Gene Smith

[College Ballparks @CollegeBallpark]

Field Dimensions for 2026 #NCAA Regional Hosts

[SportsNet Pittsburgh @SNPittsburgh]

Jake Mangum saw a young fan wearing his jersey and made sure the ball got to her...

That reaction 🥹 💛 ⬇️

[Heath Sellers @CoachSellers]

My kids met the GODFATHER, the LEGEND, and the 🐐 of Collegiate Baseball yesterday! One day they’ll see this picture and realize just how big it was and the greatness of the guy in the legendary M over S Maroon cap after a 🧹 in Oxford, MS! @CoachRonPolk

[Mississippi State Baseball @HailStateBB]

Welcoming the Class of 2026 into the Ron Polk Ring of Honor

[Doug Kyle @SemperCaninus]

MISSISSIPPI STATE START OF SPRING PRACTICE PREVIEW

Mississippi State Baseball has begun preparing to open the Oakball era Feb. 13 with Hofstra visiting Dudy Noble Field for a three-game series. After fall contests with Florida State and Louisiana Tech, it’s time to play some that count!

State returns 15 players from last year’s team and welcomes 18 transfers to go along with 8 incoming freshmen.

With the arrival of new head coach Brian O’Connor from Virginia, along with a totally new staff except for retention of pitching coach Justin Parker (who served as interim head coach after the April 28 dismissal of Chris Lemonis), so too followed a group who played for “Oak” in Charlottesville.

Headlining the group were names like outfielders Aiden Teel and James Nunnallee, pitchers Tomas Valincius (vuh-link-us) and William Kirk, and catcher/infielder Chone James. Outfielder Vytas Valincius, brother of Tomas, also transferred from Illinois.

Others included pitchers Maddox Webb (Citadel), Jackson Logar (James Madison), Tyler Pitzer, and Brendan Sweeney (both from South Carolina). They were joined throughout the summer by infielder Ryder Woodson (NC State), outfielder Blake Bevis (Ball State), catchers Kevin Milewski (Seton Hall) and Andrew Raymond (George Mason), and shortstop Drew Wyers (Bryant).

The Bulldogs also picked up three junior college transfers, two-way player Chris Billingsley, and pitchers Patrick Spencer, Jr., and Peyton Fowler. Overall, the transfer class was rated #3 nationally by 64 Analytics, after holding down the #1 spot for much of the portal period.

What may have been just as important to the Bulldogs was who they kept among the 15 returnees. The Ace of the team, literally and figuratively, is All-SEC/All-America third baseman Ace Reese, named the Southeastern Conference Newcomer of the Year in 2025, and the subject of an intense frenzy of transfer rumors over the summer, despite not even being in the portal. He sat out fall practice, recovering from toe surgery on Sept. 10 to correct a nagging injury he played through for most of the 2025 season and summer ball. Reese is fully recovered now and regularly appearing on preseason All-America lists as well as MLB draft first round projections.

Other key stalwarts back for another season are Pitcher/Designated Hitter Noah Sullivan, infielders-turned-outfielders Gehrig Frei and Reed Stallman, outfielder Bryce Chance, infielder Gatlin Sanders, catcher Jackson Owen and a bevy of up-and-coming pitchers that includes Ben Davis, Charlie Foster, Ryan McPherson, Dane Burns, Duke Stone, J.T. Schnoor, and 2025 redshirts Jack Gleason and Braden Booth.

Interestingly enough, the returning players had both better batting and earned run averages than last year's team, .330 (.304) and 3.73 (4.44)

Leading the top recruits to reach campus are 100+ MPH pitcher Jack Bauer (#1 on the Prep Baseball Report Top Freshmen for 2026) and outfielder Jacob Parker (#9), whose shortstop twin brother JoJo signed with Toronto as the #8 pick in the MLB draft. Jacob was also drafted, in the 19th round by Arizona, but he chose to attend school. Bauer, who has hit 103 on the gun, was not drafted despite being rated high on projection lists. Two other Bulldogs, pitchers Parker Rhodes (#36) and Maddox Miller (#44) also landed in the Top 100 to give MSU four in the prestigious rankings, topped in the SEC only by Tennessee and LSU.

They are joined by multi-position player Peter Mershon (brother of 2024 All-SEC shortstop David Mershon), catchers Tanner Beliveau and Charlie Wortham, and infielder Nick Frontino. Mershon was ranked #28 by Perfect Game of its Top 500 Players to Reach Campus in 2026, with all eight MSU freshmen making the list.

Over the summer Reese and McPherson played on Team USA’s trip to Japan, Pitzer was named the Outstanding Cape Cod League Pitcher, and Nunnallee hit .375 to earn Valley League All-Star selection.

(Below) Head Coach Brian O’Connor, roster with no changes from fall.

[MyDawgsPod (Landon Tucker) @MyDawgsPod]

MSU adds some 🥩 on the OL with transfer-Arkansas redshirt freshman LJ Prudhomme

[Brian O'Connor @CoachOakMSU]

It was an absolute pleasure to have the SEC’s all-time hit king @jakemangum15 talk to our team about what it means to wear the M-over-S today! #HailState

[Mississippi State Football @HailStateFB]

The Dawgs Have Arrived!

[Peter Burns @PeterBurnsESPN]

My #SECThisMorning Tell The Truth:

If it’s @HailStateFB vs Everybody….I know who I’m riding with.

If you visit Starkville one time, you are family and I won’t stand for anyone EVER taking shots at that town & their fans.

[Bulldog Graphics @Bulldog_Graphic]

Been a minute since I’ve cranked out a schedule wallpaper. Might knock out a few more before kickoff while I still have optimism.

[Tampa Bay Rays @RaysBaseball]

Mangum on the inside 😤

[Uncle Rico @uncle_rico__]

4 years ago today

[NPGPX Design @NathanPurvis]

Too Much Dawg In Him. #HailState

📸: @HailStateBB

[Ryan Bass @Ry_Bass]

#Rays OF Jake Mangum’s first-ever call up to the majors is a sweet one for the @HailStateBB legend. To get here, had to take a 3-hour @Uber ride from Norfolk - where to @DurhamBulls were playing - back to Durham to pack a bag and fly out this morning to Tampa.

“(My uber driver) Amy's an angel. She was fantastic,” Mangum said about the 3-hour, late-evening ride.

“FaceTimed my dad and my mom was with him,” Mangum said after he got the news from Bulls skipper Morgan Ensberg. “It was their wedding anniversary, so that was really cool. I didn't cry too bad until I saw my mom cry...it was just a lot of special phone calls and text messages. It was special moment.”

Jake said his mom Stacy and father drove through the night to get to town. They got into their Tampa hotel at 8am.

“They're sleeping right now,” Mangum joked. “They'll be at the game today. We got a pretty good crew coming, so we're excited.

[Jamie Shaw @JamieShaw5]

NEWS: Tee Bartlett, On3’s No. 6 ranked center in the 2025 class, commits to Mississippi State @On3Recruits has learned 🎯

A Full Scouting Breakdown | READ: https://t.co/NhsMToT38k

[Rachel Bitecofer 🗽🦆 @RachelBitecofer]

Big fan of this @Evangels4Harris ad. They should air it on the 700 club.👇

https://t.co/3ctHj9Vl96

[Gene Smith @genesmith56]

@mylessmith33 Not a miracle…it’s what I call hard work

[Khal Stephen @KhalStephen]

This is one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made. I’m forever grateful for my time and relationships built at Purdue… I’ll always be a boiler at heart. With that being said, I’m excited to announce I will be taking the opportunity to transfer to Mississippi State!! #HailState