Three of Mississippi’s Division 1 baseball programs have landed a representative on the College Baseball Hall of Fame’s Pitcher of the Year watch list.
Jackson State’s Eric Elliot, Mississippi State’s Pico Kohn, and Southern Miss’ JB Middleton were three of America’s 54 best pitchers named to the list.
Elliot, a veteran southpaw for the Tigers, sports a perfect 4-0 record with a 3.14 ERA in nine starts. In 12 total appearances, he’s also racked up 61 strikeouts while opponents have batted just .191 against him.
The Pitcher of the Year Watch List has been released by @CollegeDiamonds and look who is on it ….#TheeILove | #BleedTheeBlue pic.twitter.com/PKz05VDAxs
— Jackson State Baseball (@GoJSUTigersBSB) April 18, 2025
MSU’s Kohn has shimmered in the Friday night ace role for the maroon and white, compiling a 4-1 record with a 3.29 ERA. The big lefty has also tallied 81 strikeouts to just 14 walks, ranking top 10 in the SEC in strikeouts, innings pitched, and ERA.
Mississippi State has two previous National Pitcher of the Year winners: Chris Stratton (Perfect Game) in 2012 and Ethan Small (College Baseball Hall of Fame) in 2019.
Congrats to Pico Kohn for being named to the watch list for the 2025 National Pitcher of the Year! #HailState🐶
📰: https://t.co/rwCb7TdRdW pic.twitter.com/MwbnbjskD0
— Mississippi State Baseball (@HailStateBB) April 20, 2025
Golden Eagle junior JB Middleton has turned an up-and-down 2024 campaign into a dominant 2025 in which he has cemented himself as one of America’s best. The Yazoo City product has etched a Sun Belt-best 2.05 ERA, 7-1 record, and .171 opponent batting average so far, allowing just 37 hits while striking out 74.
Former Southern Miss pitcher Billy Oldham most recently made the same watch list in 2024, while Nick Sandlin is the most recent Golden Eagle to be named a National Pitcher of the Year (Perfect Game) in 2018.
𝐋𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧, 𝐇𝐢𝐦.#EverythingMatters | #SMTTT pic.twitter.com/auBKL509fi
— Southern Miss Baseball (@SouthernMissBSB) April 18, 2025
“We are extremely excited about the group of pitchers who are leading the way in 2025,” Pitcher of the Year Award co-chair Chris Snead said. “This will be a difficult choice to select the best of the best!”
The award will be presented later this year by the College Baseball Foundation.
For the full watch list and more information on the award, click here.
