Ruby DraayerThe preseason coaches poll picked Ole Miss baseball to finish first in the SEC West, the conference announced on Thursday. This will be the first time that the team was picked to take the top seed in over 10 years.
Even though the 2020 season was cut short, Ole Miss finished with an overall record of 16-1 after the preseason poll ranked the team at No. 6 in the West. However, the Rebels earned seven of the 14 first-place votes this season.
The preseason poll also recognized stand out players. Senior third baseman Tim Elko and sophomore catcher Hayden Dunhurst received the Second Team All-SEC preseason team honors.
Elko hit a .354 last season and started in 12 of the 17 games. He was named Rebel captain after totaling four doubles, a triple and three home runs in his season. The Florida native also had 15 (runs batted in with 12 total runs scored.
Dunhurst, a Mississippi native, was named to the All-American team after he hit a .269 with five home runs in his freshman season. He allowed the second-fewest stolen bases in the SEC with five.
Reflecting back on the shortened 2020 season, the lone loss was in the season opener series against then ranked No.1 Louisville. The series ended 2-1, with Ole Miss coming out on top. The 16 game winning streak was the longest in college baseball and was one shy away from the program’s record.
In addition, the Rebels closed out the 2020 season ranked No. 5. The team also led the nation in home runs with 35 through 17 games. The Rebels continued to show dominance when they finished in the top 10 for slugging percentage at third place, runs scored per game at third place, total runs scored at fifth place and walks drawn at seventh place. The Ole Miss mound also finished with a team (earned run average of 2.92.
The Ole Miss baseball team will open its season in Arlington, Texas, at the State Farm College Baseball Showdown on Feb. 19-21. The Rebels will be one of six top 10 teams to compete, and they are set to play against teams such as TCU and Texas Tech.
