STARKVILLE — Wes Rea doesn’t want Mississippi State baseball fans to be confused.
A year ago, the Bulldogs’ co-captain told fans to make hotel and ticket reservations for the College World Series in Omaha, Neb.
The fact that the junior first baseman hasn’t taken social media by storm yet doesn’t mean the expectations for this season have changed. Instead, Rea, who has had a knack of connecting with fans in his career, hasn’t been as boisterous about the goals for this season because he doesn’t feel that behavior is needed anymore.
“That attitude is still there, and let’s be honest, after getting to the national championship series last year, we know how close we were to getting that done,” Rea said. “I think last year, for whatever reason, we wanted our fans to know we had these beliefs in ourselves. Maybe we don’t need to broadcast those thoughts this time, but nothing has changed.”
MSU coach John Cohen remembers seeing Rea’s tweet prior to the 2013 season and admits he was concerned and proud at the same moment.
“Part of me was proud of Wes because it really did set a tone for that club,” Cohen said. “As a coach, you’re going to tell him that wasn’t something to do, but in the back of my mind I’m smiling when he did it because I knew he’d be able to handle the responsibility of putting that out there.”
Cohen said it’s accurate to describe Rea as a “poster child” for MSU baseball because the Gulfport native understands how team members can earn celebrity status for their exploits on one of the school’s most popular squads.
Following MSU’s loss to UCLA in the CWS Championship series, Cohen thanked the MSU fans who traveled to Omaha and created a home-field advantage for MSU. Rea accentuated that point with a Tweet from his cell phone the following morning that encouraged fans to “remember this year, I hope it means as much to you as it will for me.”
“I know Wes’ parents know this better than I do, but when you bring people into your program, you remember moments that make you proud,” Cohen said. “It goes back to when you were in school and you would make something for your parents. You didn’t buy that, and that’s what makes it special. That moment was where Wes made that for our fans, and I thought it was so special for him to have that appreciation for others.”
That’s part of the reason Cohen was happy to see the Bulldogs elect Rea and senior pitcher Ben Bracewell captains.
Rea said his goals are to help MSU win a national championship and to change his identity. As much as he wants to help MSU win a title, he also doesn’t want to be defined by what sport he chose to play in college. A four-star prospect in football, Rea was told four years ago to give up baseball, the sport he loved more than any other. The 17-year-old Rea, who had scholarship offers to play at 11 Southeastern Conference schools and other college football powers like Nebraska, shut down his football recruiting to play baseball at MSU.
Last week, Rea said he still hears derisive comments about his choice.
“It’s wild to me because I sometimes want to tell people, ‘Hey, I’m doing what I love here’ and I want to bring a national championship to Mississippi State,” Rea said. “I think that’s pretty important.”
A slimmer Rea hopes to tackle that goal with renewed vigor. Following the 2013 season, MSU coaches asked the Rea, who was listed at 272 pounds last year, to lose more than 25 pounds in time for fall conditioning. He attacked that goal by changing his eating habits and eliminating sugar.
“You’re talking about one of the most elite athletes I’ve ever seen in terms of hands and feet,” Cohen said. “You look a Wes Rea’s hands and footwork in a small space and it’s remarkable how good he looks defensively. He’s somebody we recruited because of his defense, not in spite of it like a lot of big guys you see in this game.”
The weight loss has helped Rea’s agility as MSU continues preparations for its season opener at 4 p.m. Friday, Feb. 14, against Hofstra at Dudy Noble Field. Rea hopes the changes will help him get through a season without an injury. Two years ago, a cyst issue attacked the shoulder that needed surgery to repair rotator cuff damage he suffered before he signed with MSU out of Harrison Central High School. Early last season, he dealt with a quad issue in the cold weather.
“There were times last season I swear I couldn’t feel the bat in my right hand,” Rea said. “I know that’s so hard to get people to understand, but it’s true. It’s really hard to find any consistency with your approach when you have random numbness just going down your right arm.”
Rea recovered from the slow start to hit .291 with seven home runs and 40 RBIs in 53 starts. His performance changed the scouting report on his future.
“His first two years at MSU, I wondered why Cohen recruited such a kid that seemed fat, unconditioned, (and a) heavy-footed player that was injured all the time,” A National League scout told The Dispatch this spring. “Now it’s like a new kid came back to MSU and he has helped them at the plate and with the glove. It’s an amazing dedication to his craft.”
Rea isn’t satisfied with what he did last year, though. His goals are much higher, even if he isn’t putting them out there on social media.
“There’s times when we give some of the players a off day during the season, but he’ll come back to the facility and sit on a bucket to watch one of our guys throw a bullpen session,” Cohen said. “That has a purpose. He wants to know what our guys are throwing so he can be prepared defensively. He is so prepared and smart, and that gets missed with Wes Rea, too. A lot of things get missed when you watch Wes for the first time.”
Follow Matt Stevens on Twitter @matthewcstevens.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 36 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.