Junior right hand pitcher Josh Mallitz has been with the Rebels ever since the 2021 season and has seen all of the ups and downs of Ole Miss baseball as one of their longest tenured players. All the way from national champion to back-to-back seasons under .500.However, no matter what happens moving forward, it doesn’t sound like Mallitz will be along for whatever ride the 2025 season has in store. The 6-foot-3, 210-pound pitcher revealed the news on social media Wednesday afternoon. “Seven years ago, when I committed to play baseball and attend school in the small town of Oxford, I had no idea what was in store for me. Now, looking back, I can say it was the best decision I’ve ever made,” Mallitz added. “The memories I’ve created with my teammates and friends will last a lifetime.”
Though the 2024 season marked Mallitz’s fourth with the Rebels, a return in 2025 could’ve been possible. Mallitz tore his UCL back in November of 2022, which held him out for the entire 2023 season. Mallitz doesn’t explicitly lay out his plan this offseason, but from the sound of things, he appears to be eyeing the MLB Draft.
“From winning the first Ole Miss baseball national championship to graduating college and even finding my favorite person, this journey has been incredible. Thank you to everyone who made this four-year ride enjoyable,” Mallitz wrote to social media. In his final season with Mike Bianco’s Ole Miss Rebels, Mallitz pitched in 27.1 innings and allowed 27 hits, 14 runs (13 earned) while striking out 30 batters (20 walks). Coming back from the elbow injury, Mallitz came out not just physically stronger, but also mentally.
“Mentally (I) wasn’t as tough as I thought. I talked with a lot of guys that have gone through the surgery. It’s one of the hardest sides to it is the mental game. I thought If I mastered the mental game, getting back would be the easiest part,” Mallitz previously told Inside the Rebels. “I was in a brace for six weeks, but taken out of that, started rehab instantly. Worked hard in the gym, but couldn’t really do too many arm exercises at first. Started doing legs and trying to rebuild my body back stronger, work on the smaller muscles around my ligaments so I wouldn’t have any future problems with it.”Ahead of the 2024 season, the last in-game pitch Josh Mallitz threw was a strikeout against Oklahoma, placing the Ole Miss Rebels just nine innings away from what would become their first national championship in program history.
