Skip to main content
Ole Miss

Elliott, Utermark and Furniss among key pieces Ole Miss hopes to retain

Ben Garrettby:Ben Garrett•06/22/25•

SpiritBen

Gk6Ebs2WQAANmSj
Ole Miss LHP Hunter Elliott (Photo credit: Ole Miss Baseball/X)

Ole Miss baseball has already secured five transfers and continues to shop in the portal. 

The Rebels want at least 2-4 more pitchers and a middle infielder. They’ve landed five transfers so far: Grant Richardson (LHP, Grand Canyon), Tristan Bissetta (OF, Clemson), Daniel Pacella (OF, Illinois State), Wil Libbert (LHP, Missouri) and Marko Sipila (RHP, San Diego State).

Ole Miss is tasked with replacing its entire starting outfield, two-thirds of its weekend rotation and more. However, the Rebels could still return a strong core from their 43-win 2025 squad. Ole Miss also hosted an NCAA Regional for the first time in four years. 

“The guys we would love to get back and that we’re working hard to try to get back are [Will] Furniss, [Judd] Utermark, [Austin] Fawley,” Ole Miss hitting coach Mike Clement said this week. “Those guys are important to try to get back. Obviously all had great years.

“It think it’s less likely we get [Luke Hill] back. I think he’s going to be a really good draft. He’s out at the [MLB] combine or just finished up at the combine. Certainly we’ll put our best foot forward there, too. But I think he’s got a chance to get drafted inside the top three or four rounds, which is awesome for him. Had a fabulous year and all of that.”

RELATED: Why Ole Miss is sending fewer players to summer ball than ever before
Mangrum was key in Ole Miss landing high-upside Missouri LHP Wil Libbert

Utermark last season led Ole Miss in home runs (22). 

Sources indicate he’s likely to return and could stick at second base again or shift to an infield corner. 

Furniss and Fawley are a pair of 20-home-run threats. Furniss is strictly a first baseman/designated hitter. Fawley in his first Ole Miss season after a transfer from Kentucky clubbed the most home runs by a Rebel catcher in the Mike Bianco era. 

“On the pitching side it’s a little bit different, just because we were so old,” Clement continued. “Obviously the big one is Hunter Elliott. Tweet at him, take him out to dinner. He would certainly be the best portal piece, not portal piece, but he would be the best piece to get back that you could possibly. He makes up for probably three or four portal guys that we would get. He’d be the biggest piece.”

Elliott as a senior made his return from a two-year Tommy John absence and was awarded a 2025 Gold Glove, the first pitcher in program history. He was 10-3 with a 2.94 ERA in 16 starts. He struck out 102.

“But, again, he’s going to have an opportunity to sign as well,” Clement said. “He knows where we stand as far as wanting him back. I think a lot of it for him will come down to, ‘Are you ready to go and start your professional career or do you want to give it one more go?’

“What we’d really like is for him to come back and win a national championship and then put another statue next to [Tim] Elko. He would deserve it, for sure.”

You may also like