Jul. 17—OXFORD — Ole Miss received a pair of highly-touted transfer portal commitments to help solidify its lineup Monday in former Arizona State shortstop Luke Hill and former FAU infielder Jackson Ross.
Hill made his announcement on social media while Ross’ commitment was broken by D1Baseball’s Kendall Rogers.
Hill was an All-Pac 12 selection as a freshman in 2023, while Ross was first-team All-Conference USA. They are the latest high-profile slugging additions for the Rebels, joining former Mercer star outfielder Treyson Hughes and former Duke third baseman Andrew Fischer.
Hill, a Louisiana native hit .314 with six home runs and 42 RBIs for the Sun Devils in 2023. He has three seasons of eligibility remaining. Ross, who hit .345 with 14 home runs and 58 RBIs this season, has one season of eligibility remaining. He started 59 games at third base for the Owls in 2023.
Hill and Ross are the fifth transfer portal players to commit to Ole Miss this offseason that are considered “high-profile” by D1Baseball. They join Hughes, Fischer and former Coastal Carolina pitcher Liam Doyle on the list. The Rebels have seven portal commits overall, according to D1Baseball’s Transfer Tracker.
Hill and Ross figure to be major factors in what will be a new-look Ole Miss lineup come 2024.
Star shortstop Jacob Gonzalez was drafted 15th overall by the Chicago White Sox in the 2023 MLB Draft and has agreed to a deal, ending his collegiate eligibility. Gonzalez hit .319 in his career with 40 home runs and 158 RBIs.
Outfielder Kemp Alderman was taken by the Miami Marlins in the second round after hitting a team-best .376 with 19 home runs and 61 RBIs this season en route to second-team All-SEC honors.
Catcher Calvin Harris was drafted by the White Sox in the fourth round. He was a second-team All-SEC pick in 2023 after hitting .321 with 12 home runs and 46 RBIs.
Pitcher Jack Dougherty was also selected in the draft, taken in the ninth round by the Minnesota Twins.
First baseman Anthony Calarco was not drafted but signed a free-agent deal with the Texas Rangers, per Baseball America.
Incoming freshman pitcher Josh Knoth (Competitive Balance Round A) and shortstop Cooper Pratt (sixth round) were high draft picks.
The Rebels also lost a pair of stalwarts by way of the transfer portal in second baseman Peyton Chatagnier and outfielder TJ McCants, who transferred to TCU and Alabama, respectively.
Between transfers, graduation and the likely draft signees, Ole Miss will have just three players on its roster that started against Delaware on opening day last February — outfielder Ethan Groff and infielders Reagan Burford and Ethan Lege. The Rebels also return Will Furniss, who became the team’s primary designated hitter as the season progressed.