College World Series Notes: Ole Miss puts perfect postseason record on the line in Omaha opener against Auburn

LEADING OFF
• Ole Miss is participating in its sixth NCAA College World Series and the second of the Mike Bianco era, last reaching Omaha in 2014.
• The Rebels are joined by Texas A&M as the only teams in the field to go undefeated during postseason play. Ole Miss has outscored its opponents 46-11 during the NCAA Tournament.
• The Ole Miss bullpen has not allowed an earned run since May 21, surrendering just one unearned run during the NCAA Tournament.
• During the NCAA Tournament, Ole Miss leads the nation in Hits allowed per 9 innings (5.60), shutouts (2), strikeout-to-walk ratio (5.58), strikeouts per 9 innings (13.4) and WHIP (0.89) and ranks second in ERA (2.00).
• Ole Miss reached the College World Series with a two-game sweep on in-state foe No. 10 Southern Miss, recording the first two shutouts of the season for the Rebels.
• Rebel pitching posted 21 strikeouts in Hattiesburg to just three walks.
• The Rebels are one of four programs all-time to make three-straight Super Regional performances, joining Arkansas, East Carolina and Stanford.
• Ole Miss advanced to the Super Regional round by winning all three of its games at the NCAA Coral Gables Regional, the first-ever road regional win for the Rebels.
• The Rebels captured the regional championship with a 22-6 victory over Arizona, the most runs scored in a single NCAA Tournament game in program-history.
• Ole Miss is ranked 8th in the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Top-30.

THEY LET THE REBS GET HOT
Since the start of the postseason, Ole Miss has been on a tear. The Rebels join Texas A&M as the only teams undefeated in the NCAA Tournament, outscoring opponents 46-11. The Rebels racked up 22 runs against Arizona to claim the Coral Gables Regional, the most runs scored in a postseason game in program-history. The Rebs then swept No. 10 Southern Miss in Hattiesburg in the Super Regional round, securing Ole Miss’ first two shutouts of the season.

ONE TWO PUNCH
Starters Dylan DeLucia and Hunter Elliott were nothing short of sensational during the Hattiesburg Super Regional. DeLucia pitched 5.2 shutout innings, striking out nine batters and allowing just four hits and two walks. The next day, freshman Elliott rose even higher, tossing 7.1 scoreless frames with a career-high 10 strikeouts, while surrendering three hits and no free passes.

SOPHOMORE SURGE
Josh Mallitz has allowed 0 earned runs in 12-of-15 relief appearances this season, pitching at least one complete inning in 10 of those 12 instances. The Florida native has held Ole Miss’ opponents scoreless in each of his last six outings, totaling 14.1 innings.

CAPTAIN CLUTCH
Over the last two seasons, Rebel captain Tim Elko has stepped up on the biggest stage, claiming back-to-back NCAA Regional MVP honors to lead Ole Miss to Regional Championships.

Elko’s Regional Statistics:
2022: .778 avg., 7 runs, 3 2Bs, 3 HRs, 7 RBIs, 2.111 Slg%, 5 BB, .857 OBP.
2021: .308 avg., 6 runs, 3 HRs, 10 RBIs, 1.000 Slg%, 4 BB, .500 OBP.
Total: .500 avg., 13 runs, 3 2Bs, 6 HRs, 17 RBIs, 1.455 Slg%, 9 BB,  .656 OBP.

BIG PLAY PEY
Peyton Chatagnier was in top form during the Coral Gables Regional, pacing the Rebels with 10 runs driven in, while posting a .538 average, five extra base hits and three runs scored. The Texas native’s biggest swings came in game one against Arizona, tying the game with a towering two-run blast and notching the winning hit with a bases clearing double.

THE PEN IS MIGHTIER
The Rebel bullpen has been in top form all tournament long, posting a 0.00 ERA with just one unearned run allowed over 17.1 innings. The Rebel bullpen has not allowed an earned run since May 21.

TEAM USA REBS
Ole Miss’ Jacob Gonzalez and Hunter Elliott have been invited to the 2022 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, which will be managed by Rebel head coach Mike Bianco. It is the second-straight season that Gonzalez has made the Team USA Roster. The team will compete this summer in North Carolina and The Netherlands.

ROOKIE RECOGNITION
Left hander Hunter Elliott was tabbed to the Collegiate Baseball Newspaper Freshman All-American list. Elliott ranks fourth in the SEC with a 2.82 ERA, fourth lowest in the nation among freshmen. The Tupelo, Mississippi, native Also ranks fourth in the SEC in opponent batting average at .202. Elliott has struck out 92 batters on the year, the seventh most in the conference. In league play, the rookie excelled as well, ranking ninth in the SEC in strikeouts (53) and 10th in ERA (3.43).

ALL-SEC REBS
Ole Miss landed three players on the 2022 All-SEC teams, with Jacob Gonzalez, Tim Elko and Hunter Elliott all honored. Gonzalez was named to the first team as a shortstop, ranking in the top-10 in the SEC in walks, runs and home runs. Elko received his first All-SEC nod with Second Team recognition after recording the third most RBIs in the league during the regular season. Elliott rounded out the honorees with a spot on the Freshman All-SEC team, posting a 3.29 ERA with 74 strikeouts, ranking seventh in the league in both.

SUPER BASH BROS.
Ole Miss has not one but two of the greatest home run hitters in the history of the program on its roster in seniors Tim Elko and Kevin Graham. With 22 home runs this season, a single-season record at Ole Miss, Elko has racked up 44 in his career, second most in program history and four shy of Kyle Gordon’s career record. Not far behind is Graham, who with 10 this season sits at 37 in his career, tied for the fifth most in a Rebel career.

REBS DIG THE LONG BALL
Ole Miss ranks 20th in the nation and has set a single-season program record with 99 home runs on the year. The Rebels have five double-digit home run hitters in Tim Elko (22), Jacob Gonzalez (17), Peyton Chatagnier (11), Kemp Alderman (10) and Kevin Graham (10) and have had 13 different players go yard. The Rebels have hit back-to-back home runs five times this season, including launching three in a row twice.

ANSWERING THE CALL
Ole Miss had a historic weekend in Baton Rouge, taking all three games at Alex Box Stadium. It was the first-ever sweep in Baton Rouge for the Rebels. Also winning two-of-three games in 2019, Ole Miss has won back-to-back series at LSU for the first time since 1964-65. The Rebels have won five-straight games at Alex Box Stadium.

ELLO GOV’NA
Ole Miss earned a 5-2 win over Mississippi State at Trustmark Park, regaining control of the Governor’s Cup for the first time since 2015.

FERRISS FINALIST
Senior Tim Elko was one of five finalists for the 2022 Boo Ferriss Trophy, recognizing the best collegiate baseball player in the state of Mississippi, joining Delta State’s Harrison Haley, Belhaven’s Brett Sanchez, Mississippi State’s R.J. Yeager and winner Tanner Hall from Southern Miss.

GREAT IN A PINCH
After filtering in and out of the starting lineup at the beginning of the year, senior Ben Van Cleve has settled into a role as the Rebels’ best option off the bench in a pinch-hitting situation. Van Cleve is batting .300 this season as a pinch hitter, including three doubles.

PACK SWAYZE
Ole Miss ranked fourth in the nation in both total and average attendance this season. In 31 home games this season, 309,949 total fans packed the stands at Swayze Field, good for an average of 9,998 per game.

MISSISSIPPI MADE
Of the 41 players on the Ole Miss roster, 11 hail from the state of Mississippi. The 11 local products are tied for the most for the Rebels since 2017.

TRIPLE THREAT
Jacob Gonzalez lashed his third triple of the season in the Rebels’ Governor’s Cup win over Mississippi State at Trustmark Park, becoming the first Rebel with at least three triples in a season since Tate Blackmon legged out four in 2017.

#MLBREBS
Ole Miss has four former players currently on MLB rosters in Chris Ellis (Baltimore Orioles, injured list), Nick Fortes (Miami Marlins), Lance Lynn (Chicago White Sox) and Drew Pomeranz (San Diego Padres, injured list).

THE BOYS ARE BACK!
Ole Miss returns nearly the entirety of its potent offense from the 2021 season with eight of nine positional starters returning to the Rebel lineup, Ole Miss is poised once again to put up gawdy numbers on the scoreboard.

Percentage Return from 2021
• Games Started – 88.6%
• Runs – 88.5%
• Hits – 91.8%
• Doubles – 91.7%
• Triples – 100%
• Home Runs – 90.6%
• RBIs – 91.3%
• Walks – 85.1%

JUCO PRODUCTS
Ole Miss has nine junior college products on the 2022 roster, five of which are new additions. Four of the five JUCO players come from schools within the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference.

STARS AND STRIPES
Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco has been tapped as the manager for the 2022 USA Collegiate National Team for this upcoming summer, marking the Rebel skipper’s managerial debut for the Red, White and Blue. It will be the second time donning a Team USA uniform for Bianco, who served as the pitching coach for the Collegiate National Team in 2013. Under Bianco’s guidance, the USA posted a 1.87 ERA, a 20-3 record and 222 strikeouts. The remaining 2022 Collegiate National Team staff, as well as more information about the 2022 Collegiate National Team schedule, will be announced at a later date.

STARS IN THE MAKING
Ole Miss has six players ranked in D1Baseball’s Top 2022 MLB Draft College Prospect Rankings. All six Rebels are ranked inside the top-150, tied for the most in the top-150 in the nation. Additionally, a pair of Rebs find themself in the top-100 for the 2023 rankings.

Rebels in the Top 2022 MLB Draft Prospect Rankings
• Hayden Dunhurst – No. 27
• TJ McCants* – No. 49
• Derek Diamond – No. 63
• Jack Washburn – No. 101
• Kevin Graham – No. 124
• Drew McDaniel – No. 133

Rebels in the Top 2023 MLB Draft Prospect Rankings
• Jacob Gonzalez – No. 2
• Jack Dougherty – No. 55

* – Draft eligible sophomore

STUDS AROUND THE DIAMOND
When D1Baseball released its top-50 position power rankings this offseason, Ole Miss was well represented, landing at least one player at every single position. The Rebels’ full rankings can be found below:

Rebels in the Top-50 Position Rankings
• Jacob Gonzalez – No. 2 shortstop
• Hayden Dunhurst – No. 4 catcher
• Tim Elko – No. 5 first baseman
• Peyton Chatagnier – No. 13 second baseman
• Justin Bench – No. 25 third baseman
• Kevin Graham – No. 16 outfielder
• TJ McCants – No. 32 outfielder
• Derek Diamond – No. 40 starting pitcher
• Brandon Johnson – No. 41 relief pitcher
• Jack Dougherty – No. 62 relief pitcher
• Jack Washburn – No. 75 starting pitcher
• John Gaddis – No. 76 starting pitcher
• Drew McDaniel – No. 115 starting pitcher

RESPECT FROM THEIR PEERS
Ole Miss landed a league-high five players on the Preseason All-SEC team, having a player recognized at four of five infield positions.

Ole Miss Preseason All-SEC Selections
• Jacob Gonzalez – Shortstop – First Team
• Hayden Dunhurst – Catcher – Second Team
• Tim Elko – First Base – Second Team
• Peyton Chatagnier – Second Team
• Kevin Graham – Second Team

YOU’RE GONZO GO FAR, KID
Bursting onto the scene last season with one of the greatest true freshmen seasons ever in a Rebel uniform, shortstop Jacob Gonzalez quickly established himself as one of the nation’s elite young talents. In addition to being named D1Baseball’s National Freshman of the Year, the California native joined Stephen Head as the only Rebs ever to be named an All-American as a freshman, earning the honor from both D1Baseball and the NCBWA. Starting all 67 games at short, Gonzalez led all true freshmen in hits and runs scored. Poised for another big season, the sophomore has reeled in a myriad of preseason honors for 2022.

Gonzalez’ Preseason Honor Round Up
• Preseason All-America (Baseball America, Collegiate Baseball, D1Baseball, NCBWA, Perfect Game)
• First Team Preseason All-SEC
• D1Baseball No. 2 ’23 College Draft Prospect
• D1Baseball No. 3 ’23 College Draft SEC Prospect
• D1Baseball No. 2 ranked shortstop

COME TO THE SIP
With a pair of electric arms departing for the Major League Baseball Draft in Gunnar Hoglund and Doug Nikhazy, Ole Miss utilized the transfer portal to bring in some talent on the mound in Division I transfers John Gaddis and Jack Washburn. Both bring quality experience to the Rebel roster, with Gaddis pitching four seasons at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Washburn moving to Oxford after two seasons at Oregon State.

The Gaddis File
• 2021 All-Southland Second Team
• 13 appearances with 10 starts in 2021
• Won five games with a team-low 2.25 ERA
• 72 strikeouts in 64.0 innings of work
• 7.0 or more innings in 6-of-last-7 starts

The Washburn File
• Son of former MLB star Jarrod Washburn
• 21 appearances with five starts in 2021
• 3.12 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 34.2 innings