Ole Miss' Jacob Gonzalez and Hunter Elliott named preseason All-Americans by Collegiate Baseball

The 2023 college baseball season is less than two months away and Ole Miss is set to begin defense of its first national championship in program history. But before a new campaign gets underway a pair of key Rebels earned some preseason accolades.

Collegiate Baseball named Ole Miss shortstop Jacob Gonzalez and pitcher Hunter Elliott to its 2023 Preaseason All-American Team. Gonzalez landed on the First Team while Elliott earned a Second Team honor.

Gonzalez and Elliott were instrumental in leading Ole Miss to the 2022 national championship and a 10-1 record through the NCAA Baseball Tournament this past June.

Starting in the bullpen and working his way to the Saturday starter behind ace Dylan DeLucia in the weekend rotation, Elliott had a 5-3 record and a 2.70 earned run average. The left-hander played in 20 games, starting 12 of them and working 80 innings across the 2022 season.

With DeLucia now working his way through the MLB system, getting drafted by the Cleveland Guardians this past July, the title of Ole Miss ace is now Elliott’s. Look for the Tupelo, Miss. native to be taking the mound on Fridays this spring.

Related: How Ole Miss baseball, the defending champs, would likely line up if the season started today

Gonzalez earned what is sure to be the first of many preseason and postseason accolades in his expected final season at Ole Miss.

Expected to find himself high in the MLB Draft the Ole Miss shortstop is aiming to capitalize off a strong postseason. In 2022 Gonzalez finished with a .272 batting average, 66 hits, 67 runs, 18 home runs and 58 runs batted in.

The rising junior is now eligible for next summer’s MLB Draft and last week MLB.com released a mock draft putting Gonzalez as a Top 10 pick, being taken by the Cincinnati Reds at No. 7.

Gonzalez’s fall was cut short after suffering a knee injury but is expected to be full go for the season opener on Feb. 17.

The pair of Rebels were among the 20 Southeastern Conference players named among the First, Second and Third Teams. Tennessee finished with the most players among SEC teams with five and LSU followed with four players.

Ole Miss hosts Delaware to open the 2023 season in a three-game series Feb. 17-19.

Here is the full list of Collegiate Baseball Preseason All-Americans:

FIRST TEAM
RHP Rhett Lowder, Wake Forest
RHP Chase Dollander, Tennessee
RHP Chase Burns, Tennessee
LHP  Quinn Mathews, Stanford
RHP Tanner Hall, Southern Mississippi
RHP Hurston Waldrep, Florida
Relief Andrew Walters    Miami (Fla.)
C Michael Carico, Davidson
1B Carter Graham, Stanford
2B Charles McAdoo, San Jose St.
3B Jake Gelof, Virginia
SS Jacob Gonzalez, Ole Miss
OF Wyatt Langford, Florida
OF Vance Honeycutt, North Carolina
OF Dylan Crews, Louisiana St.
DH Tommy White, Louisiana St.
UT Paul Skenes, Louisiana St.

SECOND TEAM
RHP Jason Savacool, Maryland
RHP Alonzo Tredwell, UCLA
RHP Drew Beam     Tennessee
RHP Brandon Sproat, Florida
RHP Matthew Marchal, Wofford
RHP Ryan Gallagher, U.C. Santa Barbara
LHP  Mike Gutierrez , U.C. Santa Barbara
LHP  Hunter Elliott, Ole Miss
RHP Daniel Avitia, Grand Canyon
LHP  Ryan Feczko, Davidson
RHP Owen Wild, Gonzaga
Relief Carter Spivey, East Carolina
Relief Peter Allegro, Portland
Relief Triston Dixon, Texas St.
Relief Camden Sewell, Tennessee
Relief Matthew Steidl, Southern Illinois
Relief William Privette, Coll. of Charleston
C Jack Payton, Louisville
C Luke Shliger, Maryland
C Addison Kopack, Rhode Island
1B Tre’ Morgan, Louisiana St.
1B Jack Moss, Texas A&M
2B David Smith, Connecticut
2B Max Grant, Canisius
3B Yohandy Morales, Miami (Fla.)
3B Brock Wilken, Wake Forest
SS Jacob Wilson, Grand Canyon
SS Matt Shaw, Maryland
OF Jack Hurley, Virginia Tech.
OF Chase Davis, Arizona
OF Enrique Bradfield, Vanderbilt
OF Ryan Lasko, Rutgers
DH Keaton Anthony, Iowa
UT Nolan McLean, Oklahoma St.                               

THIRD TEAM
LHP Jonathan Fincher , Louisiana Tech.
RHP Drue Hackenberg , Virginia Tech.
RHP Juaron Watts-Brown, Oklahoma St.
LHP  Carter Holton, Vanderbilt
RHP Matt Jachec, Indiana St.
RHP Levi Wells, Texas St.
Relief Sam Klein, Ball St.
Relief Thomas Schultz, Vanderbilt
C Matthew Ellis, Indiana
C BT Riopelle, Florida
1B Chris Sargent, Southern Miss.
1B Sam Kulasingam, Air Force
1B Joe Kinker, Florida Gulf Coast
1B Drake Pierson, Campbell
1B Jackson Feltner, Morehead St.
2B Brock Rodden, Wichita St.
2B Mason Hull, Missouri St.
3B Drew Bowser, Stanford
3B Alejandro Figueredo, Florida Gulf Coast
3B Ryan Peltier, Ball St.
3B Diego Baqueiro, Loyola Marymount
SS Maui Ahuna, Tennessee
SS Luke Keaschall, Arizona St.
SS Cody Schrier, UCLA
SS Kaeber Rog, Southern Illinois
OF Cole McConnell, Louisiana Tech.
OF Max Ryerson, Georgia St.
OF Matt Kirk, Eastern Michigan
OF Nolan Schanuel, Florida Atlantic
OF Brendan O’Donnell, Rider
UT Jay Luikart, Wright St.