Looking ahead to the 2027 season, Mississippi State head coach Brian O’Connor believes, “the foundation is set.”
The Bulldogs finished two wins shy of a return to the College World Series in O’Connor’s first year. MSU was swept in two close games at Georgia in the super regionals, a sour end to an inaugural season that saw State’s first Starkville regional and regional win since 2021.
“What’s being built is a bunch of really hard-nosed baseball players that love to play the game,” freshman Jacob Parker said when asked what is being built in the program. “I’ll be here for two more years, and for the next two years that’s what you’ll get out of us. Guys who love to play the game.”
As MSU switches gears to transfer portal recruiting ahead of the 2027 season, O’Connor’s focus is filling the holes left by the older Bulldogs on the 2026 squad.
“We’re certainly gonna need to do a great job recruiting,” O’Connor said after MSU’s season ended on Sunday. “We’ve got a pretty veteran club position player-wise.”
State is set to lose four of its top five leaders in batting average. Outfielder Bryce Chance (.349), designated hitter Noah Sullivan (.342) and second baseman Gehrig Frei (.325) are all out of eligibility. Junior third baseman Ace Reese, who hit .336 and was the team leader in home runs (24) and RBI (74), is almost assuredly off to the pros as a projected first round pick.
Graduates Reed Stallman, who was sixth on the team in batting average and third in RBI with 55, and Vytas Valincius, who started all five of MSU’s NCAA tournament games in left field, are also out of eligibility.
Parker and sophomore Ryder Woodson are State’s top returning production for 2027.
Parker looks to be the leader of the offense next season. He was second in the team in RBI (62) and home runs (18). Woodson started every game in the NCAA tournament and started 56 games through the season. He batted .272 with 41 RBI.
Junior Kevin Milewski was under the radar statistically this season, but had a coming out party in the super regionals hitting three home runs. He still has a year of eligibility remaining.
O’Connor said guys like Parker who understand the foundation that was set this season will be important in carrying and passing that foundation to State’s additions for next season.
The Bulldogs already added its first portal pieces to the lineup. Brady Christman is coming to Starkville from Georgia Southern after an All-Sun Belt First Team and conference freshman of the year season with the Eagles. Jake Souders is going from Bulldogs to Bulldogs after a successful two years with Samford.
State has work to do to fill its lineup, but the Bulldogs’ pitching rotation looks solidified for 2027.
Tomas Valincius, Ryan McPherson and Duke Stone, all sophomores, are set to return to Starkville for next season. Valincius led State’s rotation, starting in 17 games. He boasted a 3.50 ERA, a 1.08 WHIP and an 11-2 record.
Stone started 15 games with a 5.31 ERA and a 7-3 record. Injury plagued McPherson’s 2026 season. He was sidelined for seven weeks with an arm injury after starting the year as the Bulldogs’ Friday starter. He started 10 games with a 3.56 ERA.
Sophomore Dane Burns and junior Maddox Webb appeared in a combined 55 games out of the bullpen and both could be back next season. Both also qualify for the MLB Draft; Webb finished his junior season and Burns is 21 years old. Junior Tyler Pitzer is also eligible to enter the draft. He had a 3.90 ERA in his 22 appearances.
Freshmen Maddox Miller and Jack Gleason combined for 43 appearances.
With Burns, Webb and Pitzer a question, and senior Ben Davis out the door, the Bulldogs will likely hunt for a few arms to fill the bullpen.
“The foundation is laid, we’ll continue to add to that,” O’Connor said. “And we need to get to work and add the pieces to be successful.”
In his first offseason at MSU, O’Connor brought in 18 transfers.
Jake is the Mississippi State athletics reporter for The Dispatch.
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