Pitcher Hunter Elliott, picked late in MLB draft, to return to Ole Miss baseball instead

OXFORD ― A boost arrived for the Ole Miss baseball starting rotation on Thursday evening, courtesy of Hunter Elliott.

The lefthander, selected late in the 2024 MLB Draft , will spurn the Los Angeles Dodgers and return to the Rebels for the 2025 season, he announced on social media.

"See you at Swayze," he wrote.

Elliott delivered an electric freshman season for the Rebels in 2022 that ended with him going 6⅔ strong innings against Oklahoma in the game that clinched the national championship for Ole Miss. He pitched to a 2.70 ERA with 102 strikeouts in 80 innings, looking particularly dominant in the postseason.

He moved into 2023 as the Rebels' Friday night starter before an elbow injury struck. He eventually had Tommy John surgery and has pitched just six innings in the past two seasons combined.

A product of Tupelo High School, Elliott will figure into a 2025 Ole Miss rotation that lost talented lefty Liam Doyle to Tennessee via the transfer portal, but retains Riley Maddox and Mason Nichols. Ole Miss also added Will McCausland from St. Joe's this offseason to bolster its staff.

DRAFT RUNDOWN: Ole Miss baseball players selected in 2024 MLB Draft: Track all the Rebels chosen

David Eckert covers Ole Miss for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at deckert@gannett.com or reach him on Twitter @davideckert98.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Pitcher Hunter Elliott, picked late in MLB draft, to return to Ole Miss baseball instead