Ole Miss spent Wednesday packing up for Auburn, loading buses, and getting ready for a Super Regional that could send the Rebels back to Omaha.
At the same time, one of the best players in the transfer portal was walking around Oxford on a visit.
If you’re looking for another example of how backwards the transfer window is for baseball, Jake Souders showing up on campus the same day the Rebels hit the road is about as on‑the‑nose as it gets.
Souders is coming off a Mississippi State visit that apparently went very well, according to On3’s Pete Nakos. Tennessee is next on his schedule. Alabama, Georgia Tech, Texas A&M and LSU are circling too. In other words, this is not a fringe name. This is one of the most productive young outfielders available, and he’s doing a full SEC tour while half the league is still playing postseason baseball.
Jake Souders is trending up 📈
Last spring he hit .327/.391/.502 with 22 extra-base hits and 46 RBIs.
He’s a 2027 draft prospect you’ll want to keep an eye on 👀
(🎥@SamfordBaseball)
pic.twitter.com/lOFYTYoWtF— Baseball America (@BaseballAmerica) December 2, 2025
The timing makes no sense for anyone actually trying to coach a team in June.
Mike Bianco said earlier this week that his assistants were on the phone nonstop before the team even left town. That’s the job now. You prepare for a Super Regional while also trying to convince a 20‑year‑old to pick your program over your biggest rival.
And Souders is exactly the kind of player Ole Miss needs to be in the mix for. He hit .356 at Samford with 11 home runs, 13 doubles and 46 RBIs. He led his team in just about everything that matters and ranked near the top of the Southern Conference in most of it. He also has two years left, which is gold in the portal era.
Ole Miss is going to have at least one outfield spot open next season. Tristan Bissetta is almost certainly gone after this season.
Adding Souders would fill a need, upgrade the lineup and, just as important, keep him away from two SEC rivals who would love to plug him into the middle of their order.
One of those rivals is Mississippi State, which is still alive in the postseason and already made a strong impression on him.
That’s the part that gets lost in the bigger conversation. The portal isn’t just about adding talent. It’s also about preventing your competition from adding the same talent.
2025 All Mid-Major True Freshman Team
C Jacob Lee, VCU
1B Caden Miller, UTSA
2B Taylor Kirk, Fordham
3B Rylan Lujo, Dayton
SS Nate Castellon, Cal Poly
OF Braden Burress, ECU
OF Lucas Alberti, George Mason
OF Jake Souders, Samford
UT Carter Johnstone, CS Fullerton pic.twitter.com/cfdi4KFeGv— Pro Baseball Radar (@BaseballRadar) May 19, 2025
When the window opens before the season ends, the teams still playing are the ones at a disadvantage. They’re splitting time between scouting reports and recruiting pitches while everyone else is sitting at home building their roster.
Ole Miss didn’t set the rules. Neither did Mississippi State or Tennessee. But they’re all stuck operating inside a system that asks coaches to juggle postseason baseball and roster construction at the same time.
It’s not logical. It’s not fair. Hopefully, it changes but those decision-makers are too busy asking Congress for a bailout.
For now, Ole Miss is trying to win a Super Regional and recruit one of the best hitters in the portal on the same day.
That’s college baseball in 2026. It shouldn’t be, but it is.
