OXFORD | Campbell Smithwick admits his baseball life was easy prior to college.

He was one of the top 60 overall prospects and No. 4 catcher nationally when he finished his prep career at Oxford High School. He announced he would attend Ole Miss and not entertain any MLB Draft offers past the first day.

The Rebels responded by not signing any other catcher in the high school or portal classes going into 2024, a decision coach Mike Bianco now says was a mistake and unfair to Smithwick.

Ole Miss struggled to a 27-29 record, and Smithwick alternated between outfield and catcher – scuffling with his defense behind the plate.

“Everyone struggles,” Smithwick said of what he learned last season. “I came in and expected to play well and didn’t. Now I know what it’s like to fail, and I’ve had a lot of great coaches and great teammates around me to help me.

“Now when we have a freshman struggle, I can put my arm around someone like people did for me last year.”

Smithwick had 11 passed balls and allowed 13 out of 15 runners to steal successfully in 16 starts at catcher. He will start on opening day against Arizona at 3 p.m. on Friday. Thanks to a successful summer and a change mechanically, the sophomore believes the issues are behind him.

One significant reason for Smithwick’s optimism is a shift to a one-knee-down stance compared to the traditional catching squat. Tony Pena, the five-time MLB All-Star implemented variations of it in the 1980s and 1990s, but it’s become a popular instructional option in recent years.

The pros of the set-up include an easier transition to the blocking position compared to a full drop from the typical crouch. Since it’s a lower orientation, catchers can often steal strikes in the lower quadrants. Also, for athletic catchers, it doesn’t seem to have a negative impact on throwing down to bases.

The biggest negative is typically a lack of lateral movement, and throwing can be a problem for some catchers.

While Ole Miss has always taught the traditional method, the Rebel coaches strategized the change with Smithwick, and he picked up valuable instruction and innings with the Cape League’s Chatham Anglers over the summer.

Leading him in the Cape was Collin Wilber, who worked in the Pirates organization and had three of his students make their Major League debuts in 2023 -- Endy Rodriguez, Henry Davis Logan Porter.

“It sounded like he was often caught in between receiving and blocking and when that happens, both skills tend to suffer,” Wilber said. “One of the biggest benefits on using a knee-down stance is it allows you to stay committed to the catch longer and simply react to any other skill required.

“There were certainly some growing pains along the way, but he just showed up every day and got better. He’d show up early, we’d go through video from the night before and get some work in. It was a lot of fun to see his progress.”

Ole Miss added transfers Austin Fawley (Kentucky) and Collin Reuter (BYU) to the catcher position in the offseason, and they all primarily employ the knee-down approach.

Smithwick hit .253 as a freshman with a .430 on-base percentage and 20 walks in 100 plate appearances. He’s expected to be a reliable bat in the lineup, and the Rebels get a bonus if that comes from the catcher spot.

“The repetitions have been so important to getting better,” Smithwick said. “You’ll see all three of us catch differently. It’s cool to pick each other’s’ brains and see there’s not a cookie-cutter way anymore.”