The Legend of Tim Elko grows: ‘The dude is a freak with a bat in his hands’

OMAHA – In the present day’s column, a synopsis: One other recreation, one other Ole Miss victory, and one other chapter within the Legend of Tim Elko.

Simply whenever you suppose the Elko story can’t get any higher and any extra Bunyan-esque, one thing occurs like occurred within the second inning of Ole Miss’s 13-5 conquest of Arkansas within the Faculty World Collection Monday evening.

To set the stage: Ole Miss, enjoying maybe its most essential baseball recreation in class historical past, led 2-1 with two outs within the second. The unseasonably scorching and relentless Nebraska wind was howling in from centerfield. With Justin Bench on second base, Elko got here to bat. The depend went to 2 balls, two strikes, and Arkansas pitcher Evan Taylor was only one strike away from getting out of the inning.

Arkansas catcher Michael Turner signaled for the slider, and held his mitt low and inside. Taylor delivered a slider that by no means slid – excessive and outdoors – a number of inches off the plate.

Most batters would have taken the pitch for ball three. As a substitute, Elko took a mighty swing, reaching all the best way throughout the plate and nearly into the other batter’s field. Towards that wind, Elko in some way launched a towering dwelling run that landed far past the Arkansas bullpen and excessive up into the left subject stands, 416 ft away from dwelling plate. For what it’s price, we’re instructed the ball left Elko’s bat at 109 mph. It traveled 416 ft in a rush – the longest dwelling run of this Faculty World Collection.

Tuesday morning, previous to an off-day follow session, Elko smiled when requested concerning the clout.

“I didn’t actually notice how far outdoors it was till I noticed it on the video final evening,” Elko mentioned. “At first, I feel partly due to the placement of the pitch, I didn’t notice I received it that good. However then I noticed it flying and knew I received it adequate.”

After which some…

Stated Mike Bianco, “I haven’t seen many balls hit that far on this stadium, particularly with that wind. It wasn’t a line drive that received beneath the wind. It was excessive, into the tooth of it. It simply exhibits how sturdy and highly effective Tim is.”

Elko’s shot had freshman pitcher Hunter Elliott, chief beneficiary, gushing a day later.

“It was superior, that’s man energy proper there,” Elliott mentioned. “Loopy energy, loopy expertise, loopy all the pieces. The dude is a freak with a bat in his hand.”

The freakish dude with Superman shoulders and Popeye forearms has now hit 23 dwelling runs this season and 45 in his storied profession. Elko says he finds himself nearly needing to pinch himself today to comprehend the final three weeks aren’t a dream.

“I don’t know if it’s even sunk in but and perhaps that’s good, as a result of we stay relaxed simply going on the market and enjoying ball,” Elko mentioned. “We’ve had some actually good groups right here at Ole Miss. We’ve had some scorching streaks earlier than, however that is a few of the greatest baseball I’ve ever seen. That is about pretty much as good because it will get.”

It’s not simply Elko, thoughts you, though he’s the captain and the unquestioned crew chief. Throughout this postseason run, the Rebels have hit properly up and down the lineup. Monday evening, Garrett Wooden, the eight-hole hitter, was on base 4 of 5 instances, whereas nine-hole hitter Calvin Harris slammed two doubles and a house run, scored twice and knocked in 4 runs.

In NCAA competitors, in opposition to top-shelf groups, Ole Miss is 7-0 and has outscored the opposition 64-18, which appears to be like like a misprint however isn’t.

Elko takes none of it without any consideration.

“There’s no place higher to finish your faculty profession than Omaha,” Elko mentioned. “There can be no higher method to finish it than by profitable the nationwide championship.”

Bianco says that one of many “neatest” elements of the Legend of Elko is that Elko didn’t have to return again for this season. He might have taken them cash and gone professional. He had already come again from a torn ACL – truly performed with the ACL nonetheless torn – to elevate the 2021 Rebels to a regional championship and to inside one recreation of the Faculty World Collection.

Stated Bianco, “He got here again for one cause, which was to play within the Faculty World Collection, and right here he’s doing this.”

What extra might Elko probably do?

Bianco smiled, seemed down and shook his head. “I don’t know,” Bianco. “He can invite us to his statue ceremony, I assume.”