STARKVILLE — Mississippi State baseball has undergone a number of changes over the last seven months, but two familiar faces are still stealing headlines for the team ahead of the 2026 season.

Ace Reese and Noah Sullivan, two All-American returning talents from the 2025 Diamond Dawgs, were recognized on the preseason All-SEC First Team on Thursday. They were the only two Bulldogs featured in the lineups.

Despite the personal accolades, the pair haven’t been too bothered by raking in honors for themselves.

“These awards don’t really mean a whole lot for us,” Sullivan said bluntly when asked about his All-American status on Monday. “As a team it’s cool to see it, but we have to win a lot of games and keep moving forward.”

The pair were among the eight players representing the team in front of local media on Monday for the team’s first media day of the new season, and the new energy was apparent throughout the group. They’re not in it for personal accomplishments, but for a chance to return to the biggest stage in the sport in June.

“I kind of agree,” Reese added. “I mean, it’s nice to see it, but at the end of the day, we all have a goal to get to Omaha as a team. That’s what our focus is on.”

Covering the corners

Reese and Sullivan both did some heavy lifting last year, and the new coaching staff took notice.

“My approach has been, they’re all up for battle,” head coach Brian O’Connor said when asked about position battles. “But the reality is, you know, you’ve got an All-SEC third baseman back in Ace Reese. You’ve got some guys back here that have certainly proven their capability.”

Reese was as effective with his glove as he was with his bat in 2025, and battled through to the end of the season with a loose bone fragment in his foot. He was absent through fall scrimmages and exhibitions after undergoing surgery, but says he’s back to “100%” after the recovery process.

“I’m pumped. It was hard watching them for a while, but it was nice seeing the game from that lens. But watching them work all fall and get out there to be with them now, it’s fun and exciting.”

Sullivan, who was a designated hitter and utility pitcher for MSU last season, has been preparing for a move opposite of Reese to first base this offseason.

He has split time at first base with Blake Bevis, a senior transfer from Ball State who made a big impression as an all-conference player before transferring down south.

“(Bevis) is really good with a bat, an experienced hitter,” Sullivan said. “He’s good at first base; there’s not much he can’t do.”

The position battle has been a learning experience for Sullivan, both in picking up the trade and working alongside a veteran at the spot.

“Me and Blake have been getting after it and pushing each other,” he said. “It’s been a lot of fun to compete with them, and moving forward, I don’t really care where I end up, but whatever the team needs is what I’ll do.”

O’Connor did note that the pair and other key returners have remained team leaders, but said on Monday that there won’t be team captains. Like the competitive spirit at each position, the coaching staff have sought to build leadership throughout the roster ahead of the new campaign.

“There’s a lot of competition, obviously, and we feed off of it,” Reese said of the new squad. “We push each other every day. There aren’t many holes in the lineup, if any, and it’s pretty special. I’m excited to play as a team, see what the lineup looks like, but whatever it is, whatever guys are in the lineup, we’re going to hit. It’s a better, if not the best, hitting lineup I’ve seen.”

By the numbers

The duo enters the season as the most accomplished players in the MSU lineup after impressive 2025 campaigns.

Reese earned All-SEC First Team honors after the 2025 season on top of an SEC Newcomer of the Year award. He started 57 games at third base and led the team with a .352 batting average, 80 hits, 18 doubles, 21 home runs, 66 RBI, 163 total bases and a .718 slugging percentage.

Sullivan was the only MSU player to start in all 59 games last season, contributing as both a designated hitter and a midweek pitching option. He averaged .345 at the plate, recording 70 hits, 16 doubles, 15 homers and 46 RBI. He tossed 18 ⅓ innings on the mound for MSU, posting a 1.96 ERA.

The Bulldogs begin the season ranked No. 4 in the D1Baseball Top 25 and picked to finish third in the preseason SEC coaches poll, receiving four first-place votes. The Bulldogs received the second-most first-place votes behind LSU’s nine.

MSU will begin its season Feb. 13 with Game 1 of a three-game series against Hofstra.