Huge pickup for the Rebels as Arizona State transfer shortstop Luke Hill commits to Ole Miss

OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss got its man Monday as Arizona State transfer shortstop Luke Hill announced he is committing to head coach Mike Bianco and the Rebels. 

After visiting Oxford this weekend, the Baton Rouge, La., native made his plans known soon after. 

First, I would like to thank my family and friends who have helped me get here. Thank you to ASU for giving me the chance to start my college career. With that being stated, I will be continuing my baseball and academic career at Ole Miss. Hotty Toddy… let’s get to work!! ❤️💙 pic.twitter.com/46AAV3T4fR

— luke hill (@Luke_Hill22) July 17, 2023

During his one season with the Sun Devils, Hill hit .317 and slugged .456 with an on-base percentage of .389 across 54 games. He hit six home runs and tallied 42 RBI en route to being named All Pac-12 Honorable Mention. 

Wow… #22 Arizona State has hung 9 runs in the 8th inning to take an 11-9 lead over Grand Canyon! Luke Hill is as hitterish as they come in the 2025 class, and he has 5 RBIs in this inning alone thanks to a 3-run HR and this go-ahead 2-RBI single! pic.twitter.com/eTbHf2Cdtz

— Peter Flaherty III (@PeterGFlaherty) April 12, 2023

Hill walked 23 times and tallied an .852 OPS. He also fielded at a .938 percentage. 

A look at the bat and glove of former Arizona State shortstop and Baton Rouge native Luke Hill who hit the portal today👀

Future #LSU Tiger? pic.twitter.com/CQuFPhNBl4

— Mik’d Up (@Mikdup_8) July 13, 2023

Before heading to ASU, Hill was a star player for Episcopal High School, ranked the No. 2 shortstop and the No. 4 prospect in Louisiana in the 2022 class. 

The commitment of Hill is huge for the Rebels following the recent MLB Draft that saw former shortstop Jacob Gonzalez go in the first round to the White Sox. 

Ole Miss had hoped to get 2023 signee and shortstop Cooper Pratt to campus; however, Milwaukee drafted him in the 6th round and offered Pratt a signing bonus he couldn’t turn down. He’s expected to sign with the Brewers.  

The Rebels had received a commitment from Tampa infielder JD Urso, but at the last moment he changed his mind and has re-entered the portal. 

From all accounts, Hill could be a plug-and-play option for the Rebels, one Ole Miss hopes can take over at short for Gonzalez upon arrival in Oxford. 

He will have a long list of talented shortstop shoes to fill, as the last three Ole Miss players at the position — Jacob Gonzalez, Anthony Servideo and Grae Kessinger — were selected in the top three rounds of their respective MLB Drafts. 

Thus far through the portal, the Rebels have added pitchers Liam Doyle (Coastal Carolina), Kyler Carmack (Arkansas State) and Connor Spencer (Southeastern), along with transfer infielder Andrew Fischer (Duke) and outfielder Treyson Hughes (Mercer).

Welcome to Oxford, Luke!  

Evelyn Van Pelt

Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn’s love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception.