The preseason buzz around Ole Miss baseball got a little louder Friday morning when the National College Baseball Writers Association dropped its 2026 All-America teams.
Hunter Elliott landed on the First Team, and Judd Utermark picked up a Third Team nod, another reminder that the Rebels aren’t exactly sneaking up on anyone this spring despite being ranked in only one preseason poll.
For Elliott, this is becoming routine. The left-hander has now been tagged as a Preseason All-American by three different outlets, and the résumé backs it up.
He made 16 starts as the Friday-night anchor last season, going 10-3 with a 2.94 ERA and 102 strikeouts. Opponents barely touched him, hitting just .197, and he picked off 13 baserunners that was more than any Rebel in the Modern Era. He’s one of only five pitchers in program history to post a 10‑win, 100‑strikeout season, and one of just four to record multiple 100‑strikeout years. His 2.94 ERA was the best by an Ole Miss starter since his own freshman campaign.
Utermark’s honor is a first, but it hardly feels like a surprise. The sophomore started 63 games in 2025, mostly at second base, and turned himself into one of the SEC’s most dangerous bats. He led the Rebels in RBI, home runs, and total bases, and his 22 homers were the second‑most in a single season in school history. His 69 RBI ranked fourth all‑time.
And then came the postseason, where he played like someone playing MLB The Show on rookie.
Utermark homered in every game of the Oxford Regional (six total in five games) while hitting 7‑for‑24 with nine RBI and eight runs scored. That run earned him spots on both the Oxford Regional All‑Tournament Team and the SEC Championship All‑Tournament Team.
Two preseason All-Americans, one established ace, one rising star. Ole Miss has plenty to sort out before Opening Day, but the top‑end talent is already speaking for itself.
2026 NCBWA Division I Preseason All-America Team
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C Carson Tinney, Texas
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1B Brady Ballinger, Kansas
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2B Camden Kozeal, Arkansas
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SS Roch Cholowsky, UCLA
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3B Daniel Cuvet, Miami
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OF Drew Burress, Georgia Tech
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OF Derek Curiel, LSU
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OF Michael DiMartini, Duke
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OF Lucas Moore, Louisville
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OF Sawyer Strosnider, TCU
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DH Noah Sullivan, Mississippi State
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DH Nico Azpilcueta, Troy
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UT Evan Dempsey, FGCU
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SP Hunter Elliott, Ole Miss
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SP Cameron Flukey, Coastal Carolina
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SP Aidan Knaak, Clemson
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SP Ethan Norby, East Carolina
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RP Dylan Volantis, Texas
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RP Dax Whitney, Oregon State
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RP Tony Pluta, Arizona
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RP Colby Allen, Southern Miss
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RP Cal Higgins, Texas
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RP Mason Patel, Georgia Tech
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RP Ricky Ojeda, UC Irvine
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RP Ryan Lynch, Coastal Carolina
Second Team: C Ryder Helfrick, Arkansas, Jr.; C Vahn Lackey, Georgia Tech, Jr.; 1B Myles Bailey, Florida State, So.; 1B Kade Lewis, Wake Forest, Jr.; 2B Jarren Advincula, Georgia Tech, Jr.; 2B Jimmy Nati, Stanford, Sr.; SS Justin Lebron, Alabama, Jr.; SS Chris Hacopian, Texas A&M, Jr.; 3B Ace Reese, Mississippi State, Jr.; 3B Gavin Gallaher, North Carolina, Jr.; OF Tyler Minick, UConn, Jr.; OF AJ Gracia, Virginia, Jr.; OF Harrison Feinberg, Northeastern, r-Sr.; OF Dean Toigo, Arizona State, Sr.; OF Zion Rose, Louisville, Jr.; DH Johnny Sweeney, USC Upstate, 5th; DH Dominic Hellman, Oregon, Sr.; UT Bryce Calloway, Georgia, Gr.; SP Jack Ohman, Yale, So.; SP Trey Beard, Florida State, Jr.; SP Casan Evans, LSU, So.; SP Tommy LaPour, TCU, Jr.; SP Mason Blasche, Samford, So.; SP Liam Peterson, Florida, Jr.; RP Isaac Yeager, Oregon State, Sr.; RP Brady Frederick, Tennessee, Jr.; RP Dominick Carbone, Coastal Carolina, Jr.; RP Robert Orloski, UTSA, Jr.; RP Chase Meyer, West Virginia, Jr.
Third Team: C Garrett Wright, Tennessee, Jr.; C Jack Natili, Cincinnati, Jr.; 1B Blake Cavill, Troy, Sr.; 1B Mulivai Levu, UCLA, Jr.; 2B Chris Rembert, Auburn, So.; SS Eric Becker, Virginia, Jr.; 3B Judd Utermark, Ole Miss, Sr.; 3B Roman Martin, UCLA, Jr.; OF Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M, Jr.; OF Henry Ford, Tennessee, Jr.; OF Logan Hughes, Texas Tech, Jr.; OF Aiden Robbins, Texas, Jr.; OF Chase Brunson, TCU, Jr.; DH Kuhio Aloy, Arkansas, Jr.; DH Nico Azpilcueta, Troy, Sr.; UT Alex Hernandez, Georgia Tech, So.; SP Ethan Kleinshmit, Oregon State, Jr.; SP Jason DeCaro, North Carolina, Jr.; SP Jack Radel, Notre Dame, Jr.; SP Connor Fennell, Vanderbilt, Jr.; SP Blake Morningstar, Wake Forest, Jr.; SP Ryan Marohn, NC State, Jr.; RP Walker McDuffie, North Carolina, So.; RP Cole Carlon, Arizona State, Jr.; RP Kros Sivley, Southern Miss, Sr.; RP Ryan Bilka, Miami, Sr.; RP Alex Lyon, College of Charleston, r-Sr.
Fourth Team: C Matt Quintanar, Texas Tech, Jr.; C Cider Canon, Duke, Jr.; 1B Evan Appelwick, Miami (Ohio), r-Sr.; 1B Chayton Krauss, DBU, Sr.; 2B Logan Sutter, South Carolina, Sr.; 2B Joe Tiroly, Virginia, Jr.; SS Maddox Molony, Oregon, Jr.; SS Tyler Bell, Kentucky, So.; 3B Tre Phelps, Georgia, Jr.; 3B Ray Velazquez, Austin Peay, r-Jr.; OF Armani Guzman, West Virginia, Jr.; OF Aidan Teel, Mississippi State, r-Jr.; OF Nate Savoie, Clemson, So.; OF Scott Campbell Jr., Kentucky, Sr.; DH Josh Livingston, Texas, Gr.; DH Tague Davis, Louisville; UT Noah Franco, TCU, So.; SP Ben Cleaver, Kentucky, Jr.; SP Eric Segura, Oregon State, Jr.; SP Cooper Katskee, Nebraska, r-Jr.; SP Ernesto Lugo-Canchola, Florida, Gr.; SP Ian Korn, West Virginia, Gr.; SP Aiden Robertson, Virginia Tech, Jr.; SP Ryan Borberg, DBU, Sr.; RP Mason Brassfield, TCU, So.; RP Zac Cowan, LSU, Sr.; RP Lucas Hartman, Virginia, Gr.; RP Ryan Hetzler, Auburn, Jr.
