Reese, Bauer Receive Baseball America Accolades
February 03, 2026 | Baseball
STARKVILLE – More preseason accolades continue to pile up for Ace Reese.
On Tuesday, the Mississippi State junior was tabbed as a first team All-American by Baseball America as well as being selected to the publication's Preseason Player of the Year Watch List.
Reese was also named a first team All-American by Perfect Game and received second team honors from D1Baseball entering the 2026 season.
The 6-foot-4, 220-pounder started 57 games at third base for the Diamond Dawgs last spring and led the team with a .352 batting average, 80 hits, 18 doubles, 21 home runs, 66 RBIs, 163 total bases and a .718 slugging percentage and ranked in the top seven in the Southeastern Conference in each of those categories. His homer total was also the eighth-most in a single season in school history.
Reese was chosen as the SEC Newcomer of the Year, a first team All-SEC selection and produced 25 multi-hit games, 20 multi-RBI games and five multi-homer games during his first year at MSU. The Canton, Texas native also represented the country playing for Team USA in Japan during the summer of 2025.
It is the 168th All-America award in MSU's storied history spanning 58 student-athletes.
Reese wasn't the only Bulldog to receive recognition on Tuesday. Southpaw pitcher Jack Bauer was selected as Baseball America's Preseason Freshman of the Year.
Bauer, who was ranked the nation's No. 1 freshman by both Perfect Game and D1Baseball, is credited with throwing the fastest pitch ever recorded by a prep pitcher at 103 miles per hour.
The 6-foot-4, 195-pounder from Frankfort, Illinois posted a 1.22 earned run average with 56 strikeouts in only 28 1/3 innings as a senior at Lincoln Way East High School where he surrendered just five earned runs.
Bauer, Reese and the fourth-ranked Bulldogs begin the season at home against Hofstra for a three-game series from Feb. 13-15.
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