Campbell Smithwick: Ole Miss LHP Hunter Elliott is 'The Ultimate Competitor'

Hunter Elliott finally took to Swayze Field's mound again on Friday, and that marked a milestone in his return process from injury.

Jun 12, 2022; Hattiesburg, MS, USA; Ole Miss starting pitcher Hunter Elliott (26) pitches against Southern Miss during Game 2 of a NCAA Super Regional game at Pete Taylor Park. Ole Miss won, 5-0, and advanced to the College World Series. Mandatory Credit: Chuck Cook-Imagn Images / Chuck Cook-Imagn Images

The Ole Miss Rebels gained an 8-0 win over the Eastern Kentucky Colonels on Friday afternoon in their weekend series opener, and starting with the baseball in his hand was left-handed pitcher Hunter Elliott.

Elliott suffered an elbow injury in 2023 that eventually led to Tommy John surgery, an ailment that kept him out of the entire 2024 campaign. On Friday, however, he made his first start at Swayze Field in almost 700 days, and he dazzled in his comeback performance.

Elliott finished the day with 10 strikeouts, not allowing a run while giving up just three hits and no walks. He also picked off a pair of baserunners to push his season total to three in just two games.

"Hunter was so good. The numbers tell the whole story," catcher Campbell Smithwick said postgame. "That's rarely true, but today it was. He said in our meeting that he didn't want to walk anybody, and he wanted to fill up the zone, and I think he did just that. Not to mention he missed plenty of bats, and he's just so good."

Elliott's return to game action should greatly benefit Ole Miss this season. As a freshman, he was a key component in the Rebels' national championship run in 2022, and even though he's been on a pitch count in the early portions of this campaign, when he toes the rubber, Ole Miss has a chance in almost any ball game.

Seeing Elliott return to the mound at his home park was a feel-good moment not just for him, but for his teammates at the same time, and it highlights his competitive spirit.

"It means a lot because there are few people who get to see how much work he's put in to coming back," Smithwick said. "It's been a long time, and I'm just so super proud of him. He shows up to the field every day with just this relentless grit and determination to get better because he wants to win.

"He's the biggest competitor I've ever been around. And that's saying something because I've played baseball my whole life. Played with plenty of guys across the country, and there's no doubt he's the ultimate competitor. To see him have the success after he's been working so hard, it's such a rewarding feeling, even for me from the outside looking in. I know it's got to feel good for him too."

The Rebels are going for the series win on Saturday when they face Eastern Kentucky at 1:30 p.m. CT in Oxford. The game will be televised on SEC Network+.