Cowbell Corner

Mississippi State baseball already building for beyond 2026, lands first commitment

New Bulldogs' coach Brian O'Connor landed the first commitment to the Bulldogs' Class of 2027 with one of the nation's top prospects.
Taylor Hodges|
Mississippi State Fans during the Brian O’Connor Welcome Event at Dudy Noble Field at Polk-Dement Stadium in Starkville, MS.
Mississippi State Fans during the Brian O’Connor Welcome Event at Dudy Noble Field at Polk-Dement Stadium in Starkville, MS. | Mississippi State Athletics

When Mississippi State hired Brian O’Connor back in June, one of his first tasks was to build a championship roster for the 2026 season.

He’s done that, as evidenced by the official roster released yesterday.

Now, the Bulldogs are turning towards preparing for the season with their first intrasquad scrimmage scheduled for 6 p.m. Friday.

But like in every other sport, recruiting never stops.

The Bulldogs are already working towards building its next recruiting class and landed their first commitment Tuesday morning.

Lamar junior Sullivan Reed announced his commitment to Mississippi State in a social media post.

“Blessed to announce my commitment to Mississippi State University,” Reed said in his post.

Reed is already one of the best prospects in Mississippi for the 2027 recruiting class. Perfect Game lists Sullivan as the No. 22 overall player in the nation and No. 1 third baseman.

He still has two more seasons of high school baseball and could possibly end up being drafted and never making it to Starkville. Last season at Lamar in Meridian, Miss., Reed batted .616 with 61 hits, 54 RBIs, 46 runs, 14 doubles and nine home runs.

Here's a scouting report by Perfect Game after Reed’s participation in the 2025 PG JR. National Showcase:

“Big and strong barrel chested build. Right handed hitter, starts from an open stance with a high hand load and a toe tap close into contact, outstanding bat speed with strength at contact, stayed well balanced and behind the ball and drove it hard to all fields, big time offensive potential. 6.95 runner in the sixty. Primary third baseman on defense, fields the ball two handed out front with a shuffle into release, has playable arm strength. Also plays first base. Excellent student.”

Reed visited Starkville this past Labor Day weekend, according to On3’s Robbie Faulk, and had also taken visits to Florida and Auburn. Those three schools, plus Tennessee, Alabama and Ole Miss made up Reed’s final six.

Mississippi State beating out those schools for Reed's commitment, is a great sign, too. Florida and Tennessee are big time programs and Ole Miss is, well, Ole Miss.

Here’s what Reed said to Faulk about his decision to commit to Mississippi State.

“I took these other visits and really loved them, but I know that I’m capable of playing wherever I want and I know where my heart is – my heart is at Mississippi State,” Reed said. “I want to come play for coach O’Connor and the staff and along with that I get to wear the M over S and continue to build the legacy at Mississippi State. They’re a powerhouse in baseball with the facilities that they have and now they have the best coaching staff in the country.”

If Reed, one of the best prospects in the Class of 2027, committing to Mississippi State is a sign of things to come, even the Vandy whistler will let out an impressed whistle.

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Taylor Hodges
TAYLOR HODGES

Award-winning sports editor, writer, columnist, and photographer with 15 years’ experience offering his opinion and insight about the sports world in Mississippi and Texas, but he was taken to Razorback pep rallies at Billy Bob's Texas in Fort Worth before he could walk. Taylor has covered all levels of sports, from small high schools in the Mississippi Delta to NFL games. Follow Taylor on Twitter and Facebook.

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