State adds Big 12 All-Freshman OF Ace Reese from Houston
With Mississippi State needing an influx in talent out of the transfer portal this offseason, Chris Lemonis pulled an Ace on Tuesday.
All-Big 12 Freshman OF Ace Reese announced that he’ll be transferring from Houston to Starkville this year. Reese was among one of the top freshman hitters in the Big 12 a season ago with the Cougars and adds immediate help to the State lineup.
In year one, Reese batted .278 for the Cougars as he started in 42 of his 48 games played. Reese had 45 hits with eight doubles, seven home runs, four triples and 34 RBI. He slugged .506 on the year and had an on base percentage of .395.
His four triples tied the school record for freshmen for a single season and he was fifth in the Big 12 among freshman in home runs. Reese also had an 11-game hitting streak during his first year.
A native Texan, Reese played his high school baseball at Canton. He was a three-time All-State member at Canton High and was rated the No. 19 short stop in the state of Texas by Perfect Game. During his career, he batted .490 with 63 extra-base hits.
Though listed as a DH for the Cougars, Reese is an outfielder. He will be competing for one of the open spots for the Bulldogs next year as State is expected to lose Dakota Jordan to the MLB Draft and Connor Hujsak is out of eligibility.
Reese joins a transfer portal class that includes North Alabama 3B Gehrig Frei, The Citadel SS Sawyer Reeves, USC Upstate RHP/1B Noah Sullivan and Campbell 1B Reed Stallman. State appears to be about finished with the position group of players and now has spots to fill on the pitching staff.
The Bulldogs have had six players transfer out of the program in RHP Logan Forsythe and Jud Files, LHP Cole Cheatham and Max Miller and OF Jackson McKenzie.
