OXFORD — Ole Miss sophomore third baseman Andrew Fischer wasn’t expecting anyone to know who he was at this point in his Rebels career given it hadn’t technically started yet. But the fan mail he’s been receiving tells a different story.
And it’s part of the reason Fischer wanted to play in a place like Oxford when he entered his name into the transfer portal. There’s really something different about SEC baseball.
Fischer is one of 23 new faces on the Ole Miss baseball roster in 2024 hoping to help the Rebels rebound from a tough 2023. Following their run to the national title, Ole Miss struggled last season, finishing 25-29 with just six wins in SEC play. Fischer, along with shortstop Luke Hill and right fielder Treyson Hughes, are among the big bats the Rebels brought in via the transfer portal to help right the ship this year. Ole Miss was picked to finish second-to-last in the SEC West in this year’s preseason poll.
The Rebels begin their season with a four-game series at Hawaii this weekend. First pitch in Friday’s opener will be 10:35 p.m. Saturday’s double-header games will start at 5:05 p.m. and 8:35 p.m. while Sunday’s finale will begin at 5:05 p.m. Ole Miss’ home opener is Wednesday at 4 p.m. against Arkansas State.
“I got fan mail the other day. I mean, fans don’t even know who I am yet. And coach is bringing in papers and papers on top of papers into the locker room. ‘Here Fischer, this stack is for you,’” Fischer said. “ … And I think that’s super cool. I didn’t have anything like that at my old school. Again, not knocking Duke, they’re a great program and a great school. But stuff like that’s cool about Ole Miss.”
Fischer, a New Jersey native, played his freshman season at Duke and shined. He hit .289 with 11 home runs and 33 RBIs, earning freshman All-ACC and freshman All-American honors while helping the Blue Devils reach the Super Regionals. He will take over at third base for a Rebels team that has seen inconsistent production from the position over the last two years.
Senior captain Reagan Burford — now at second base — had his ups and downs at third in 2022, leading Justin Bench and Garrett Wood to take over late in the season as the Rebels won the College World Series. Last season, junior college transfer Ethan Lege started 49 games at third and hit .243 with three home runs and 20 RBIs overall.
Enter Fischer, who was recently named one of the top-100 college prospects for the 2025 MLB Draft by D1Baseball, at the hot corner. The chance to play on the biggest stages in the sport in front of passionate fans was something Fischer couldn’t pass up. He admittedly wasn’t used to seeing a couple hundred people in the stands for a scrimmage. Swayze Field’s average attendance last season was nearly 10,100. For reference, Duke’s Jack Coombs Field has a capacity of 1,863.
Fischer loves the big moments that come with college baseball. The crowd plays a part in that, as do teammates. He’s going to show emotion following a big hit or a crucial strikeout, he said. His energy is infectious because it is authentic.
“I think that’s what college baseball is about, is having fun,” Fischer said. “Obviously, everyone here wants to play professional baseball, and at that point it’s a job. But yeah, you want to have fun with that. But this is fun. You’re playing with these guys you’re with every day, you go to school with, hang out with. And I think that that part of it makes it fun.”
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