Cannon Ballers press release

KANNAPOLIS  – Tim Elko, who finished the 2023 season with 17 home runs in just 66 games played, has earned the distinction of Carolina League All-Star at the Designated Hitter position by Minor League Baseball (MiLB) for his efforts with the Kannapolis Cannon Ballers.

The voting was completed by Carolina League managers, and the awards were recently finalized by the Commissioner’s Office. With the award, Elko becomes the first Cannon Baller to earn a postseason award since the league began handing out postseason awards.

After a career in college that saw him win a College World Series and earn the title of captain of the Ole Miss baseball program, Elko joined the Cannon Ballers for the later portions of 2022, returning in 2023 with high expectations to be a cornerstone at the plate. The righty-bat did just that, getting off to a fast start by earning the Carolina League Player of the Month award for April.

Playing in 66 of a possible 68 games in his tenure with Kannapolis, Elko led the team in nearly every offensive category. The 10th-round selection in 2022 left the Carolina League on June 27 leading the entire league in hits (77), home runs (17) and runs batted in (57).

Despite only playing in a Ballers uniform until late June, Elko led the Carolina League in home runs until the penultimate day of the Carolina League regular season.