OXFORD ― Andrew Fischer studied the radar gun from the on-deck circle as Texas A&M lefthander Shane Sdao pitched to Ole Miss baseball leadoff hitter Luke Hill.

Sdao's fastball sat around 91 or 92 miles per hour in Hill's at-bat in the first inning of a May 12 contest, Fischer recalled. When Fischer dug into the lefthanded batter's box, it jumped to 94 or 95.

Over the course of the season, his first with the Rebels after transferring from Duke, Fischer has noticed that he tends to see the opposing pitcher's best stuff. Fastballs carry a little extra burst and breaking pitches are crafted with a little extra bite, part of a natural competitive impulse to rise to the challenge. Ole Miss pitchers do the same when they face the best the opposition has to offer, Fischer says.

He loves it. But why?

"It's just what I've always wanted," Fischer said. "I wanna be that guy."

Fischer, a sophomore, introduced himself to the SEC with a .289 batting average, 1.051 OPS and 20 home runs ‒ four shy of a single-season school record set by Tim Elko in 2022. Elko appeared in 17 more games that season than Fischer has played as the 12th-seeded Rebels (27-28) open the SEC Tournament against fifth-seeded Mississippi State (36-19) on Tuesday (8 p.m., SEC Network).

He's achieved that with a mentality best exemplified by a swing that brings every ounce of torque and power that Fischer can muster to the point of attack. His cuts are so vicious that they sometimes elicit a collective gasp from the crowd at Swayze Field, even when they come up empty.

If opposing pitchers are raising their games when Fischer steps to the plate, Fischer will meet them at the top. And he says his success is rooted in a belief that he's better than the man standing 60 feet away from him.

"I get in there, it doesn't matter if it's their Friday guy or their last bullpen guy," Fischer said. "I just tell myself and convince myself that I'm better than them, I work harder than them, I have experience under my belt and I know what I can do, and I go out of that."

An at-bat Fischer took in March 2023 against Wake Forest's Rhett Lowder – later selected seventh overall in the MLB Draft – gave him a crucial block upon which to build that foundation. Lowder carved him up, sending him back into the dugout in five pitches. Some of his Duke teammates asked Fischer what he thought of Lowder's stuff.

"I realized when I was having this conversation that he's human," Fischer said. "He's not some Greek God that is better than everyone else. Sure, he's good. But if you feel like you're good enough and you can match up with those guys, then you can roll with anyone."

Fischer singled and doubled in his next two plate appearances before Lowder departed.

The confidence generated by that moment and others like it have helped Fischer succeed, living the daydreams he conjured playing wiffle ball in the backyard as a child. There, Fischer didn't feel compelled to impersonate any of his favorite big league stars. He stepped to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with the bases loaded as Andrew Fischer.

But the level he's reached comes with competitive realities, and Fischer knows that he can improve.

For one, he wants to hit his pitch more reliably. When he works himself into a hitter's count and gets the fastball he craves, he knows a top SEC pitcher likely won't offer him a second helping if he fails to make the first count.

"You look at the best hitters in the country, they don't miss those pitches," Fischer said. "You know, Dylan Crews gets a pitch to hit last year, he's turning it around."

PLOTTING THE PATH: Why Ole Miss baseball can — and can't — make a run in 2024 SEC Tournament

The Rebels will need Fischer to look like one of the country's best hitters this week, needing a truly deep run at the SEC Tournament in Hoover, Alabama, to resurrect what looks like a second consecutive lost season.

He's delivered big moments for Ole Miss this season. With every win this week, he gets the chance to create another.

"Everyone wants the spotlight on them," he said. "I feel like in those moments, I thrive."

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

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This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Inside the mentality of Ole Miss baseball slugger Andrew Fischer