10 – Ole Miss

  • Top 100 transfers: 1
  • BA 500 freshmen: 8

 

“After winning their first-ever national championship in 2022, Ole Miss has failed to make the NCAA Tournament in each of the past two seasons. Now, it enters 2025 with one of the most impressive recruiting classes in college baseball.

Six-foot-three shortstop and reigning New York state Gatorade player of the year Owen Paino (No. 87) is Mississippi’s headliner on paper, but righthander Cade Townsend (No. 153) or California prep lefthander Cooper Johnson (No. 455) could have the highest ceilings of the bunch. Regardless, with eight BA 500 prospects, a number of freshmen are in line for prominent roles this spring in Oxford. Former Louisville outfielder Isaac Humphrey (.310/.412/.565) is the Rebels’ lone top 100 transfer.” – Peter Flaherty, Baseball America

Perfect Game Top 500 Fresh Arrivals On Campus

#7 - Owen Paino

#50 - Kaiden Lopez

#53 - Ethan Surowiec

#61 - Cade Townsend

#117 - Jackson Miller

#129 - Hayden Federico

#147 - Owen Hancock

#193 - Tate Sirmans

#226 - Jake Reigert

#291 - Cooper Johnson

#293 - Tyler Acevedo

#383 - Stone McCaughey

After the 2024 Major League Baseball Draft, Perfect Game ranked the freshmen that did not sign contracts and instead opted to join their college programs in the fall, ranking 12 of the Rebels’ newcomers. Owen Paino was Ole Miss’ highest-ranked youngster coming in at No. 7. Kaiden Lopez, Ethan Surowiec, and Cade Townsend all made the Top 100 giving the Rebels four players in the Top 100 in the nation.

Baseball America 2024 College Baseball Transfer Top 100

#57 Isaac Humphrey

 “Humphrey this spring returned to 2022 form, albeit with added impact, and hit .310/.412/.565 with 13 doubles, a career-high 10 long balls and 39 RBIs. On top of his offensive ability, the 6-foot-3 Humphrey defends well in right field which is where he figures to start this spring for head coach Mike Bianco.” – Peter Flaherty, Baseball America

D1Baseball Top 85 Transfer Impact Pitchers

#65 Will McCausland

“The 6-foot, 183-pounder, has one of the more interesting profiles of any transfer pitcher in this cycle. McCausland has unbridled potential and finished last season with the Hawks with 91 strikeouts in 81 innings of work. However, teams also hit him at a very high .315 clip. This past summer at the Cape, McCausland controlled four pitches with a fastball in the 88-92 mph range to go with a mid-80s cutter and an effective 78-81 mph curveball. McCausland was originally selected as a Cape Cod League All-Star, so seeing his trajectory at Ole Miss will be rather intriguing.” – Kendall Rogers, D1Baseball

Keep up with all the latest news and information on the Rebels by following Ole Miss baseball on X at @OleMissBSB, on Facebook at Facebook.com/OleMissBaseball, on Instagram at Instagram.com/officialolemissbsb and on TikTok at @olemissbsb. Also, follow head coach Mike Bianco on X at @CoachMikeBianco.

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Players Mentioned

9

Hayden Federico

IF
/ Baseball
35

Owen Hancock

RHP
/ Baseball
51

Isaac Humphrey

OF
/ Baseball
14

Cooper Johnson

LHP/1B
/ Baseball
17

Will McCausland

RHP
/ Baseball
39

Jackson Miller

OF
/ Baseball
6

Owen Paino

IF
/ Baseball
44

Jake Reigert

RHP
/ Baseball
8

Tate Sirmans

UT
/ Baseball
25

Ethan Surowiec

IF
/ Baseball
10

Cade Townsend

RHP
/ Baseball

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