Reese, Valincius Named All-Americans By Baseball America
June 12, 2026 | Baseball
STARKVILLE – Ace Reese and Tomas Valincius received more All-America honors on Friday.
Reese was voted a unanimous first team All-American by Baseball America while Valincius earned second team honors from the outlet. Mississippi State is one of 11 programs to have multiple players picked as All-Americans by Baseball America this year.
It is the eighth career All-American honor for Reese and the fourth for Valincius this season. So far in 2026, Reese has been tabbed as a first team selection by Perfect Game and a second teamer by the American Baseball Coaches Association (ABCA) and National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association (NCBWA). Valincius earned first team honors from the NCBWA and was a second team selection by the ABCA and Perfect Game.
Reese became the third player in program history to hit 20-plus home runs in back-to-back seasons, joining Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro. The junior third baseman from Canton, Texas was the only player on the team to start all 62 games this spring batting .336 with 23 doubles, 24 homers and 74 RBIs. He currently leads the Southeastern Conference in doubles with that total also tied for the eighth-most in a single season in MSU history. His home run total in 2026 ranks fourth all-time in the school's annals and his 45 career homers in Maroon and White matches Tommy Raffo (1987-90) for ninth all-time at State.
In 16 starts this spring, Valincius posted an 11-2 record on the mound with a 3.50 earned run average. The sophomore left-hander struck out 134 and only walked 20 across 97 2/3 innings this year. His strikeouts were the eighth highest in a single season in school history while his win total tied for 10th. Opposing hitters batted just .230 against him and his 86 strikeouts during conference play led the SEC.
Baseball America voted Reese a second team All-American last season along while designated hitter Noah Sullivan was named a third teamer in 2025. A total of 87 Diamond Dawgs have been named All-Americans during the program's storied history and received 176 All-America honors altogether.
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.
