Hunter Elliott Leaves His Mark with Career-High Performance at Swayze
OXFORD, Miss. — There are nights at Swayze Field that feel charged before the first pitch is ever thrown — the kind where the energy builds with every warmup toss and the crowd senses it might be watching something special. When Hunter Elliott took the mound Friday night, he delivered at the highest level. With a career-high performance on the line, he leaned into everything that defines him — intensity, edge, and a refusal to give in — and gave the home crowd a night it won’t soon forget.
Elliott recorded a career night on the mound against the No. 9 Texas A&M Aggies as Ole Miss (34-17, 13-12 SEC) defeated the visitors, 5-3.
Texas A&M’s (36-11, 15-9 SEC) high-powered offense came into the weekend with a .305 batting average, third in the SEC behind Georgia and Mississippi State.
“I felt like I got it going early,” Elliott said after the game.
“Going into it, I knew there was a possibility that this might be my last one here. So I feel like I maybe soaked it in a little more. I enjoyed myself out there a little more. And maybe that’s what helped me kind of just settle in.“
Hunter Elliott on the win over A&M
Elliott retired six of the first nine A&M sluggers that he faced by strikeout. The southpaw struck out four in a row with the last two hitters in the second and the first two in the third inning.
“I thought he did an excellent job,” coach Mike Bianco said of his Friday night ace. “A team (A&M) that doesn’t chase and really works the count and walks. A team that is really good.”
Elliott, a Tupelo, Miss native, hit the 300-career strikeout milestone in the fourth. He becomes just the third Rebel to reach the plateau in program history. He now is a member of an elite list, joining Drew Pomeranz with 344 strikeouts and Lance Lynn with 332.
“It’s really cool (being in the same category with Pomeranz and Lynn). I grew up coming to games and being a big Ole Miss fan. I don’t know if it’s something you dream of when you get to campus. It’s really cool now that I am there. To be in the likes of those names is special.“
Hunter Elliott on reaching 300 strikeouts in his career
Elliott added another four punch-outs in the game for a total of 304 strikeouts on the night.
The Aggies didn’t get on the scoreboard until the fifth as they plated two runs.
Elliott’s night came to a close after 6.0 complete innings on the bump, allowing two runs (one earned) on five hits with a walk and 11 strikeouts to pick up the win. The 11 punch-outs are a season and career high for Elliott.
“…One of the 11 was number 300, and he will go down as one of the greats,” Bianco said.
“He is one of the legendary starters that we have ever had.”
Mike Bianco on Hunter Elliott
If this does end up being Elliott’s final time on the mound at Swayze Field, it was a memorable one. A career-high night, built on command, confidence, and pure competitiveness, the kind of outing that reflects exactly who Hunter Elliott has always been. No easing out, no fading away — just a pitcher attacking hitters, owning the moment, and leaving everything he had on the field, the only way he knows how.
Next Up
Ole Miss will play a doubleheader against Texas A&M starting at 2 p.m. on Saturday. The second game will begin approximately 60 minutes after the conclusion of game one.
Adam Brown
Adam Brown returns to The Rebel Walk after being on the Ole Miss beat as a Sports Editor for over 13 years. He is a lifelong Oxford resident. Brown graduated from the University of Mississippi with a bachelor’s degree in journalism.
Prior to The Rebel Walk, Brown was the sports editor of HottyToddy.com covering every Ole Miss sport and local high school sports in the community.
