After a drama-filled few days for Mississippi State baseball fans (at least those active on social media and the message boards...), they can finally rest easy. On Tuesday, D1 Baseball's Kendall Rogers reported that despite rumors running rampant that he would jump in the transfer portal, Diamond Dawgs star slugger Ace Reese would officially be returning to Starkville for his junior season.
SCOOP: Contrary to what has been rumored over the last week or so, @HailStateBB slugger and @d1baseball All-American Ace Reese tells me he will not enter the portal, and will stay put with #HailState. Reese's return is obviously massive for Brian O'Connor and Co. pic.twitter.com/aWm1tD0hCI
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) July 1, 2025
Technically, Reese had already announced his return to Mississippi State back in early June, shortly after the hiring of Brian O'Connor as the program's next head coach. But as all know, things are never quite that simple these days in the transfer portal era.
Just a few days ago rumors began to spread that Ace Reese was contemplating a move, as other programs, notably the reigning national champions, were urging him to enter the transfer portal and join them. Those rumors have been all but confirmed by Mississippi State insiders, and as recently as this morning, no one knew for sure if Reese was going to be back for the Bulldogs or not.
Today was when were going to learn tough, as the portal officially closes at midnight. Thankfully, Ace didn't make us wait around and decided to clear the air. He'll be in the Maroon and White one more year, leading the Diamond Dawg lineup once again.
No transfer portal addition is more valuable to Mississippi State baseball than retaining Ace Reese
Brian O'Connor has been putting together an elite transfer portal class, and the talent he's bringing to Starkville should lead to Mississippi State having one of the very best rosters in the country. But no offseason move has been more pivotal for the Bulldogs than holding onto Ace Reese.
Ace Reese is one of the very best hitters in the nation. The third baseman led MSU with a .352 average, 21 home runs, and 66 RBI. He posted an OPS of 1.140. He earned 1st Team All-SEC honors and was named SEC Newcomer of the Year. Reese has been named an All-American by multiple publications.
There's a reason other programs were eager to tamper with him. If you've got him in your lineup, you've got a chance to do major damage. And even with all the talent State has added, it would have been crushing to lose him, especially to a conference rival. Luckily for the Bulldogs, they fought off those poaching attempts. It's a testament to Brian O'Connor and his staff that they did what was necessary to keep Reese, and they can now confidently say they'll enter the 2026 season with an elite hitter to lead a loaded roster.