Before he was even born, baseball was in Easton Elliot’s blood.

His father, Terry Elliot, played at Wichita State from 1984-86 and was named the most valuable player on the Shockers for the 1986 season. Following his storied college career, Terry spent four years in the St. Louis Cardinals organization, where he reached Double-A in 1990. 

30 years after his father began his career at Wichita State, Elliot is making a name for himself this summer with the Arroyo Seco Saints. 

This breakout summer couldn’t have come at a better time for Elliot, who entered the summer in the transfer portal after spending a season at Oral Roberts.

Thanks to his strong summer, Elliot announced his commitment to Long Beach State on July 9 for his last collegiate season. 

Long Beach State was the only school to offer Elliot, and he committed two hours after his official visit.

“I didn’t have any hesitations, and I have no regrets as of right now,” Elliot said. “I’m really happy, and I can’t wait to get there.” 

His teammates on the Saints also believe Elliot will be a great fit on the Dirtbags.

“He’s the definition of a Dirtbag,” said Josh Livingston (Wichita State). “He’s going to the perfect place.”

Before his college career started, Elliot played high school ball in his hometown of Andover Central, Kansas.

In his senior year, Elliot was named to the 5A All-State first team as a utility player.

After his high school career, Elliot spent two seasons at Johnson County Community College, where it went 102-27 over his two seasons on the team. 

“[Junior college] was probably the best two years of my life,” Elliot said. “It made me a lot tougher,”

There were no practice limitations, so Elliot and his teammates could practice as much as they wanted. 

Elliot’s love and dedication for baseball are highly respected by his Saints teammate Alex Birge (UC Berkley), who calls him “Beaston.” 

“He’s just a baller,” Birge said. There’s not a guy on the team who loves baseball more.”

During his two years in junior college, Elliot hit .338, stole 38 bases, and was named to the all-conference team in 2023.

Following his two years at Johnson County Community, Elliot made his way to Oklahoma, where he spent the 2024 season at Oral Roberts. 

For the first time in his post-high school career, Elliot struggled to find playing time and slumped at the plate. In just 37 at-bats in 20 games, Elliot hit .244 and only stole one base. 

“There were points when it felt like I was playing my best baseball in the fall,” Elliot said. “It never seemed like they really wanted to play me right away.

With the limited playing time, Elliot felt like he needed more runway to grow as a player and became afraid to fail, knowing if he did, he would lose playing time. 

“Not being scared to fail is the best way to play baseball,” Elliot said. “When I was at Oral Roberts, I was scared to fail.” 

With Elliot feeling so much pressure to succeed, it reached the point where he questioned his love for the game.

“There were some days last year when I didn’t love showing up because of the way things were going for me,” Elliot said.

After the season, Elliot took a chance and decided to play summer ball for the Saints in Pasadena.

“I had to take a risk by coming out here because I didn’t know if I still loved the game,” Elliot said.

Elliot already had a connection to the Saints, as his older brother Cooper Elliot spent the summer of 2021 with the team.

“He loved his time here,” Elliot said. So I figured I’d give it a go myself, and honestly, it’s in the top three for the best things I’ve done in my baseball career.” 

With everything to play for, Elliot is having a breakout summer. He’s hitting .356 with 17 stolen bases. 

Elliot gives a lot of credit for his regained confidence to Saints Head Coach Aaron Milam.

“I’m not afraid to strikeout or make an error because I know coach Milam is not going to bench me when it happens, which is the way I felt when I was at Oral Roberts,” Elliot said. 

Due to his strong summer, Elliot was named to the CCL All-Star team, where he won defensive player of the game at shortstop. He viewed the showcase as his favorite memory of the summer. 

“It was a cool experience getting to meet a bunch of players we’ve been playing against all season,” Elliot said.

While Elliot has been excellent at the plate, he’s just as valuable on defense, where he can play nearly everywhere on the field and provide a positive impact.

He considers it an honor to come to the field, not knowing where he’ll be playing that night.

One of the most significant ways Elliot has grown this summer is on the mental side. 

“I’m just gaining love for the sport again; it makes baseball a lot easier when you love doing it,” Elliot said. 

As Elliot prepares for a new chapter, he has a strong support system every step of the way from Cooper, Terry, and his mother, Terri. 

“I got my dad who will tell me how I’m doing regardless if it’s good or bad,” Elliot said. That’s one of the main reasons as to why I am the player I am because: he’s not going to baby me. On the other side I got my mom who will always support me and tell me I’m doing a good job.”

With the new mindset, Elliot is poised to continue playing great ball on both sides in his new home at Long Beach State.

• Saints reporter Dylan Gonzales (Fresno State)
• Edited by Saints reporter Noah Pineda (UT Austin)
• Saints graphic designer Yandel Salas (Chapman)