At the beginning of the 2026 season for Ole Miss Baseball, outfielder Hayden Federico looked like he was in a sophomore slump. Now, in April, he is one of the hottest hitters in the SEC. He is No. 4 in the SEC in batting average in conference play with a .386.
After Ole Miss was swept by Mississippi State on March 28, Federico had a .213 batting average on the season. Less than a month later, after the Rebels’ series win at Tennessee, he is up to .298.
The jump of 0.085 in such a short period of time is rare and quite the accomplishment. Hitters batting .300 are highly-touted.
In the 12 games since the game-three loss to Mississippi State, Federico has had six games with multiple hits and 17 hits overall. With 22 walks to 18 strikeouts all season, Federico never lost his eye for the strike zone, and his production is back up.
In the Rebels’ 7-4 win at Tennessee on Friday, April 17, Federico went 3-of-4 with three RBIs and a homer. On Saturday, he got two more hits, including a double, and drove in a run.
Federico spoke about his hot streak with ESPN after the Rebels’ Friday night win.
“I feel really comfortable and we’re winning games, so as long as I can contribute somehow, that’s really all that matters to me,” Federico said. “I’ve been seeing it well, been on time for the heater, and I’ve adjusted to spin well.”
Usually, when a player is not hitting well, he may adjust his batting stance or practice with a new batting drill; however, nothing technical has changed for Federico.
“Baseball’s just one of those games you just have to keep showing up everyday. I haven’t been doing anything different from the beginning of the season,” Federico said. “Sometimes, some things just go your way, and that’s part of it. That’s what’s so fun about this game: It awards the people that keep showing up. I’m just proud of this team.”
Federico is a switch hitter, so he bats from both sides of the plate. That ability grants the Ole Miss lineup flexibility and gives Federico an advantage over pitchers; based on which arm they pitch with, he can adjust which side of the plate he hits on. This means that breaking balls will move toward him, not away, making hitting easier.
“I started doing it (switch hitting) when I was probably 13 years old. My dad’s a college coach (he is currently the Director of Player Development at Louisiana Tech),” Federico said. “My favorite player was Francisco Lindor, so he (my dad) was like, ‘Go try to be a switch hitter,’ so I did it. I tried to quit multiple times, (but) my mom wouldn’t let me. Some coaches wouldn’t let me. It’s paid off. These pitchers are so good nowadays. It’s a huge benefit. I’m super grateful I stuck with it.”
As a freshman last season, Federico played in 55 games, starting in 46. His batting average was a .243; he drove in 23 runs, scored 33 and got 44 hits. He was named to the 2025 Freshman All-SEC Baseball Team.
