Four players from Mississippi universities will represent their home country as members of Team USA.
Now that a round of exhibition games and the annual Stars vs. Stripes series has wrapped up, with some of the top players competing to be a part of the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team, the roster has been solidified. Team USA this year will feature two pitchers from Mississippi State, along with a hurler from both Ole Miss and Southern Miss.
Starting with the Bulldogs, left-hander Tomas Valincius (11-2 in 2026) and right-hander Ryan McPherson (4-1) were added to the roster. Valincius was inarguably the most impactful transfer pitcher Brian O’Connor brought for his debut season with the Bulldogs. Valincius had a 3.50 ERA while fanning a whopping 134 batters and only allowing 38 earned runs in 97.2 innings, earning him the Ferriss Trophy.
McPherson was a different story. The sophomore was cruising early in the 2026 season as the maroon and white’s Friday night starter before suffering an injury to his throwing arm against Vanderbilt on March 20. His recovery took roughly six weeks. He returned to the mound later on and notably pitched in the postseason. McPherson boasted a 3.56 ERA with 51 strikeouts and only 17 earned runs allowed in 43 innings.
For Ole Miss, Walker Hooks (3-1) was given the nod after a breakout campaign in 2026, one where he helped the Rebels reach the College World Series for the first time since 2022. The left-handed sophomore from Brandon emerged as the team’s closer as the season progressed, and was sure-handed. He had a 3.24 ERA, an eye-popping 0.93 WHIP, and 63 strikeouts while only surrendering 21 earned runs over 58.1 innings. He notably had nine of Mike Bianco’s club’s 19 saves.
For Southern Miss, left-handed ace Grayden Harris made the Team USA roster. Harris (8-1), who recently announced that he would be running it back with the Golden Eagles and head coach Christian Ostrander in 2027, played an integral role in the black and gold winning the Sun Belt title and hosting a regional. He made 17 starts this past season, boasting a 4.02 ERA with 107 strikeouts while allowing only 39 earned runs.
The full Team USA roster can be found here. The group will compete in the World Collegiate Baseball Championship in Taiwan from July 11-15. Team USA will have pool play matchups against Korea on July 11, Chinese Taipei on July 12, and Japan on July 13. The championship’s semifinal matchups will occur on July 14, with the tournament ending on July 15.
