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Mississippi State’s Ace Reese (Photo by Eddie Kelly)

The 2026 college baseball season is almost here. As such, we’re breaking down every preseason Top 25 team in greater detail. Check out Mississippi State’s 2026 season preview below.

Quick Hits

Last Season: 36-23 (15-15 SEC); Eliminated in Tallahassee Regional

Final 2025 Ranking: Unranked

Coach (Record at school): Brian O’Connor (0-0, 1st season)

College Baseball Top 25 Skinny

Mississippi State’s unforgiving expectations triggered the in-season dismissal of seventh-year coach Chris Lemonis, the architect of the program’s 2021 national championship, and launched the most visible coaching search of the offseason. The Bulldogs landed longtime Virginia coach Brian O’Connor, who departed Charlottesville after 22 seasons to take over one of the sport’s most heavily resourced programs. O’Connor moved quickly to reshape the roster, securing one of the nation’s strongest transfer classes, signing a wave of high-profile high school talent and retaining key contributors from the previous staff. The result was a rapid reset aligned with Mississippi State’s Omaha-or-bust standard.

Mississippi State Baseball Strengths

O’Connor’s first roster in Starkville reflects a comprehensive, layered approach. Retention formed the foundation. Star third baseman Ace Reese, a second-team All-America selection, stayed in the fold despite portal speculation. The Bulldogs also retained third-team All-America two-way player Noah Sullivan, infielder Gehrig Frei and young righthanders Duke Stone and Ryan McPherson. From there, O’Connor leaned heavily into the transfer portal.

He brought several trusted pieces from Virginia, including outfielders James Nunnallee and Aidan Teel and lefthander Tomas Valincius, while also landing non-Virginia transfers such as first baseman Blake Bevis, outfielder Vytas Valincius and pitchers Tyler Pitzer, Jackson Logar and Maddox Webb. The final layer came through high school recruiting, where Mississippi State beat the draft for five top-300 prospects, including hard-throwing lefthander Jack Bauer, who could impact the staff early. The defining strength of the roster is its depth. Talent is distributed across positions, classes and experience levels, giving Mississippi State both immediate flexibility and long-term stability.

Mississippi State Baseball Weaknesses

The challenge facing Mississippi State is not talent-driven, but expectation-driven. The decision to part ways with Lemonis, fewer than four full seasons removed from delivering the program’s only national championship, clarified the standard: anything short of national contention is insufficient. That reality creates pressure even for a coach with O’Connor’s résumé.

O’Connor’s final season at Virginia ended without an NCAA tournament berth after a run of three College World Series appearances in four years despite being ranked fifth nationally to start the season. A similar early stumble in Starkville would draw significant scrutiny, particularly given the financial and institutional commitment attached to his hire. Managing that transition while integrating a heavily reworked roster remains the primary variable.

Mississippi State Baseball Player To Know

Reese emerged as one of the nation’s premier hitters in 2025, slashing .352/.422/.718 with 18 doubles, 21 home runs and 66 RBIs while earning SEC newcomer of the year and second-team All-America honors. He followed that season with a productive Cape Cod League stint and time with USA Baseball’s Collegiate National Team. Built at 6-foot-3, 205 pounds, Reese pairs compact mechanics with explosive bat speed, producing a 105.4 mph 90th-percentile exit velocity and a 55% hard-hit rate.

Mississippi State Baseball 2026 Projected Lineup, Rotation

PosPlayerYearAVGOBPSLGABHRRBINote/former schoolCAndrew RaymondSo..287.393.431174533George Mason1BBlake BevisSr..301.369.6152261852Ball State2BGehrig FreiSr..345.404.5861458173BAce ReeseJr..352.422.7182272166SSDrew WyersSr..407.521.7101451150BryantOFAidan TeelR-Jr..317.442.538186740VirginiaOFJames NunnalleeSo..296.407.401142126VirginiaOFVytas ValinciusG-Sr..348.434.520204758IllinoisDHNoah SullivanG-Sr..345.475.6452031546PosYearGSIPERAWHIPSO%BB%SPTomas ValinciusSo.1264.24.591.2525.56.2VirginiaSPDuke StoneSo.04.25.791.9329.212.5SPJackson LogarJr.1474.03.531.2321.412.2James MadisonRPRyan McPhersonSo.239.14.121.0932.98.8RPJack BauerFr.Lincoln Way East HS (Ilinois)RPTyler PitzerJr.228.16.992.0821.919.2South Carolina