Ole Miss’ Hunter Elliott Named to Golden Spikes Preseason Watch List for 2026
OXFORD, Miss. — Ole Miss ace Hunter Elliott continues to stack preseason recognition ahead of the 2026 campaign.
USA Baseball released its Golden Spikes Award Preseason Watch List on Friday, and Elliott was included among the 55 players selected nationwide as early candidates for college baseball’s most prestigious individual honor.
𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭. @elliotthunter10 makes the @USAGoldenSpikes Preseason Watch List! pic.twitter.com/yvIzkRK9eZ
— Ole Miss Baseball (@OleMissBSB) February 6, 2026
It marks yet another appearance for the Rebel left-hander on the Golden Spikes radar. Elliott was previously named to the 2023 Preseason Watch List and earned a spot on the 2025 Midseason Watch List, reinforcing his status as one of the sport’s most consistent elite arms.
The honor adds to an already lengthy list of accolades entering the season. Elliott has been named a Preseason All-American by the National College Baseball Writers Association, Perfect Game, and D1Baseball, while also earning Preseason All-SEC First Team recognition from the league’s coaches. D1Baseball went a step further, tabbing Elliott as its Preseason Pitcher of the Year and ranking him among the top five starting pitchers in the country.
On the field, Elliott delivered a dominant 2025 season as Ole Miss’ Friday night starter. He made 16 starts, finishing with a 10–3 record, a 2.94 ERA, and 102 strikeouts. Opponents hit just .197 against him, and his 13 pickoffs led all Rebel pitchers in the modern era.
The season placed Elliott firmly in Ole Miss record books. He became just the fifth pitcher in program history to reach both 10 wins and 100 strikeouts in a single season, and only the fourth to record 100 or more strikeouts in multiple seasons. His 2.94 ERA was also the lowest by a Rebel starter since his freshman campaign, when he posted a 2.70 mark.
With the 2026 season approaching, Elliott enters the year not only as the anchor of the Ole Miss rotation, but as one of the premier pitchers in college baseball — and now, once again, a Golden Spikes contender.
Evelyn Van Pelt
Evelyn has covered sports for over two decades, beginning her journalism career as a sports writer for a newspaper in Austin, Texas. She attended Texas A&M and majored in English. Evelyn's love for Ole Miss began when her daughter Katie attended the university on a volleyball scholarship. Evelyn created the Rebel Walk in 2013 and has served as publisher and managing editor since its inception. Email Evie at: Evie@TheRebelWalk.com
