College baseball fans largely spoke in unison after a controversial balk call was made against Ole Miss Rebels pitcher Hunter Elliott in the fifth inning. With the bases loaded, it was an important decision that swung the momentum in Troy’s favor.
The umpires ruled Elliott committed a balk during his delivery after appearing to hesitate and alter his motion on the mound. Since the bases were loaded, the call forced in a run. The moment was pivotal as it kick-started the Trojans offense, which eventually handed a stunning 12-8 loss to Ole Miss in the elimination game of MCWS.
Replays showed Elliott paused with the ball near his ear and failed to properly step off the rubber before resetting. According to the NCAA balk rules, the decision was technically correct, but the fans debated whether the high-stakes moment warranted such a decision.
One fan shared the video on X and made a conclusion as to why it was a bad call.
“The bases loaded balk call on Ole Miss’ Hunter Elliott. BAD call. You either call that earlier when he puts the ball up to his ear (to try & hear the pitch com) or not at all. He even did that earlier in the game & it wasn’t called. He also stepped off cleanly once he came set,” the fan wrote.
“Suspicious that they wait till the bases are loaded to start calling that,” another wrote.
Meanwhile, some fans deduced that the call was alright.
“I’m pretty sure they called the balk because he did not stop/pause before he stepped off,” another commented.
“He attempted to come set and stepped off at the same time. No go,” one fan reacted.
“Doesn’t come set before stepping off. 100% a balk,” one fan wrote.
“Should have also been called for balks on at least half of his moves to 1st. No where close to 45* on his move,” one fan added.
“You sure it’s a bad call Harrison? It’s a text book start and stop balk. No brainer,” one fan commented.
“The ball to the ear had nothing to do with the call. Clear start and stop,” one fan wrote.
Ole Miss Out of MCWS After Back-to-Back Defeats to Troy and North Carolina
The Rebels are out of the 2026 Men’s College World Series after back-to-back losses to North Carolina and Troy, eliminating the Rebels from Omaha without a win.
Earlier, the Rebels opened their MCWS campaign with a 6-2 loss to North Carolina. The offense remained quiet that day as the Tar Heels exploded late in the game. This pushed the Rebels to the do-or-die game against Troy.
Despite Hunter Elliott’s strong start, the Rebels once again lost momentum in the second half of the game. They allowed the Trojans to erase a 6-2 deficit and mark their first victory in Omaha.
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