College baseball is rapidly approaching, and players from all three of Mississippi’s major programs have received preseason recognition by their respective conferences.
In the SEC, Mississippi State and Ole Miss had two players apiece crack the all-conference club heading into the 2026 campaign. The Bulldogs, entering year one of the Brian O’Connor era, were voted the No. 2 team in the conference, one spot behind reigning national champion LSU, while the Rebels were ranked No. 10 in the SEC going into Mike Bianco’s 26th season in Oxford.
In the Sun Belt, Southern Miss had a trio of players listed among those who the conference expects to shine in the upcoming season. Entering year three of the Christian Ostrander era in Hattiesburg, the Golden Eagles came in as the No. 2 team in the conference, falling one spot behind national champion runner-up Coastal Carolina.
All three Mississippi clubs made the postseason in 2025, with Ole Miss and Southern Miss hosting regionals. However, none of the teams advanced beyond the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Looking to change that during this year’s quest for Omaha, the following players have been eyed by their conferences as possible catalysts for a College World Series appearance.
Mississippi State
Coming in as a first-team All-SEC selection is arguably one of the hottest commodities in the country — third baseman Ace Reese. Reese, after transferring to Mississippi State from Houston, had a monstrous sophomore campaign, where he led the Diamond Dogs in batting average (.352), hits (80), multi-hit games (25), and multi-RBI games (20), earning All-America honors in the process.
Joining Reese on the SEC’s preseason first team is designated hitter Noah Sullivan. A senior, Sullivan was the only Bulldog to start all 59 games last year, batting .345 batting average with 70 hits and 15 home runs. He also made seven appearances on the mound, posting a 1.96 ERA.
Ole Miss
The Rebels’ lone first-team selection will give the team a fighting chance every Friday night. Ace pitcher Hunter Elliott led the Rebels in ERA (2.94), opponent batting average (.197), wins (10), innings pitched (85.2), strikeouts (102), and pickoffs (13) in his first full season since the historic championship run in 2022.
On the conference’s second team is first baseman Will Furniss. The left-hander appeared in 58 games, starting in 51 of them, where he had a .305 bating average with 12 home runs, 47 RBI, and 43 walks.
Southern Miss
Headlining the Golden Eagles’ all-conference selections is Colby Allen. Last year, the right-handed hurler appeared in 29 games, including two starts, and posted a 7-4 record with 12 saves, along with a 3.63 ERA and 77 strikeouts.
Joining Allen are catcher Tucker Stockman and outfielder Ben Higdon. Stockman appeared in 56 games in 2025, with 52 starts, batting .332 with nine doubles, six home runs, and 33 RBI. Higdon batted .323 with nine doubles, seven home runs, and 22 RBI for Southern Miss last year after transferring in from Kentucky.
All three schools will begin the 2026 season with a three-game home series beginning Feb. 13. Mississippi State will host Hofstra at Dudy Noble Park. Ole Miss will welcome Nevada to Swayze Field. Southern Miss will take on UC Santa Barbara at Pete Taylor Park.