All three of Mississippi’s major college baseball programs have been busy in the transfer portal as they look to reload ahead of the 2025 spring.
Here are the most recent additions for Ole Miss, Mississippi State, and Southern Miss:
Ole Miss
Mitchell Sanford (OF) – University of New Orleans
Sanford, an upcoming sixth-year senior, was named the Southland Conference Hitter of the Year in 2024, batting .381 with 21 doubles, four triples, 15 home runs, 68 RBI, and 18 stolen bases. It will be the fourth program in six years for the Louisiana native after two seasons to start his career at LSU and spending one at UT-Arlington before two years at UNO. In the pair of campaigns for LSU, Sanford played in 45 contests, batting .265 with two doubles, a triple, and a home run.
Isaac Humphrey (OF) – Louisville
The 6-foot-3 lefthanded outfielder batted .301 with 18 home runs and 102 RBI in three seasons at Louisville. He posted a .977 OPS in 2024, while 25 of his 57 total hits were for extra bases. The speedy Kentucky native also swiped 26 bases in 116 career games played for the Cardinals.
Ryan Moerman (OF) – Illinois
Moerman spent three years with the Fighting Illini, batting for a career average of .276 along with 31 home runs and 104 RBI. The power-hitting righthanded bat tallied 19 home runs and 53 RBI in the 2024 season and collected All-Big 10 Second Team honors in both 2023 and 2024.
Mississippi State
Travis Smith (RHP) – Kentucky
The 6-foot-4 righthander is listed as the No. 71 draft prospect in the upcoming MLB Draft by MLB.com and was also listed as a top 50 starting pitcher by D1Baseball this past spring. Smith finished the 2024 campaign with a 3-4 record, 6.21 ERA, and struck out 33 batters along with 22 walks.
Jacob Pruitt (RHP) – Indiana State
Pruitt’s second of two seasons in Terra Haute was his best. The 6-foot-1 righthander deposited a 3-2 record in 2024 with a 3.02 ERA, striking out 57 batters with just 23 walks. Opponents batted just .232 against the Indiana native who has two years of eligibility remaining as he heads to Starkville.
Chase Hungate (RHP) – Virginia
The latest of a flurry of righthanded hurlers will make Mississippi State his third program in four seasons. Hungate played a pair of seasons at UVA after beginning his career at VCU, pitching in 46 total games in his Cavaliers career. In 2024, he was a 3-0 with a 5.76 ERA in 25 innings of work.
Southern Miss
Ben Higdon (OF) – Kentucky
As Christian Ostrander and staff continue to search for bats to replace Slade Wilk’s production, Higdon is a promising addition. Though he didn’t see playing time in Lexington and entered the transfer portal before the season ended for the Wildcats, Higdon brings power potential to Hattiesburg. He was the Great Rivers Athletic Conference player of the year in 2023 at John A. Logan Community College in Illinois after the 2023 season, hitting .459 with 21 home runs and 95 RBI.
Joey Urban (OF) – Butler
Urban joins the Golden Eagles after two decorated years at Butler. The 2023 Big East Freshman of the Year and 2024 First Team All-Big East selection had a .332 batting average this season, along with six home runs, 15 doubles, and 41 RBI. Urban chose the Golden Eagles over offers from Florida State, South Florida, and East Carolina.
