ARLINGTON | Hunter Elliott spent the final moments of his media day appearance on Monday stating his case as the team’s best ping pong player. He matter of fact said it was him and no one was close from a win-loss standpoint.
During his two-year recovery from the elbow injury he suffered opening day 2023, Elliott played cards, games, whatever he could to keep the fire from reaching overflow.
Finally, on Friday at Globe Life Field, baseball in an actual game setting satisfied his craving for competition.
Elliott tossed five scoreless innings, flashing improved stuff compared to his Freshman All-America season. The Rebels won, 2-1, over No. 21 Arizona, for the short-term story, but the long term is that Elliott looks not only back but better, bigger and still the same dogged hurler that helped Ole Miss to the 2022 national title.
“The adrenaline was flowing and couldn’t feel the body at times,” Elliott said. “I thought my stuff was really good early, and I settled in. I got tired late because I hadn’t had adrenaline like that. I redlined a little bit.”
He maxed his fastball at 94 and kept it in the 90s until the fourth inning. The wiffle-ball changeup was around 80 MPH, and he effectively got through the order a final time with his new two breaking balls and experience. He retired Preseason All-American Brendan Summerhill with his last pitch.
Elliott seems poised to give the Rebels an ace and a leader – two things that have been a struggle at times the past two seasons.
“This is what you hope for,” Mike Bianco said of Elliott. “It hasn’t been an easy road for him, but man I’m glad he’s back.”
The Tupelo native struck out three and worked around three walks, a hit by pitch and two hits. He used nine fly outs and three strikeouts out of 75 total pitches. Arizona didn’t have an extra base hit off him, and he flashed the 94 MPH fastball to finish the second inning with a strikeout.
Elliott went to at least three balls on seven different hitters through the first three innings but then not once over his final two frames as he pitched to contact more and had a five-pitch fourth inning.
“It was great to add those extra innings at the end and make it through five,” Elliott said.
An Ole Miss pitching coach called pitches for the first time in Bianco’s 25 years, as Joel Mangrum made his Rebel debut. It was his decision to remove Elliott following the fifth inning.
Elliott was on a pitch count of around 75 pitches. He hit that number exactly.
Mason Morris allowed a solo home run in 2.2 innings, getting a double play from Owen Paino and Brayden Randle to get out of his first inning.
Connor Spencer picked up the four-out save with a an out in the eighth and an eventful ninth that included the bases loaded when the game ended. He went 1-2 on two consecutive batters that both ended in walks to start the inning. After a bunt and an intentional walk, a weak fly out ended the game.
Elliott got the win. Ole Miss manufactured a run in the fifth on a Luke Hill sacrifice fly, and Isaac Humphrey followed it with a solo home run.
“It’s awesome, and he’s who you always want to play behind,” Humphrey said of Elliott. “We love him, and that meant a lot.”
