As Clemson baseball races out to a 7-0 start to open the 2026 season, another former Tiger is putting together a run of his own.
That player is none other than outfielder Tristan Bissetta, who transferred to Ole Miss for his final year in hopes of reshaping his career after multiple injuries in his final season with the Tigers.
In three seasons at Clemson, Bissetta appeared in 87 games, totaling 61 hits, 51 RBIs, 42 runs and 10 home runs while posting a .226 career average. His most productive — and healthy — season came in the 2023-24 season, when he hit .298 with a .401 on-base percentage and a .912 on-base percentage while slugging across 44 games with 36 starts.
While it’s still early in the season, the move already appears to be paying off for the 22-year-old, who’s been on fire for the Rebels since stepping onto the diamond in Oxford, Mississippi, for opening weekend against Nevada.
In his SEC debut, Bissetta helped his team sweep the Wolf Pack, smashing one home run, a three-run double and three singles to go with five total runs, two walks and seven RBIs across 10 at-bats over the series. He finished the weekend with a .500 batting average and an outstanding 1.483 OPS.
The rampage didn’t stop there.
Over the next two games against Arkansas State and Jackson State, he racked up four hits — including a double and two home runs — along with three runs, one walk, one stolen base and five RBIs in just seven at-bats.
His most dominant showing came in the latter contest against Jackson State, when he launched both home runs in only two trips to the plate, further accentuating his scorching start to the season.
This past weekend, during the Rebels’ second series of the season against Missouri State, Bissetta stayed the course and continued his spree of consistency at the plate.
Aside from a hitless Game 3, he tallied four hits, scored a run, drove in two RBIs, added a stolen base and drew a walk, continuing to showcase his versatility on the bases and discipline as a hitter.
Bissetta has been one of the most impactful pieces of this undefeated Rebels team to start the year and currently leads the team with 13 hits and 14 RBIs, which is suitable for No. 24 in the country.
If he’s going to keep up this pace and stay healthy for a full 56-game season, he’d blow his career year out of the water, on track to finish 2026 with roughly a .440 batting average alongside 91 hits, 98 RBIs, 63 runs and a whopping 21 home runs.
We’re only eight games into the season, and a lot of things can change, but considering he recovered from Tommy John surgery over the summer and had wrist surgery before the 2025 season, what he’s done and to the extent he’s done it so far is extremely impressive.
Bissetta and the No. 25 Ole Miss Rebels return to action, heading to Houston, Texas, for the Bruce Bolt College Classic this weekend.
