Former Ole Miss Legend Tim Elko Moves Up to AAA Charlotte Knights, Takes Major Step on his Drive to the Big Leagues
OXFORD, Miss. — According to reports and confirmed by sources close to The Rebel Walk, former Ole Miss baseball captain, five-time letter winner and College World Series Champion Tim Elko has been promoted to the Chicago White Sox AAA affiliate Charlotte Knights.
Tim Elko is heading to Triple-A!
The #WhiteSox prospect dominated the lower levels last year in his professional season making it all the way to Double-A. He’s got a .758 OPS with 9 home runs this season in Birmingham.
Charlotte is going to be very fun in August
— Elijah Evans (@ElijahEv8) July 28, 2024
Spending the 2023 season in A-Ball, High-A, and ending in AA, Elko was a Big League spring training invitee in spring 2024.
Beginning 2024 with the AA White Sox affiliate Birmingham Barons, the former Ole Miss standout has been a mainstay in the upper middle of the line-up for the Barons. In the Southern League, featuring two Mississippi teams, Elko has frequently been treated to the smiling faces of his fans, usually clad in red and blue, on the road at stops at places like Pearl and Biloxi.
The Barons finished the first half of the season as Division Champions.
In 91 games with Birmingham, Elko recorded a .758 OPS with a .420 slugging percentage, averaging over a hit per game with 99. He had 40 RBIs on 9 home runs and 16 doubles as the everyday first baseman.
Former Ole Miss first baseman Tim Elko up to bat. (Photo credit: Chris Muller, The Rebel Walk)
Tim’s dad’s thoughts
Tim’s dad, John Elko, shared with The Rebel Walk his thoughts on Tim’s rise to AAA.
“Of course Tim was very excited to let us know he promoted to AAA Charlotte. Cheryl (Tim’s mom) and I are happy to see him continue to improve at every level on his way to the big leagues. We’ve been with him through all the teams he’s played on – the successes as well as the setbacks. We are both thankful and blessed to watch him continue on his journey and his dream of playing in the major leagues.“
John Elko on his son, Tim’s, call up to AAA
The Elko family including (l to r): John, Tim, Cheryl, and sister Catie. (Photo courtesy Elko family)
AAA is the final stop before the big leagues. We hope Tim’s stay in Charlotte ends with the call that every baseball player dreams of. In the meantime, we’ll keep you posted on how he’s doing.
Hotty Toddy!
Chris Muller
Chris is our Director of Baseball Content and Senior Baseball Writer. Muller is a 1995 Graduate of Ole Miss. He is a collegiate recreational sports professional currently residing in Arlington Texas with his wife of 25 years, Amber, and German Shorthaired Pointer, Sophie. Chris is an avid Ole Miss Baseball and Football fan. His hobbies include watching college football and baseball and playing poker with his friends.
