More and more preseason predictions and honors are rolling in with the start of the college baseball season eight days away.
A lot of people think Mississippi State is about to have a historic season with new coach Brian O’Connor, a top-rated transfer portal class and signing class. That includes at least four SEC head baseball coaches.
On Thursday, the SEC released its 2026 SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches Poll and All-SEC Preseason teams. The Bulldogs came in at No. 3 in the poll with four first-place votes. LSU was predicted to finish first with nine first-place votes and Texas No. 2.
Additionally, third baseman Ace Reese and DH/Utility player Noah Sullivan were each named to the All-SEC first-team.
Reese earned first team All-SEC honors last spring in addition to being named the SEC Newcomer of the Year. He started 57 games at the hot corner and led the team with a .352 batting average, 80 hits, 18 doubles, 21 home runs, 66 RBIs, 163 total bases and a .718 slugging percentage while ranking in the top seven in the conference in each of those categories.
Sullivan was the lone Bulldog to start all 59 games last year as a pitcher and designated hitter. The graduate from Orlando, Florida finished second on the team hitting .345 with 70 hits, 16 doubles, 15 homers and 46 RBIs. He also ranked third in the SEC with a .475 on-base percentage and reached base in 33 consecutive games during one stretch of the season.
The 6-foot-1, 215-pound right-hander also drew seven midweek starts on the mound where he posted a 1.96 earned run average with 15 strikeouts in 18 1/3 innings but did not factor into a decision.
The Bulldogs will open the season at home with a three-game series against Hofstra from Feb. 13-15.
2026 SEC Baseball Preseason Coaches PollLSU (9)Texas (1)Mississippi State (4)Arkansas (2)AuburnTennesseeFloridaVanderbiltGeorgiaOle MissKentuckyAlabamaTexas A&MOklahomaSouth CarolinaMissouri2026 Coaches Preseason All-SEC TeamsFirst TeamC Ryder Helfrick, Arkansas1B Gavin Grahovac, Texas A&M2B Chris Rembert, Auburn2B Camden Kozeal, Arkansas3B Ace Reese, Mississippi StateSS Justin Lebron, AlabamaSS Tyler Bell, KentuckyOF Derek Curiel, LSUOF Caden Sorrell, Texas A&MOF Henry Ford, TennesseeDH/Util. Noah Sullivan, Mississippi StateSP Hunter Elliott, Ole MissSP Casan Evans, LSUSP Liam Peterson, FloridaSP Dylan Volantis, TexasRP Zac Cowan, LSURP Brandon Arvidson, TennesseeRP Luke McNeillie, FloridaSecond TeamC Chase Fralick, AuburnC Carson Tinney, Texas1B Levi Clark, Tennessee1B Will Furniss, Ole Miss2B Ethan Mendoza, Texas3B Brendan Lawson, FloridaSS Steven Milam, LSUOF Kuhio Aloy, ArkansasOF Bub Terrell, AuburnOF Jake Brown, LSUDH/Util. Braden Holcomb, VanderbiltSP Gabe Gaeckle, ArkansasSP Connor Fennell, VanderbiltSP Ben Cleaver, KentuckyDAWG FEED: