Photo by: Hallie Walker/Mississippi State Athletics
Reese, Valincius Tabbed As Dick Howser Trophy Semifinalists
May 14, 2026 | Baseball
STARKVILLE – For the second straight season, Mississippi State has two players selected as semifinalists for the Dick Howser Trophy, which is presented each year to the top player in college baseball.
Ace Reese and Tomas Valincius are among the 48 semifinalists up for this year's prestigious honor. Reese was also a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy in 2025 along with teammate Noah Sullivan.
Reese is batting .335 this season and leads the Southeastern Conference with 21 doubles. Â The junior third baseman from Canton, Texas is also third in total bases (143), fourth in RBIs (63), fifth in runs (61), sixth in home runs (18) and slugging (.704), eighth in OPS (1.134) and ninth in hits (68).
In 13 starts on the mound, Valincius owns an 8-2 record and a 2.52 earned run average with 105 strikeouts and just 16 walks across 75 innings. Opposing hitters are batting just .209 against him. The sophomore left-hander from Lockport, Illinois ranks second in the SEC in strikeouts and wins, third in innings pitched and fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.56) and WHIP (0.99).
Reese and Valincius are two of 15 players from the SEC to be picked as semifinalists. MSU is one of 12 teams to have two or more players recognized as semifinalists. Finalists for the Dick Howser Trophy will be announced on June 4 with the winner selected on June 12 on MLB Network.
Reese is the first Mississippi State player to tabbed a semifinalist for multiple years. Brent Rooker is the only Bulldog to be named a finalist for the award in 2017. It is also the second time State has had two semifinalists in the same year joining Jake Mangum and Ethan Small in 2019.
2026 DICK HOWSER TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS (Alphabetically)
Pos. Name, School
Jarren Advincula, Georgia Tech, 2B
Drew Burress, Georgia Tech, OF
Dylan Carey, Nebraska, SS
Lorenzo Carrier, Pitt, OF
Roch Cholowsky, UCLA, SS
Quinton Coats, Cincinnati, 1B
Nu'u Contrades, Arizona State, 2B
Tague Davis, Louisville, 1B
Jason DeCaro, North Carolina, SP
Evan Dempsey, FGCU, UTIL
Hunter Dietz, Arkansas, SP
Mason Edwards, USC, SP
Jackson Flora, UCSB, SP
Will Gasparino, UCLA, OF
Joey Giordano, Richmond, SP
Caden Glauber, North Carolina, RP
Graham Grahovac, Texas A&M, 1B
Eric Guevara, Auburn, 3B
Easton Hawk, UCLA, RP
Landon Hairston, Arizona State, OF
Ryder Helfrick, Arkansas, C
Daniel Jackson, Georgia, C
Jimmy Janicki, Troy, C
Jorsixt Jimenez, Tennessee Tech, OF
Gavin Kelly, West Virginia, 2B
Dee Kennedy, Kansas State, SS
Aidan King, Florida, SP
Vahn Lackey, Georgia Tech, C
Tyson LeBlanc, Kansas, SS
Tanner Malley, Western Michigan, OF
Michael Malki, California Baptist, SP
Wes Mendes, Florida State, SP
Kyle Morrison, Southern Miss, 2B
Alex Petrovic, Auburn, SP
Tre' Phelps, Georgia, 3B
Logan Redderman, UCLA, SP
Ace Reese, Mississippi State, 3B
Kollin Ritchie, Oklahoma State, OF
Aidan Robbins, Texas, OF
Albert Roblez, Oregon State, RP
Aiden Sims, Texas A&M, SP
Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M, OF
Carson Tinney, Texas, C
Tomas Valincius, Mississippi State, SP
Dylan Volantis, Texas, SP
KJ White, Southern Univ., SS
Dax Whitney, Oregon State, SP
Maxx Yehl, West Virginia, SP
Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the baseball program. Fans can also follow the program on social media by searching 'HailStateBB' on X, Facebook and Instagram.
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Ace Reese and Tomas Valincius are among the 48 semifinalists up for this year's prestigious honor. Reese was also a semifinalist for the Dick Howser Trophy in 2025 along with teammate Noah Sullivan.
Reese is batting .335 this season and leads the Southeastern Conference with 21 doubles. Â The junior third baseman from Canton, Texas is also third in total bases (143), fourth in RBIs (63), fifth in runs (61), sixth in home runs (18) and slugging (.704), eighth in OPS (1.134) and ninth in hits (68).
In 13 starts on the mound, Valincius owns an 8-2 record and a 2.52 earned run average with 105 strikeouts and just 16 walks across 75 innings. Opposing hitters are batting just .209 against him. The sophomore left-hander from Lockport, Illinois ranks second in the SEC in strikeouts and wins, third in innings pitched and fourth in strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.56) and WHIP (0.99).
Reese and Valincius are two of 15 players from the SEC to be picked as semifinalists. MSU is one of 12 teams to have two or more players recognized as semifinalists. Finalists for the Dick Howser Trophy will be announced on June 4 with the winner selected on June 12 on MLB Network.
Reese is the first Mississippi State player to tabbed a semifinalist for multiple years. Brent Rooker is the only Bulldog to be named a finalist for the award in 2017. It is also the second time State has had two semifinalists in the same year joining Jake Mangum and Ethan Small in 2019.
2026 DICK HOWSER TROPHY SEMIFINALISTS (Alphabetically)
Pos. Name, School
Jarren Advincula, Georgia Tech, 2B
Drew Burress, Georgia Tech, OF
Dylan Carey, Nebraska, SS
Lorenzo Carrier, Pitt, OF
Roch Cholowsky, UCLA, SS
Quinton Coats, Cincinnati, 1B
Nu'u Contrades, Arizona State, 2B
Tague Davis, Louisville, 1B
Jason DeCaro, North Carolina, SP
Evan Dempsey, FGCU, UTIL
Hunter Dietz, Arkansas, SP
Mason Edwards, USC, SP
Jackson Flora, UCSB, SP
Will Gasparino, UCLA, OF
Joey Giordano, Richmond, SP
Caden Glauber, North Carolina, RP
Graham Grahovac, Texas A&M, 1B
Eric Guevara, Auburn, 3B
Easton Hawk, UCLA, RP
Landon Hairston, Arizona State, OF
Ryder Helfrick, Arkansas, C
Daniel Jackson, Georgia, C
Jimmy Janicki, Troy, C
Jorsixt Jimenez, Tennessee Tech, OF
Gavin Kelly, West Virginia, 2B
Dee Kennedy, Kansas State, SS
Aidan King, Florida, SP
Vahn Lackey, Georgia Tech, C
Tyson LeBlanc, Kansas, SS
Tanner Malley, Western Michigan, OF
Michael Malki, California Baptist, SP
Wes Mendes, Florida State, SP
Kyle Morrison, Southern Miss, 2B
Alex Petrovic, Auburn, SP
Tre' Phelps, Georgia, 3B
Logan Redderman, UCLA, SP
Ace Reese, Mississippi State, 3B
Kollin Ritchie, Oklahoma State, OF
Aidan Robbins, Texas, OF
Albert Roblez, Oregon State, RP
Aiden Sims, Texas A&M, SP
Caden Sorrell, Texas A&M, OF
Carson Tinney, Texas, C
Tomas Valincius, Mississippi State, SP
Dylan Volantis, Texas, SP
KJ White, Southern Univ., SS
Dax Whitney, Oregon State, SP
Maxx Yehl, West Virginia, SP
Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the baseball program. Fans can also follow the program on social media by searching 'HailStateBB' on X, Facebook and Instagram.
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