STARKVILLE — Mississippi State baseball players Ace Reese and Tomas Valincius received All-American honors from D1Baseball on Thursday. Reese was named a second-team All-American, making him a unanimous selection after also earning first-team honors from Baseball America, the College Baseball Foundation, and Perfect Game.
Reese, a junior third baseman from Canton, Texas, has accumulated 10 All-America honors during his two seasons with the Bulldogs. He is the third player in program history to hit 20 or more home runs in consecutive seasons, joining Will Clark and Rafael Palmeiro. This season, Reese started all 62 games, batting .336 with 23 doubles, 24 homers, and 74 RBIs. His 24 home runs rank fourth in school history, and his 45 career homers tie him for ninth in program history with Tommy Raffo.
Valincius, a sophomore pitcher from Lockport, Illinois, was nearly a unanimous All-American. He was named a first-team All-American by the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association and earned second-team honors from the ABCA, Baseball America, and Perfect Game. The left-hander posted an 11-2 record with a 3.50 ERA in 16 starts this season. He struck out 134 batters while walking only 20 in 97 2/3 innings, ranking eighth in school history for strikeouts in a season. Opposing hitters batted .230 against him, and his 86 strikeouts in conference play led the SEC.
Mississippi State has produced 87 All-Americans in its history, totaling 179 honors. Fans can follow the program on social media by searching ‘HailStateBB’ on X, Facebook, and Instagram.
