Ole Miss baseball predicted to win 2022 SEC Championship by league coaches

According to the 14 SEC coaches, the Ole Miss baseball team might be hoisting up some hardware come May.

The SEC office revealed its Preseason Coaches Poll on Thursday and the Rebels are predicted to win the 2022 SEC championship. Of the six teams to receive first place votes the Rebels garnered the most with four followed by Arkansas with three, Florida, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt with two and LSU with one.

When it came to the West Division prediction, the Rebels were tied with Mississippi State to finish second behind Arkansas

The SEC East crown is predicted to be won by Vanderbilt with Florida and Georgia right behind.

The Rebels also led the way when it came to the Preseason All-SEC team, landing five players on the list.

Shortstop Jacob Gonzalez earned a First Team honor while catcher Hayden Dunhurst, first baseman Tim Elko, second baseman Peyton Chatagnier and left fielder Kevin Graham earned Second Team honors.

Gonzalez, who has received preseason All-American laurels from several outlets, started all 67 games at shortstop as a true freshman last season. The second Rebel ever to earn All-American plaudits as a freshman, joining Stephen Head, set single-season freshman school records in games played (67), runs scored (73), RBI (55), total bases (147), and walks (38).

Dunhurst enters his junior season established as one of the nation’s premier backstops, becoming Ole Miss’ first-ever Gold Glove Award recipient in 2021. The Carriere, Mississippi, native batted .280 last season, posting 43 RBIs and 40 runs as well as 20 extra base hits on the way to Second Team All-SEC honors.

Starting off the season as hot at the plate as anyone in the nation, Elko captured the eye of the college baseball world last season with his perseverance battling back from an ACL injury. The Rebel captain returned to the lineup a month after the injury, clobbering seven home runs, including two grand slams during the NCAA Oxford Regional, to spark Ole Miss to Super Regionals.

Chatagnier returns for his third season penciled in at second base in the starting lineup. The native Texan batted .271 in 2021, posting 43 RBIs and 41 runs with 13 doubles and six homers. Part of a dynamic tandem up the middle with Gonzalez, Chatagnier garnered a .976 fielding percentage with 19 double plays.

2022 SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
Eastern Division
1. Vanderbilt (9) – 87
2. Florida (3) – 68
3. Georgia (2) – 68
4. Tennessee – 63
5. South Carolina – 43
6. Kentucky – 34
7. Missouri – 20

Western Division
1. Arkansas (5) – 80
T2. Ole Miss (4) – 77
T2. Mississippi State (4) – 77
4. LSU (1) – 62
5. Alabama – 38
6. Texas A&M – 36
7. Auburn – 22

() – First Place Votes

SEC Champion: Ole Miss (4), Arkansas (3), Florida (2), Mississippi State (2), Vanderbilt (2), LSU (1)

2022 SEC Baseball Coaches Preseason All-SEC Team
First Team
C: Logan Tanner, Mississippi State
1B: Tre’ Morgan, LSU
2B: Robert Moore, Arkansas
3B: Jacob Berry, LSU
SS: Jacob Gonzalez, Ole Miss
OF: Dylan Crews, LSU
OF: Enrique Bradfield Jr., Vanderbilt
OF: Jud Fabian, Florida
DH/UTL: Dominic Keegan, Vanderbilt
SP: Landon Sims, Mississippi State

Second Team
C: Hayden Dunhurst, Ole Miss
1B: Tim Elko, Ole Miss
2B: Peyton Chatagnier, Ole Miss
3B: Cayden Wallace, Arkansas
SS: Ryan Ritter, Kentucky
OF: Jordan Beck, Tennessee
OF: Drew Gilbert, Tennessee
OF: Brady Slavens, Arkansas*
OF: Kevin Graham, Ole Miss*
DH/UTL: Luke Hancock, Mississippi State
SP: Jonathan Cannon, Georgia
SP: Will Sanders, South Carolina
RP: Jaden Woods, Georgia