Huge recruiting weekend for Ole Miss Baseball with four transfer portal commitments

The offseason is in full swing now for Ole Miss baseball, and they made significant headway into crafting next season's roster this weekend. I posted an article last week about the current state of the roster for next season. In it, I mentioned that the Rebels now had portal commits, which changed significantly this weekend with four players jumping on board and announcing their commitment to Ole Miss.

LHP Grant Richardson - Grand Canyon University

The first commit of the cycle was left-handed pitcher Grant Richardson from Grand Canyon University. He will be going through the draft process, but is coming off Tommy John surgery and is expected to be in Oxford for the summer. There is some risk here with the injury, but there is undoubtedly a lot of upside with Richardson, and he seems to fit a profile that pitching coach Joel Mangrum likes.

Richardson sits in the mid-90s with his fastball and has a plus-breaking ball, which gives him a very high strikeout percentage. He had a breakout season in 2024, pitching to a 3.73 ERA in 50.2 innings while starting nine games. Most notably, he struck out 70 batters in those 50 innings, an astonishing strikeout rate, while walking only 30. This is a similar strikeout-to-walk ratio that Mangrum was looking for in Will McCausland last year.

LHP - Wil Libbert - Mizzou

Libbert was the last of the 4 weekend commits to pop. While his stats don't immediately stand out, I think there's a ton of upside with Libbert. He was a top prospect coming out of high school and flashed some real potential in his first season as a starter in the SEC. He also has an eerily similar profile to former Rebel and Golden Spike finalist Liam Doyle.

Libbert sits in his mid-90s with the fastball, but many scouts believe he can add some velocity, given his frame. This will be key in his development. The fastball is an absolute plus pitch for him, and taking it to the next level will allow him to blossom into an excellent weekend starter. He also has a terrific slider. In his 11 starts this season and 14 appearances, Libbert pitched to a 6 ERA in 53.2 innings. He did allow a lot of hits, more than one per inning. He walked 33 and struck out 55. Libbert continued to improve throughout the season, turning in his best two starts to end the season.

This is a developmental pick, and it's possible that Libbert won't be ready to be a dominant starter next year. However, this is a bet on a promising prospect who got his feet wet as a freshman starting in the SEC, has a great profile, and is under the guidance of pitching coach Mangrum to develop him. Another factor here is that the Rebels beat out Tennessee for Libbert. The Vols' pitching coach, Frank Anderson, is one of the best in the business, and if he wants a pitcher, that means he is looking for a top arm. Libbert also states that this will be a key summer for him in the Cape Cod League, highlighted by a great 4-inning start, striking out 6, not issuing a walk, and not allowing a run.

What's Next for the Pitching Staff

Both of these guys are real contenders for the weekend rotation. In the case of Richardson, I believe he is a lock for the rotation, and the Rebels will count on a big year from him. Libbert will also be in contention for a spot in the rotation as well. Along with him will be guys like Will McCausland and Cade Townsend.

Given that both of these individuals are left-handers, I think it provides a strong indication that Hunter Elliott is leaning toward leaving school. Elliott is projected to be drafted between rounds 4 and 7. While the Rebels could certainly match the signing bonus in NIL, it might just be that Elliott is ready to get his career started in pro baseball, as he is about to turn 23.

The Rebels have a solid crop of young arms that have developed throughout the year, and all will need to take on larger roles in the bullpen next year. There is also a solid crop of young prep arms who will be joining the team, headlined by Blake Ilitch. Ole Miss also has two decent JUCO pitchers committed. I still believe that Ole Miss needs two more arms out of the portal. One of them should be a potential starting option, and the other needs to be a lockdown closer, as there doesn't appear to be a clear arm on the roster to handle that responsibility next year. However, a lot will be reset on the shoulders of Joel Mangrum to develop the staff.

OF Daniel Pacella - Illinois State

This is the real big fish for the Rebels. He is a true top 50 player in the portal, and Ole Miss beat out the likes of LSU, Tennessee, and Mississippi State for his services. There is a potential risk that he may not be drafted and signed, but it appears that he will end up in Oxford for his final year of college baseball.

The former teammate of Ole Miss SS Luke Cheng has been nothing short of outstanding during his three-year career at Illinois State. He is also coming off the best year of his career, where he slashed .355/.429/.714 with a 1.143 OPS, 59 RBIs, and 20 home runs. Pacella is a back-to-back 1st-team All-Missouri Valley player and, throughout his career, has a slash line of .331/.408/.631 and 48 career home runs. He is an excellent replacement for LF Mitchell Sanford.

OF Tristian Bissetta - Clemson

Bissetta is an addition that the more I researched, the more I liked. Tristan had an outstanding sophomore season at Clemson in 2024 but battled injuries throughout the year, resulting in a shortened and disappointing 2025. He first underwent wrist surgery, which hampered his early season, and later had to undergo Tommy John surgery, ending his season. There is no concern as he will be throwing by the fall and ready to go. He was also a low-cost addition, buying at a low price with a high upside. It also reported that the Clemson coach did not want Bissetta to leave as he was penciled in as a starter for next year.

In 2024, he slashed .298/.401/.511 with seven home runs. He didn't fully break into the starting lineup until the back end of the season. Those are substantial numbers for the ACC. He struggled in a shortened 2025 slashing .227/.358/.373. Of course, it's hard to know, but you could chalk a lot of this up to injury. If he can provide anything close to his 2024 production over a full season, then he is a fantastic replacement for Ryan Moerman, if not a step up. Moerman started the year hot but struggled in SEC play. The problems that plagued Moerman should not impact Bissetta as much, given that they are coming from the ACC. Tristan will be a player who will be a threat for double-digit home runs; he will be a solid 7-hole bat and has a solid glove. There is a shot that he will compete for the Center Field position, depending on how things shake out.

What's Next for Position Players

The Rebels lost all three of their starting outfielders and have already replaced two. It appears that Hayden Federico's plan is to move to the outfield full-time next season, as he is currently playing there with his summer team. I think it would still be nice to add a true center fielder if they can find one at the right price.

Next, the team will likely need to add a backup catcher. With Smithwick entering the portal, they will no longer have him available for midweek games. They have a freshman coming in and have Reuter still, but they could probably add a pure backup somewhere.

The coaching staff needs to add a shortstop with a starting upside. That position has plagued this team since the departure of Jacob Gonzalez. Adding a true starter-caliber player into a pool with Brayden Randle, Owen Paino, and potential Coy James (if he survives the draft) offers enough talent to field a middle infield. I fully expect Brayden Randle to be the starting second baseman next season. Paino is a massive question mark until we see him prove it.

Attention also needs to be turned to retaining Judd Uttermark. This marks a significant turning point for how the offseason unfolds. We saw Judd fully breakout this season, and he showed what he could do in the Oxford regional. I believe that with another year of development and a reduction in the strikeout rate, Judd could be a Golden Spikes candidate. Bringing him back to hit 3rd and play 3rd is crucial for next season.

Finally, they need a 1B/DH candidate. If they have to go cheaper here to retain Uttermark, then that is fine. However, a truly exceptional defensive first baseman, who would allow Furniss to DH, could be a good move. If that isn't an option, then grab a solid bat that can compete with Reuter and, most likely, Ethan Suroweic for the DH spot next season.

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