Kentucky catcher Austin Fawley joins Ole Miss portal class, provides depth

Kentucky catcher Austin Fawley took his official visit to Ole Miss Tuesday. The now former Wildcat didn’t take long to make his decision, committing to the Rebels later in the afternoon, per Rivals’ Chase Parham. Mike Bianco has now added six commits via the transfer portal.

Prior to redshirting in 2023, Fawley played for the Boynton Beach Buccaneers of the South Florida Collegiate Baseball League. There he was named Rookie of the Year. He hit .288 with a .933 OPS. The portal prospect smacked three doubles, one triple, three home runs and finished with 17 RBIs.

Before arriving in Lexington, he lead Park Vista (Fla.) to a district title in 2021. Perfect Game ranked him as a top 500 player nationally and 101st-ranked player in Florida. Furthermore, he was also a 2022 PG Preseason All-America.

Kentucky catcher Austin Fawley (52) motioned to the Kentucky dugout after he knocked in two runs against Louisville to take a 7-5 advantage at Patterson Stadium in Louisville, Ky. on Apr. 16, 2024.

Ole Miss now has two catcher portal commits.

Fawley joins BYU’s Collin Reuter. The Honorable Mention All-Big 12 selection hit .265 with 10 home runs, 28 walks, eight doubles and posted an .860 OPS. In conference, though, Reuter hit .311 BA with eight home runs and an impressive 1.054 OPS.

Ole Miss catcher Eli Berch entered the transfer portal earlier this month. Aside from Reuter, the only catcher on Bianco’s roster is Campbell Smithwick. But, there is speculation Smithwick could find a home in the outfield in order to utilize his versatility and make way for an experienced backstop.

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