Ace Reese Primed for Breakout Season at Mississippi State

Talented hitter looks to build on monster freshman campaign with new coach Brian O'Connor

Published on Feb. 10, 2026

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Ace Reese, a standout transfer from Houston, is poised for a big sophomore season with the Mississippi State Bulldogs baseball team. After putting up impressive offensive numbers as a freshman, including 21 home runs and a .716 slugging percentage, Reese is now focused on improving his defense at third base under new head coach Brian O'Connor. Despite missing fall practice due to an injury, Reese is healthy and ready to compete for a starting job on a deep and talented Bulldogs squad.

Why it matters

Reese's return to Mississippi State is a major boost for the program, as he was one of the best freshmen hitters in the country last season. His development, both offensively and defensively, will be crucial to the Bulldogs' success in 2026 as they look to build on their strong 2025 campaign.

The details

Reese transferred to Mississippi State after a standout freshman season at Houston, where he earned All-Big 12 Freshman honors. Last year with the Bulldogs, he batted .347 with 21 home runs and 17 doubles, despite playing through a foot injury that required offseason surgery. This year, Reese is focused on improving his defense at third base, an area he struggled with at times in 2025. New head coach Brian O'Connor has been working closely with Reese on his defensive development, and the talented hitter is eager to show his progress.

  • Reese missed the entire fall practice session as he rehabbed his foot injury.
  • Reese and the Bulldogs open their 2026 season this Friday.

The players

Ace Reese

A standout sophomore transfer from Houston, Reese was the SEC's Newcomer of the Year in 2025 after putting up monster offensive numbers for the Bulldogs.

Brian O'Connor

The new head coach of the Mississippi State Bulldogs, O'Connor has been working closely with Reese to improve his defense at third base.

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What they’re saying

“It's been awesome. It was cool having a lot of the new guys and keeping the old guys, they kind of taught us how the coaches work and we taught them the Mississippi State way of how we do things. Having that gel is nice and we get after it every day.”

— Ace Reese (on3.com)

“It was unfortunate that Ace Reese was out the entire fall because of the defensive part of it. You wanted to be able to work with him in order for him to get reps for his progression and development in order for our team to be successful. That is what it is. I will tell you, in the three or four weeks that we've been back, I feel like his progression at third base has been very, very good and we've gotten some quality time in his development.”

— Brian O'Connor, Head Coach (on3.com)

What’s next

Reese and the Bulldogs will open their 2026 season this Friday, looking to build on their strong 2025 campaign and Reese's continued development.

The takeaway

Ace Reese's return to Mississippi State is a major boost for the Bulldogs, as the talented hitter looks to build on his monster freshman season. With a focus on improving his defense at third base, Reese could be poised for an even bigger year in 2026 as part of a deep and talented Mississippi State lineup.