Bulldogs flip another Virginia recruit as shortstop Zach Geertsma commits

Brian O’Connor continues his recruiting momentum as Mississippi State lands former Virginia commit Zach Geertsma for 2026.

Mississippi State Head Coach Brian O'Connor during the Brian O’Connor Welcome Event at Dudy Noble Field at Polk-Dement Stadium in Starkville, MS. | Mississippi State Athletic

While we wait for Mississippi State’s football team to complete its closed scrimmage and coach Jeff Lebby’s post-scrimmage press conference where he’ll repeatedly say something about needing to watch the film first, the baseball team has provided us with something to hold us over.

The Bulldogs’ 2026 recruiting class received a boost Saturday morning with former Virginia commit Zach Geertsma, a short stop from New Jersey, announcing his commitment to Mississippi State via Instagram.

He won’t be apart of the 2026 Bulldogs, but the addition of a highly-rated high school player only reinforces how much of a home run hire Brian O’Connor was.

Geertsma is the fifth high school player to commit to Mississippi State after originally being committed to Virginia. The others are: catcher Hunter Strohm, shortstop Noah Danza, RHP Daniel Nienaber and outfielder Michael Hanna.

Mississippi State’s roster is already at a championship-caliber level for the upcoming season, thanks in large part to the former Virginia players that followed O’Connor Starkville via the transfer portal.

Left-handed pitcher Tomas Valincius and outfielder Aidan Teel were two of the highest rated players in the transfer portal. Also, former Cavaliers James Nunnallee, Chone James and William Kirk followed O’Connor to Starkville.

Perhaps the most important former Virginia commit to come to Starkville instead is LHP Jack Bauer, who holds the record for highest recorded fastball velocity for a high school pitcher at 103 miles per hour.

But O’Connor wasn’t made the second-highest paid SEC coach to have just one great season. The expectations are for multiple great seasons (great = a trip to Omaha).

That’s why Geertsma’s announced is noteworthy. He’s a talented shortstop that posted a .453 batting average with 443 this, 43 runs, 33 RBI and eight home runs as a junior. Additionally, his team went undefeated last season.

Shortstop was a position of need for the Bulldogs that was addressed by the transfer portal addition of Drew Wyers, but planning for the future, Geertsma is a great addition.

Mississippi State 2026 Recruiting Class

RHP Wilson Anderson
OF Martin Shelar
1B Dax Hardcastle
3B Landon Brown
RHP Daniel Nienaber
SS Noah Danza
SS Zach Geertsma
OF Michael Hanna
LHP Beckett Doane
LHP Quincy Bright
1B Alex Edisis
C Hunter Strohm

Mississippi State Incoming Transfers

LHP Tomas Valincius (Virginia)
OF James Nunnallee (Virginia)
C/INF Chone James (Virginia)
INF Vytas Valincius (Illinois)
OF Aidan Teel (Virginia)
INF Ryder Woodson (NC State)
RHP Maddox Webb (The Citadel)
RHP Jackson Logar (James Madison)
UTL Blake Bevis (Ball State)
RHP Tyler Pitzer (South Carolina)
C Kevin Milewski (Seton Hall)
LHP William Kirk (Virginia)
RHP Brendan Sweeney (South Carolina)
RHP Davion Hickson (Rice)
SS Drew Wyers (Bryant)
C Andrew Raymond (George Mason)