Mississippi State baseball got the best possible news it could on Tuesday when star third baseman and slugger Ace Reese was officially announced as returning to Starkville for the 2026 season. Rumors were flying for days that Reese was contemplating entering the transfer portal at the urging of rival programs, but fortunately, the star talent will continue wearing the "M over S."
Having Ace Reese back is massive for the program. The All-American led the Bulldogs with a .352 average, 21 home runs, and 66 RBI in his first season with the program, being named SEC Newcomer of the Year. He's one of the nation's best, and the news of his return has one college baseball insider buying into Mississippi State as a serious contender to reach the College World Series in 2026.
According to D1 Baseball's Kendall Rogers, the return of Ace Reese "makes Mississippi State a very intriguing Omaha contender; that's without a doubt at this point." Rogers highlights that the return of Reese and Bulldog pitcher Ryan McPherson along with transfers in outfielder Aiden Teel and pitchers Tomas Valincius and Davion Hickson have the Bulldogs putting together quite the formidable roster both at the plate and on the mound. They're a team that can challenge for Omaha right away under Brian O'Connor.
"Mississippi State is starting to look like an Omaha program in year one of the O'Connor era."Kendall Rogers
Some quick thoughts on Ace Reese returning to @HailStateBB + some serious Omaha potential in year one of the BOC era. https://t.co/hC61OARtgw pic.twitter.com/Hw4RpiFDTK
— Kendall Rogers (@KendallRogers) July 1, 2025
It's fair to have College World Series expectations right away for Brian O'Connor's Mississippi State program
In a sport with a postseason as unpredictable as college baseball's, it can sometimes be unfair to set an "Omaha or bust" mentality for a program. With that in mind, I won't say it's "Omaha or bust" for Mississippi State baseball in 2026, but it's hard to not set an expectation of contending for the College World Series in Brian O'Connor's first season.
O'Connor is assembling a roster that's as good as any in college baseball for 2026. They should have a deep and powerful lineup with a loaded pitching staff. They're certain to be a preseason Top 10 team, and considering the coaching staff leading them, it's fair to think they can, or even should, have a strong season and be set up for a deep postseason run.
Mississippi State hired Brian O'Connor because they wanted a coach who can have them in contention for Omaha on an annual basis. He proved he could do that with his seven College World Series appearances and 2015 national title at Virginia. And he's clearly constructing his first roster with those expectations in mind.