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Elko’s first hit? A three-run bomb to cap off a perfect Mother’s Day

Ben Garrettby: Ben Garrett05/12/25SpiritBen
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All-time Ole Miss baseball great Tim Elko (Photo credit: Chicago White Sox/X)

All-time Ole Miss baseball great Tim Elko added to his legend on Mother’s Day.

Elko picked up his first MLB hit for the Chicago White Sox — a go-ahead, three-run home run in a 4-2 win. He gifted the ball to his mom, Cheryl, whose name he had inscribed on a special pink bat for the occasion.

“It was a great feeling,” Elko told local reporters afterwards. “I want to come here and help us win games and do whatever I can to do that and I was able to contribute today and check a few other boxes, too, which felt great.”

Elko’s blast scored Matt Thaiss and Joshua Palacios. He pointed to his family sitting up a few rows in the stands as he rounded the bases.

“For them to be here, just be in this moment with me, it’s an amazing feeling,” Elko told MLB.com. “It meant everything. I was hoping to notch that first hit yesterday, but I was able to get it today.”

Elko nearly made a storybook of his entire debut weekend.

However, Elko, on Saturday, finished a tough-luck 0 for 3. He was robbed of a would-be go-ahead single on a sliding, back-handed stop by Miami Marlins second baseman Javier Sanoja The White Sox instead matched the worst 40-game start in franchise history with a 3-1 loss.

His second big-league game had a much happier ending.

The homer was Elko’s only hit in three at-bats. He came to the plate in the sixth inning of a 1-1 game and with runners on first and third with one out.

Elko — the Ole Miss single-season record-holder for home runs — broke the tie, and essentially won the game, by destroying (381 feet) a 1-0 curveball delivered by 2022 National League Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara. The last White Sox to have a homer serve as his first career hit was Braden Shewmake in March of 2024.

“That was a good one,” Chicago manager Will Venable said. “I’m happy he was able to come through there. That was awesome. Great moment for him. Obviously a huge hit, big moment in the game.”

Elko, 26, was promoted from Triple-A Charlotte on Friday evening, according to reporting from Vinnie Duber of the Chicago Sun Times. 

The three-time Ole Miss captain was slashing .348/.431/.670 in 31 games this season. He had 10 home runs. 

Elko has been one of the best power hitters in the minor leagues for the last three years. Meanwhile, White Sox first baseman Andrew Vaughn, the No. 3 overall selection in the 2019 MLB Draft, had struggled. 

Vaughn prior to Elko’s call-up was slashing .188/.223/.293 with three homers in 36 games. Elko had a .293 batting average, .348 on-base percentage and 61 homers in 325 games in the minors.

“It’ll probably be up there,” Elko said of the special day and moment. “It’s not worth any money, which helps the wallet, but it’s a cool moment, for sure.”

Elko and three other former Rebels have gotten the call in the last three weeks alone. The others are pitchers Doug Nikhazy, Gunnar Hoglund and Ryan Rolison. Rolison is the latest, promoted by the Colorado Rockies on Sunday.

Nikhazy at the end of April debuted and was sent back down by the Cleveland Guardians after a start as the 27th man for a doubleheader. Hoglund won his debut for the soon-to-be Las Vegas A’s a week ago, surrendering just one run over six innings in a 6-1 win over the Marlins.

The White Sox drafted Elko in the 10th round of the 2023 MLB Draft. He was a spring-training invitee with former Ole Miss teammate Jacob Gonzalez, who’s currently in Double-A Birmingham. 

Elko was the primary first baseman for Ole Miss’ title-winning team. The three-time team captain topped the Rebels in slugging percentage (.642), RBI (75), home runs (24) and total bases (154). Elko has a statue in his honor at Swayze Field, the home of the Rebels.

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