SEC folk heroes: Kevin Kopps and Tim Elko

Tim Elko photo courtesy of Ole Miss Athletics.

Two more SEC legends were born during the 2021 college baseball season.

Arkansas right hander Kevin Kopps and Ole Miss designated hitter Tim Elko have become folk heroes this season.

Arkansas rode the right arm of Kopps, the Southeastern 14 SEC Pitcher of the Year, to the Fayetteville Regional championship.

Ole Miss rode the bat of Elko, who is playing with a torn ACL in his knee, to the Oxford Regional championship.

What the duo accomplished this weekend alone may etch their place on the Mount Rushmore of their respective programs.

Kopps appeared in all three of Arkansas’ wins over New Jersey Tech and Nebraska.

He posted two wins and one save and threw 195 pitches over four days. He logged 13.1 scoreless innings and allowed only six hits. He added 15 strikeouts and no walks.

Kopps threw a career-high seven scoreless innings and struck out eight in Monday’s regional clinching win.

In his two wins, he came into the game with Razorbacks trailing and was able to settle things down and allow the team to come back and win.

Charlie Welch had a pinch-hit, three-run home fun in the eighth inning that sealed Monday’s 6-2 win over the Cornhuskers. Welch also has a walk-off pinch hit single against Florida that clinched the SEC Championship.

Elko followed a similar script by hitting three home runs, including two grand slams in the Oxford Regional.

He hit a grand slam in the win over SE Missouri in the regional opener on Friday. He hit two home runs, including another grand slam in Monday’s win over Southern Miss.

The Rebels and Golden Eagles combined for 10 home runs in the Rebels 12-9 win.

Elko reached base five times and scored three runs in the win. He was 3-for-3 with two home runs, five RBIs and two walks.

Ole Miss lefty Doug Nikhazy picked up his second win of the regional on Monday on just one day rest. Nikhazy struck out a school record 16 batters in Saturday’s win over Florida State.

Taylor Broadway recorded three saves for the Rebels in the series. He logged two scoreless innings for his SEC leading 16th save on Monday.

 Arkansas will host North Carolina State in the Super Regionals. Ole Miss will travel to Arizona.