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Tim Elko on pace to be “full speed” for Ole Miss baseball’s preseason

11by: Jake Thompson12/17/21JakeThompsonOn3
SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI MISSISSIPPI
Tim Elko

After an unusual, and improbable, 2021 season Tim Elko is on schedule to have a more normal 2022 campaign.

The Ole Miss senior captain experienced the lowest of the lows to begin last season when he tore his ACL in April attempting to avoid a play on first base. Elko then inexplicably returned the following month in what could be described as an only in Hollywood kind of story.

After undergoing surgery at the end of June once the Rebels season was over, Elko has been rehabbing and working to get back on the field.

Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco told The Spirit on Thursday that all signs point to Elko being ready to go when the team returns in January to begin preseason training.

“He’s a guy we’re not worried about,” Bianco said. “I know it’s a major injury and he’s really put in the time and the effort in the training room with Josh Porter, our trainer. He’s worked his tail off and he’s hit every mark through the rehab protocols. I see no reason why when we get back in January he won’t be moving full speed.”

Prior to the players going home for Christmas break, Bianco said he watched Elko run sprints on the field and noted that to the untrained eye it would not be apparent he was returning from major surgery.

Before suffering the injury in early April, Elko was coming off a March that was a career best for him and earned a National Player of the Month honor.

Once Elko returned from the injury his power at the plate was somehow not affected despite having a massive brace on his leg and not being able to fully swing.

The one area that was a struggle was running the bases. Any man with only one working leg would have issues with getting down a base path and one Elko dealt with.

Those concerns will not be there for Bianco and Elko this season. What will be a concern is trying to find where Elko best fits in a lineup that is returning most of its offense from 2021.

“He won’t be like that this spring,” Bianco said. “He’s going to be normal and where that piece fits. Some of it’s him and some of it’s the other pieces and trying to put that puzzle together is kind of the fun part, to be honest with you.”

A less than 100 percent Elko managed to hit seven home runs on one good leg less than eight months ago. A fully healthy Elko, if that offensive surge can carry over to the spring, is a big boost for the Rebels.

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