More and more preseason predictions and honors are rolling in with the start of the college baseball season eight days away.
On Thursday, the SEC released its 2026 SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll and All-SEC Preseason teams.
Ole Miss was picked to finish 10th in the final SEC standings at the end of the season and two Rebels were named to All-SEC teams.
Ace pitcher Hunter Elliot was named to the All-SEC first team and first baseman Will Furniss was named to the All-SEC second team.
Elliott anchored Ole Miss’ rotation last season, taking the ball in all 16 of his Friday starts and delivering one of the most efficient campaigns of any Rebel pitcher in recent memory. He finished 10–3 with a 2.94 ERA, piled up 102 strikeouts, and held opposing hitters under the .200 mark. His 13 pickoffs weren’t just a team-high—they were the most by any Ole Miss player in the Modern Era.
The junior joined rare company as only the fifth Rebel ever to pair double‑digit wins with triple‑digit strikeouts, and one of just four pitchers in program history to post multiple 100‑strikeout seasons. His ERA was the lowest by an Ole Miss starter since his breakout freshman year.
Furniss brought similar stability on the offensive side, starting 51 games at first base and hitting .305 with 12 homers, 47 RBI, and 43 walks. He ranked among the team’s leaders in on‑base percentage and batting average, and on May 10 against Mississippi State, he set a new school record by drawing five walks in a single game.
His production only ramped up in the postseason—Furniss hit .455 during the Oxford Regional with two home runs, two doubles, seven RBI, and six runs scored, earning a spot on the All‑Tournament Team.
Ole Miss will begin the 2026 season next Friday with a three-game series against Nevada. Here’s the full coaches poll and All-SEC teams.
2026 SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll
- LSU (9)
- Texas (1)
- Mississippi State (4)
- Arkansas (2)
- Auburn
- Tennessee
- Florida
- Vanderbilt
- Georgia
- Ole Miss
- Kentucky
- Alabama
- Texas A&M
- Oklahoma
- South Carolina
- Missouri
2026 Coaches Preseason All-SEC Teams
First Team
- C Ryder Helfrick, Arkansas
- 1B Gavin Grahovac, Texas A&M
- 2B Chris Rembert, Auburn
- 2B Camden Kozeal, Arkansas
- 3B Ace Reese, Mississippi State
- SS Justin Lebron, Alabama
- SS Tyler Bell, Kentucky
- OF Derek Curiel, LSU
- OF Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M
- OF Henry Ford, Tennessee
- DH/Util. Noah Sullivan, Mississippi State
- SP Hunter Elliott, Ole Miss
- SP Casan Evans, LSU
- SP Liam Peterson, Florida
- SP Dylan Volantis, Texas
- RP Zac Cowan, LSU
- RP Brandon Arvidson, Tennessee
- RP Luke McNeillie, Florida
Second Team
- C Chase Fralick, Auburn
- C Carson Tinney, Texas
- 1B Levi Clark, Tennessee
- 1B Will Furniss, Ole Miss
- 2B Ethan Mendoza, Texas
- 3B Brendan Lawson, Florida
- SS Steven Milam, LSU
- OF Kuhio Aloy, Arkansas
- OF Bub Terrell, Auburn
- OF Jake Brown, LSU
- DH/Util. Braden Holcomb, Vanderbilt
- SP Gabe Gaeckle, Arkansas
- SP Connor Fennell, Vanderbilt
- SP Ben Cleaver, Kentucky
