Ole Miss Baseball: Looking back at the Rebels career of Derek Diamond

A three-year impact player on the mound during his time in Oxford, here is a look back at the Ole Miss baseball career of right-handed pitcher Derek Diamond.

Looking back at the Ole Miss baseball career of Derek Diamond

Diamond originally came to Ole Miss out of Ramona High School in California, where he would be selected in the 40th round of the 2019 MLB Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. The right-hander would however opt-to attend Ole Miss instead of going the professional route out of high school, and would become one of the headline names in the Rebels 2019 recruiting class.

As a freshman, Diamond would go on to make an immediate impact once in Oxford, making four starts during the shortened 2020 season as the Sunday starter for the Rebels. Across that limited sample size, Diamond would post a 2-0 record with a 3.48 ERA and 15:4 K:BB ratio across 20.2 IP, with opponents holding a .231 AVG against the right-hander.

Diamond would go on to remain as a key piece of the Rebels rotation during the 2021 season as a sophomore, with 14 of his 20 appearances coming as a starter. That season, Diamond would own a combined 3-5 record with a 5.26 ERA and an 82:32 K:BB ratio across what would be a career-high 75.1 IP, while also collecting the lone save of his collegiate career, as well as opponents hitting for a .268 AVG against.

As a junior, Diamond would remain a part of the Rebels rotation, appearing in 16 total games, 14 of which were starts, for an Ole Miss team that would go on to win the national championship. That season, Diamond would own a 4-4 record with a 6.89 ERA and a 57:13 K:BB ratio across 65.1 IP, with opponents hitting for a .292 AVG against the right-hander.

At the conclusion of the 2022 season, Diamond would be selected in the sixth round of the 2022 MLB Draft by the Pittsburgh Pirates, bringing an end to his collegiate career. Across his Ole Miss baseball career combined, Diamond would own a 9-9 record with 5.69 ERA and a 154:49 K:BB ratio across 161.1 IP.

Diamond is now currently in his second professional season in the minor leagues of the Pirates organization, owning a combined 2.77 ERA across 13 IP for his career so far.