Postseason Notes: Ole Miss baseball readies for 25th all-time NCAA Regional

LEADING OFF

• Ole Miss baseball is competing in its 25th NCAA Regional, earning an NCAA Tournament bid in each of the last four seasons.
• The No. 3 seed in the Coral Gables Regional, Ole Miss was the last team to receive an at-large bid to this season’s tournament.
• The Rebels have visited Coral Gables in postseason play twice previously, the 1977 for the NCAA South Regional and in 2008 for the NCAA Coral Gables Regional.
• The Rebels finished the season winning seven of their last 10 games, including five victories over top-15 opponents, four within the top-10.
• Ole Miss landed three players on the All-SEC teams, announced last Monday. Jacob Gonzalez was a first team honoree, while Tim Elko earned second team recognition and Hunter Elliott earned an SEC All-Freshman spot.
• Elko was one of five finalists for the 2022 Boo Ferriss Trophy, which was awarded to Southern Miss’ Tanner Hall on Monday.
• During his 12-game hitting streak, Kevin Graham is batting .480, posting multiple knocks in six of the last 10 games, including a 5-for-5 performance against Missouri on May 8.
• Elliott’s 3.29 ERA is the 10th lowest in the country amongst freshman.
• Both Gonzalez and Justin Bench are currently riding a 20-game reached base streak.
• Ole Miss has won 30 or more wins for the 24th-straight season, the only team in the SEC to accomplish the feat.

POSTSEASON REBS

Ole Miss baseball has qualified for the NCAA Division I Baseball Tournament for the 25th time in program history, including the last four tournaments and 18 of 21 full seasons in the Mike Bianco era. The Rebels have claimed 11 regional championships all-time, including a pair in the last three seasons. Ole Miss is looking to win a true road regional for the first time ever. The Rebels have twice visited Miami for a regional, in 1977 for the NCAA South Regional and in 2008 for the NCAA Coral Gables Regional.

VERSUS ARIZONA

Prior to last season’s NCAA Tucson Super Regional, Ole Miss and Arizona had met up twice in their history. The first matchup came in 1956 at the College World Series, a 7-3 Arizona win. The Rebels defeated the Wildcats 5-4 in 17 innings in 2021 in Oxford, the only-ever regular season meeting between the two sides. Last season, Ole Miss and Arizona met up with a berth in the College World Series on the line in Tucson. After Arizona took game one, Ole Miss won game two 12-3 behind some early offense and excellent pitching performances by Doug Nikhazy and Austin Miller.

VERSUS CANISIUS

Ole Miss and Canisius have never met previously.

VERSUS MIAMI

Should they play, Ole Miss and Miami will meet up for the first time since 2008 at the NCAA Coral Gables Regional. It would be the sixth matchup all-time between the two sides, all in the postseason. Ole Miss fell to the Hurricanes 5-2 at the 1977 NCAA South Regional to end its season. Ole Miss and Miami wouldn’t meet again until the 2006 NCAA Oxford Super Regional. Ole Miss won the first game before the Hurricanes took two straight to advance to Omaha. Two years later in 2008, Ole Miss dropped its first game of the Coral Gables Regional to Missouri before responding with back-to-back wins over Bethune-Cookman and Missouri. However, the Rebels fell to Miami in the regional final, finishing their season.

ALL-SEC REBS

Ole Miss baseball landed three players on the 2022 All-SEC teams, with Jacob Gonzalez, Tim Elko and Hunter Elliott all honored. Gonzalez was named to the first team as a shortstop, ranking in the top-10 in the SEC in walks, runs and home runs. Elko received his first All-SEC nod with Second Team recognition after recording the third most RBIs in the league during the regular season. Elliott rounded out the honorees with a spot on the Freshman All-SEC team, posting a 3.29 ERA with 74 strikeouts, ranking seventh in the league in both.

TEAM USA REBS

Ole Miss shortstop Jacob Gonzalez has been invited to the 2022 USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, which will be managed by Rebel head coach Mike Bianco. It is the second-straight season that the sophomore has made the Team USA Roster. The team will compete this summer in North Carolina and The Netherlands.

ANSWERING THE CALL

Ole Miss baseball had a historic weekend in Baton Rouge, taking all three games at Alex Box Stadium. It was the first-ever sweep in Baton Rouge for the Rebels. Also winning two-of-three games in 2019, Ole Miss has won back-to-back series at LSU for the first time since 1964-65. The Rebels have won five-straight games at Alex Box Stadium.

FERRISS FINALIST

Senior Tim Elko was one of five finalists for the 2022 Boo Ferriss Trophy, recognizing the best collegiate baseball player in the state of Mississippi, joining Delta State’s Harrison Haley, Belhaven’s Brett Sanchez, Mississippi State’s R.J. Yeager and winner Tanner Hall from Southern Miss.

GREAT IN A PINCH

After filtering in and out of the starting lineup at the beginning of the year, senior Ben Van Cleve has settled into a role as the Rebels’ best option off the bench in a pinch-hitting situation. Van Cleve is batting .313 this season as a pinch hitter, including recording a base knock in four of his last eight pinch hit opportunities.

ELLO GOV’NA

Ole Miss baseball earned a 5-2 win over Mississippi State at Trustmark Park, regaining control of the Governor’s Cup for the first time since 2015.

#MLBREBS

Ole Miss has four former players currently on MLB rosters in Chris Ellis (Baltimore Orioles, injured list), Nick Fortes (Miami Marlins) Mike Mayers (Los Angeles Angels) and Drew Pomeranz (San Diego Padres, injured list). Additionally, Lance Lynn (Chicago White Sox) is currently on a rehab assignment with the Albuquerque Isotopes.

SUPER BASH BROS.

Ole Miss has not one but two of the greatest home run hitters in the history of the program on its roster in seniors Tim Elko and Kevin Graham. With 19 home runs this season, second most in a single season in program history, Elko has racked up 41 in his career, tied for the second most ever at Ole Miss. Not far behind is Graham, who with 10 this season sits at 37 in his career, tied for the fifth most in a Rebel career.

SAC DADDIES

Peyton Chatagnier ranks 34th in the nation in sacrifice flies, ranking third in the SEC with six. Three of Chatagnier’s sacrifices came in the same game as the junior plated Reagan Burford three times in the Friday night win over VCU. Meanwhile, Burford ranks 99th in the country and eighth in the SEC with five sacrifice flies. Overall, Ole Miss ranks No. 33rd in the nation, second in the SEC with 29.

REBS DIG THE LONG BALL

Ole Miss has been doing much of its damage this season by sending balls over the fence, ranking 25th in the nation with 91 home runs on the year. The Rebels have three double-digit home run hitters in Tim Elko (19), Jacob Gonzalez (14) and Kevin Graham (10) and have had 13 different players go yard. The Rebels have hit back-to-back home runs five times this season, including launching three in a row twice.

PACK SWAYZE

Ole Miss ranks fourth in the nation in both total and average attendance this season. In 31 home games this season, 309,949 total fans have packed the stands at Swayze Field, good for an average of 9,998 per game.

TRIPLE THREAT

Jacob Gonzalez lashed his third triple of the season in the Rebels’ Governor’s Cup win over Mississippi State at Trustmark Park, becoming the first Rebel with at least three triples in a season since Tate Blackmon legged out four in 2017.

WE LOVE FREE BASES

Ole Miss has shown patience at the plate and has made it pay off. The Rebels have received 296 free passes via walks and HBPs, with 117 f those runners coming around to score.

SHOW STOPPER

Senior right-handed reliever Brandon Johnson is one of 66 players tabbed to the NCBWA Stopper of the Year Watch List. Johnson is one of nine SEC players and one of four from the SEC West named to the watch list.

THE BOYS ARE BACK!

Ole Miss returns nearly the entirety of its potent offense from the 2021 season with eight of nine positional starters returning to the Rebel lineup, Ole Miss is poised once again to put up gawdy numbers on the scoreboard.

Percentage Return from 2021
• Games Started – 88.6%
• Runs – 88.5%
• Hits – 91.8%
• Doubles – 91.7%
• Triples – 100%
• Home Runs – 90.6%
• RBIs – 91.3%
• Walks – 85.1%

JUCO PRODUCTS

Ole Miss has nine junior college products on the 2022 roster, five of which are new additions. Four of the five JUCO players come from schools within the Mississippi Association of Community Colleges Conference.

HELLO FROM THE OTHER SIDE

Ole Miss has bolstered the roster with three new lefties in transfer John Gaddis and true freshmen Hunter Elliott and Luke Ellis. Relief arm Jackson Kimbrell also returns to the Rebel roster.

THAT’S GOLD, JERRY

Ole Miss’ Hayden Dunhurst and Jacob Gonzalez were two of 55 players named to the 2022 Golden Spikes Award Preseason watch list, announced by USA Baseball. The Rebels are one of just eight teams with multiple players on the list, joining LSU, Arizona State, Arkansas, California, Florida, Texas and Vanderbilt.

STARS AND STRIPES

Ole Miss head coach Mike Bianco has been tapped as the manager for the 2022 USA Collegiate National Team for this upcoming summer, marking the Rebel skipper’s managerial debut for the Red, White and Blue. It will be the second time donning a Team USA uniform for Bianco, who served as the pitching coach for the Collegiate National Team in 2013. Under Bianco’s guidance, the USA posted a 1.87 ERA, a 20-3 record and 222 strikeouts. The remaining 2022 Collegiate National Team staff, as well as more information about the 2022 Collegiate National Team schedule, will be announced at a later date.

MISSISSIPPI MADE

Of the 41 players on the Ole Miss roster, 11 hail from the state of Mississippi. The 11 local products are tied for the most for the Rebels since 2017.

SWAYZE CRAZIES

Ole Miss led the nation in attendance in 2021 with 303,859 fans entering the gates at Oxford-University Stadium/Swayze Field across 40 games. The Rebels’ average attendance of 7,596 also ranked first in college baseball, with Ole Miss ranking as one of just three schools to average more than 4,000 fans per game. During the season, Ole Miss welcomed four of the top-10 single game crowds and two of the top-three series crowds ever seen in Oxford, setting the record in the three-game set against Arkansas.

Top-10 Single-Game Crowds
4. April 10 vs. Arkansas – 11,857
5. April 23 vs. LSU – 11,788
7. April 24 vs. LSU – 11,653
8. April 10 vs. Arkansas – 11,524

Top-3 Series Crowds
1. April 10-11 vs. Arkansas – 33,423
3. April 22-24 vs. LSU – 32,476

STARS IN THE MAKING

Ole Miss has six players ranked in D1Baseball’s Top 2022 MLB Draft College Prospect Rankings. All six Rebels are ranked inside the top-150, tied for the most in the top-150 in the nation. Additionally, a pair of Rebs find themself in the top-100 for the 2023 rankings.

Rebels in the Top 2022 MLB Draft Prospect Rankings
• Hayden Dunhurst – No. 27
• TJ McCants* – No. 49
• Derek Diamond – No. 63
• Jack Washburn – No. 101
• Kevin Graham – No. 124
• Drew McDaniel – No. 133

Rebels in the Top 2023 MLB Draft Prospect Rankings
• Jacob Gonzalez – No. 2
• Jack Dougherty – No. 55

* – Draft eligible sophomore

STUDS AROUND THE DIAMOND

When D1Baseball released its top-50 position power rankings this offseason, Ole Miss was well represented, landing at least one player at every single position. The Rebels’ full rankings can be found below:

Rebels in the Top-50 Position Rankings
• Jacob Gonzalez – No. 2 shortstop
• Hayden Dunhurst – No. 4 catcher
• Tim Elko – No. 5 first baseman
• Peyton Chatagnier – No. 13 second baseman
• Justin Bench – No. 25 third baseman
• Kevin Graham – No. 16 outfielder
• TJ McCants – No. 32 outfielder
• Derek Diamond – No. 40 starting pitcher
• Brandon Johnson – No. 41 relief pitcher
• Jack Dougherty – No. 62 relief pitcher
• Jack Washburn – No. 75 starting pitcher
• John Gaddis – No. 76 starting pitcher
• Drew McDaniel – No. 115 starting pitcher

RESPECT FROM THEIR PEERS

Ole Miss landed a league-high five players on the Preseason All-SEC team, having a player recognized at four of five infield positions.

Ole Miss Preseason All-SEC Selections
• Jacob Gonzalez – Shortstop – First Team
• Hayden Dunhurst – Catcher – Second Team
• Tim Elko – First Base – Second Team
• Peyton Chatagnier – Second Team
• Kevin Graham – Second Team

YOU’RE GONZO GO FAR, KID

Bursting onto the scene last season with one of the greatest true freshmen seasons ever in a Rebel uniform, shortstop Jacob Gonzalez quickly established himself as one of the nation’s elite young talents. In addition to being named D1Baseball’s National Freshman of the Year, the California native joined Stephen Head as the only Rebs ever to be named an All-American as a freshman, earning the honor from both D1Baseball and the NCBWA. Starting all 67 games at short, Gonzalez led all true freshmen in hits and runs scored. Poised for another big season, the sophomore has reeled in a myriad of preseason honors for 2022.

Gonzalez’ Preseason Honor Round Up
• Preseason All-America (Baseball America,
Collegiate Baseball, D1Baseball, NCBWA, Perfect
Game)
• First Team Preseason All-SEC
• D1Baseball No. 2 ’23 College Draft Prospect
• D1Baseball No. 3 ’23 College Draft SEC Prospect
• D1Baseball No. 2 ranked shortstop

COME TO THE SIP

With a pair of electric arms departing for the Major League Baseball Draft in Gunnar Hoglund and Doug Nikhazy, Ole Miss utilized the transfer portal to bring in some talent on the mound in Division I transfers John Gaddis and Jack Washburn. Both bring quality experience to the Rebel roster, with Gaddis pitching four seasons at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi and Washburn moving to Oxford after two seasons at Oregon State.

The Gaddis File
• 2021 All-Southland Second Team
• 13 appearances with 10 starts in 2021
• Won five games with a team-low 2.25 ERA
• 72 strikeouts in 64.0 innings of work
• 7.0 or more innings in 6-of-last-7 starts

The Washburn File
• Son of former MLB star Jarrod Washburn
• 21 appearances with five starts in 2021
• 3.12 ERA with 43 strikeouts in 34.2 innings