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Back-to-back champs? Projecting what Ole Miss baseball roster will look like in 2023

nick suss, mississippi clarion ledger
·4 min read

OXFORD — If Ole Miss baseball wants to become the first team to repeat as College World Series champions since South Carolina in 2010-11, the Rebels likely will have to replace some big contributors.

A core group of veterans and transfer portal adds led the Rebels to their first national championship in program history last month. Superstar underclassmen like shortstop Jacob Gonzalez, designated hitter Kemp Alderman and starting pitcher Hunter Elliott will be back, but so many other key players either can't come back or could be tempted by the MLB Draft.

Here's a look at what the Rebels' roster could look like in 2023 and what the big questions are for coach Mike Bianco and his squad heading into the offseason.

Who's leaving on offense?

First baseman Tim Elko, outfielder Hayden Leatherwood and designated hitter Ben Van Cleve are the only players who exhausted their eligibility and can't come back. But left fielder Kevin Graham, utility player Justin Bench, catcher Hayden Dunhurst, outfielder T.J. McCants and second baseman Peyton Chatagnier are all draft-eligible.

Chatagnier appears the most likely player to return from that bunch, but it's plausible everyone else will opt to go pro. Dunhurst and McCants are rated among Baseball America's top 250 prospects. Graham and Bench are fourth-year seniors who have achieved just about everything they could've at Ole Miss and would lose draft leverage and money if they came back for fifth seasons.

What's left on offense?

If Chatagnier returns, the Rebels will have four starting spots easy to pencil in: Chatagnier at second base, Gonzalez at shortstop, Alderman at designated hitter or first base and Calvin Harris at catcher.

Harris is a natural catcher, so sliding in from right field to take over for Dunhurst feels predestined. Replacing the entire outfield would be tricky, but reserves Banks Tolley and John Kramer both flashed potential through the year and are the likeliest candidates to take over, pending the MLB Draft decision of top 100 prospect and Ole Miss commit Roman Anthony.

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Infielders Reagan Burford and Garrett Wood have remaining eligibility, as does two-way athlete Tywone Malone. Some other names to watch from the Rebels' signing class include infielders James Smith (Baseball America No. 281 draft prospect), Mason Morris, Will Furniss and Judd Utermark and outfielder Nathan Fink.

Who's leaving on the mound?

Ace Dylan DeLucia feels like a sure bet to leave for the MLB Draft. He rocketed to No. 207 in Baseball America's class rankings, projecting him as a top-10 rounds pick.

Seniors John Gaddis and Max Cioffi exhausted their eligibility and juniors Derek Diamond and Drew McDaniel are in the transfer portal. Closer Brandon Johnson is in the same situation as Graham and Bench, likely needing to use his leverage this year instead of waiting another year and letting his financial prospects drop.

Who's left on the mound?

Elliott will be back as a weekend starter. Florida transfer Nick Pogue will be a contender for the weekend rotation. Returning players Jack Washburn and Jack Dougherty have starting experience, and Mason Nichols might make the jump to the rotation after a solid freshman showing as a reliever. Josh Mallitz is the likeliest candidate to take over for Johnson as the Rebels' closer.

One big question is how quickly right-hander Riley Maddox will be able to return from Tommy John surgery. The others are how many pitchers the Rebels will add in the transfer portal and which freshman arms will turn pro instead of coming to campus.

Left-hander Jackson Ferris is Baseball America's No. 36 prospect and it would take a major drop for him to make it to Oxford. Right-handers Grayson Saunier and JT Quinn are prospects No. 183 and No. 193 and should be slightly easier to sign but are still at risk of going pro.

Projecting Ole Miss baseball's 2023 lineup, pitching rotation

  • Catcher: Calvin Harris

  • First base: Kemp Alderman

  • Second base: Peyton Chatagnier

  • Shortstop: Jacob Gonzalez

  • Third base: Garrett Wood/Reagan Burford

  • Outfield: Banks Tolley

  • Outfield: John Kramer

  • Outfield: Reagan Burford/Freshman/Transfer portal

  • Designated hitter: Reagan Burford/Freshman/Transfer portal

  • Starting pitcher: Hunter Elliott

  • Starting pitcher: Jack Washburn

  • Starting pitcher: Nick Pogue

  • Closer: Josh Mallitz

  • Relief pitcher: Jack Dougherty

  • Relief pitcher: Mason Nichols

  • Relief pitcher: Freshman/transfer portal

  • Relief pitcher: Freshman/transfer portal

Contact Nick Suss at 601-408-2674 or nsuss@gannett.com. Follow @nicksuss on Twitter.

This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Projecting Ole Miss baseball roster for championship defense in 2023