Diamond nines from Ole Miss, Southern Miss, and Mississippi State all made the postseason in 2025. However, none of the teams advanced past regional play, with the Rebels and Golden Eagles both falling one win short of hosting super regionals.
Omaha has now come and gone with LSU being crowned national champion for the second time in three years. Teams across the nation, including those here in Mississippi, have spent the past few weeks trying to reload and make for a case to dethrone the Tigers in 2026.
The transfer portal window is now closed until December, meaning rosters have begun to take shape heading into next season. Below you can find a recap of how Ole Miss, Southern Miss, and Mississippi State fared in the college-to-college recruiting cycle.
Ole Miss
Longtime Rebel head coach Mike Bianco flushed a pair of suboptimal campaigns following the storybook 2022 national championship season and had his team back in the hosting seat in this past NCAA Tournament. After regaining the taste of victory, the Ole Miss frontman has made waves in the portal in his pursuit to reach the College World Series in his 26th year at the helm.
Aiding in the process is the anticipated return of veterans Will Furniss, Judd Utermark, Austin Fawley, and Hayden Federico, while a potential announcement from ace Hunter Elliott could bolster confidence in next season’s squad. Elliott, after a strong showing on the mound in 2025, is believed to be awaiting his MLB Draft spot before deciding on his next move.
In the meantime, plenty of work has been done to rebuild.
Out: C Campbell Smithwick (Oklahoma State), LHP Ryne Rodriguez, OF Connor Chisholm, RHP Cole Ketchum, IF Tyler Acevedo, and RHP Hudson Mattox.
In: LHP Grant Richardson (Grand Canyon), OF Tristan Bisseta (Clemson), OF Daniel Pacella (Illinois State), LHP Wil Libbert (Missouri), RHP Marko Sipila (San Diego State), RHP Owen Kelly (St. Louis), RHP Landon Koenig (North Dakota State), and IF Dom Decker (Murray State).
Southern Miss
The Golden Eagles continued their winning ways in notching 47 victories in 2025, their ninth consecutive 40-win season. That streak, along with 23 straight seasons of at least 30 wins, is the longest in Division I baseball.
Christian Ostrander and staff are now tasked with replacing some cornerstone pieces like right fielder Carson Paetow, pitcher Matt Adams, and shortstop Ozzie Pratt. All-everything underclassmen like JB Middleton, Nick Monistere, and Jake Cook will likely move on to the professional ranks as high draft picks, while some pieces like reliever Colby Allen will be drafted but could go late enough to return for another season.
A Southern Miss baseball roster has never been transfer portal-heavy, and that won’t change in 2026. But the coaching staff has added some pieces that could be immediate impacts. The first add was South Alabama second baseman Kyle Morrison, who slashed for a .294 batting average and .920 OPS, along with nine home runs, 13 doubles, and 44 RBI. Morrison will likely compete to be Nick Monistere’s replacement at second base along with Seth Smith and others.
All-Sun Belt selection and former Louisiana right fielder Caleb Stelly joined Morrison as an intraleague transfer. Stelly has been a core piece for the Cajuns in back-to-back seasons, starting 113 total games in right field. The rising senior hit for a .302 average and .904 OPS clip in 2025, adding eight home runs, 10 doubles, and 33 RBI.
Ostrander has also added two promising pieces on the mound: Tennessee RHP Thomas Crabtree and Arizona State RHP Jake Neely. Crabtree, a former Pearl River Community College standout, made 12 appearances with two starts for the Volunteers in 2025, finishing the year with a 3.00 ERA, .87 WHIP, and 20 strikeouts. The righty has flashed quality stuff in two collegiate seasons and can be considered an early candidate to push for a 2026 weekend rotation spot.
Neely is less of a proven commodity, tossing just 3.2 innings for the Sun Devils in 2025 as a true freshman. But the San Antonio native’s upper-90s fastball and plus slider give Ostrander plenty to work with in molding a potential difference maker.
Two youngsters also hit the exit in RHP Caleb Hughes and RHP Cal Culpepper. Hughes, the 2024 Georgia Class 6A Player of the Year, did not log an appearance as a true freshman. Culpepper logged a 10.38 ERA in 4.1 innings of work.
Out: RHP Caleb Hughes, RHP Cal Culpepper
In: OF Caleb Stelly (Louisiana), INF Kyle Morrison (South Alabama), RHP Thomas Crabtree (Tennessee), RHP Jake Neely (Arizona State)
Mississippi State
New skipper Brian O’Connor is working to make an instant Omaha team out of the Bulldogs. The former Virginia coach won two national titles in Charlottesville and is looking to lead Mississippi State back to the top of college baseball for the first time since 2021.
Headlining the portal haul are a handful of familiar faces, at least to O’Connor. Former Virginia pitchers Thomas Valincius and William Kirk, outfielders James Nunnallee and Aidan Teel, and utility player Chone James have all announced they’ve joined their coach on the trek to Starkville. Valincius’ first baseman brother, Vytas, announced his commitment to Mississippi State, as well, after playing for Illinois.
Arguably biggest pick-up for Mississippi State came on the eve of the portal window closing with Rice ace Davion Hickson committing. In 2025, the righty struck out 90 in 73 innings of work along with a 3.82 ERA. If he doesn’t sign in the upcoming MLB Draft, Hickson is expected to be a weekend starter for the Bulldogs in 2026.
Bryant shortstop Drew Wyers, who entered the portal before the window closed but was previously undecided, committed to Mississippi State on Wednesday. The 2025 American East Player of the Year had a .407 batting average, 11 home runs, 11 doubles, and 50 RBI a season ago.
Another win for Mississippi State worth pointing out isn’t about who’s coming in but more so who’s staying. All-American third baseman Ace Reese reconfirmed his spot on the roster after title-winning LSU reportedly made a case to land objectively the best player from last season’s team.
Out: RHP Gavin Black, SS Lukas Buckner (Coastal Carolina), SS Dylan Cupp (Dallas Baptist), OF Landis Davila (Rice), LHP Luke Dotson (Texas), LHP Robert Fortenberry (Kansas State), RHP Mikhai Grant, C Ross Highfill (Purdue), LHP Bradley Loftin, RHP Kevin Mannell (Nebraska), OF Michael O’Brien (Arkansas-Little Rock), RHP Cade O’Leary (Florida State), LHP Wes Pritchard, C Steven Spalitta (Louisiana), OF/LHP Nolan Stevens (Oklahoma).
In: 1B/OF Blake Bevis (Ball State), RHP Davion Hickson (Rice), UTL Chone James (Virginia), LHP William Kirk (Virginia), RHP Jackson Logar (James Madison), C Kevin Milewski (Seton Hall), OF James Nunnallee (Virginia), RHP Tyler Pitzer (South Carolina), RHP Patrick Spencer (Pearl River CC), RHP Brendan Sweeney (South Carolina), OF Aidan Teel (Virginia), LHP Tomas Valincius (Virginia), 1B Vytas Valincius (Illinois), RHP Maddox Webb (The Citadel), IF Ryder Woodson (NC State), SS Drew Wyers (Bryant).
