Jun 26, 2022; Omaha, NE, USA; Ole Miss pitcher Hunter Elliott (26) pitches during the first inning against the Oklahoma Sooners at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images Jaylynn Nash-Imagn Images

Hunter Elliott Bringing Strong Development Into Return Start With Ole Miss Baseball

Originally posted on Ole Miss Rebels on SI
By Jackson Harris | Last updated Feb 14, 2025 2:38 PM ET

The Ole Miss Rebels are returning a familiar face to the mound on Friday when they open their 2025 baseball season in the Shriners Children's College Showdown in Arlington, Texas. Hunter Elliott, who has been sidelined with an elbow injury since the 2023 campaign, is making his first start since that year on the mound for the Rebels.

Elliott, a Tupelo, Mississippi, native, was one of Ole Miss' top arms when it won the national championship to conclude the 2022 season, and now that he is healthy once again, he is expected to shoulder the load of being the staff's ace this spring.

Although he was already an accomplished college arm, Elliott believes that he has improved as a player since new pitching coach Joel Mangrum came onto the staff last summer, and Mangrum's experience at the professional levels of baseball has made that possible.

"He was kind of at the top of pitching coaches in Minor League/Major League Baseball, so you're not just getting that type of development," Elliott said during Ole Miss baseball's media day earlier this week. "You're getting some of the best at that level. He's got us really locked in to our routines and locked in knowing ourselves and individual mechanics, and the development has been outrageous."

According to Elliott, he believes that the knowledge of his delivery and knowledge of his pitches have improved since Mangrum became involved in the staff. That should pay dividends for Ole Miss not just on Friday against Arizona, but throughout the 2025 season.

Elliott was named a Freshman All-American in 2022, and he set an Ole Miss freshman record for strikeouts in a season with 102. He also finished second on the team with a 2.70 ERA as the Rebels rode his momentum to the first national championship in program history.

The hope now is that a matured Elliott can help Ole Miss return to the postseason for the first time since that magical 2022 campaign, and that journey begins with his outing in Arlington against Arizona on Friday. First pitch is set for 3 p.m. CT.