WATCH: Tim Elko increases Ole Miss lead with two-run blast against Arkansas
Tim Elko is already the Ole Miss single-season home run leader, but he added to his total Monday evening against Arkansas in the College World Series. Elko blasted a two-run shot to left field to increase the Rebels lead to 4-1 over the Razorbacks in the top of the second.
The homer was Elko’s 23rd of the season and the 45th of his career. He is now just three more home runs away from tying Kyle Gordon for the all-time program record in long balls.
Elko’s homer would be the last run score in the top of the second for the Rebels, who took the field on defense. So far they have surrendered a pair of runs in the bottom of the inning as Arkansas has decreased the deficit. However, Ole Miss added two more runs in the top of the third and currently leads 6-3 in the fourth.
If Ole Miss hangs on to win Monday, it will be just one more victory away from reaching the College World Series final. The winner from Monday will get an extra day off before taking the field Wednesday, while the loser will have a quick turnaround and play Tuesday evening.
Former MLB pitcher, LSU star Ben McDonald reacts to Tim Elko homer
After Ole Miss infielder Tim Elko blasted a two-run shot out of the ballpark in the second inning to increase the Rebels lead against Arkansas, Ben McDonald was amazed. The former MLB and LSU pitcher took to Twitter to share his excitement with baseball fans.
“Lawd! The Captain (Tim Elko) just destroys one,” McDonald tweeted.
McDonald is a very accomplished athlete who also played basketball during his time at LSU. He helped lead the Tigers to two College World Series appearances and was also a member of the 1988 gold medal-winning Olympic baseball team. He later went on to play for the Baltimore Orioles and Milwaukee Brewers of the MLB and was inducted into the College Baseball Hall of Fame in 2008.
It would certainly be interesting to see what would happen if Ben McDonald got a chance to throw a pitch Tim Elko’s way.