2 days ago
Mississippi State baseball transfer portal tracker: Who's in, who's out for Brian O'Connor
This story was updated to add new information.
Mississippi State baseball hired has its new coach and roster moves are already being made in the transfer portal.
Brian O'Connor was hired from Virginia on June 1. It was announced an hour after the MSU season ended in the Tallahassee Regional final and one day before the transfer portal opened. O'Connor replaces Chris Lemonis, who was fired on April 28.
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The Clarion Ledger is keeping track of all MSU additions and subtractions to the baseball roster from the transfer portal.
Who is transferring to Mississippi State
OF Aidan Teel (Virginia)
Teel committed to Mississippi State on June 7. He was a third-team All-ACC selection in 2025 and is ranked No. 177 as an MLB draft prospect.
OF Vytas Valincius (Illinois)
Valincius committed to Mississippi State on June 6. The All-Big Ten second-team selection in 2025 is the older brother of Tomas Valincius and batted .348, with seven home runs and 58 RBIs this season.
INF/C Chone James (Virginia)
James committed to Mississippi State on June 6. He made 15 starts last season, mainly at designated hitter, and batted .373 with 11 RBIs and no home runs.
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OF James Nunnallee (Virginia)
Nunnallee committed to Mississippi State on June 6. He made 40 starts as a freshman this season, batting .296 with one home run and 26 RBIs.
P Tomas Valincius (Virginia)
Valincius committed to Mississippi State on June 6. He was an All-ACC freshman-team selection in 2025, with a 6-1 record and 4.59 ERA in 12 starts and 13 appearances.
Who is transferring out of Mississippi State
P Bradley Loftin
Loftin entered the transfer portal on June 9, according to D1Baseball. He did not appear in any games this season as a junior. Loftin was once a promising freshman, making five starts and seven appearances in 2023 with a 3.08 ERA. He only played in three games last season.
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INF Lukas Buckner
Buckner announced on June 7 that he's entering the transfer portal. The freshman played in 22 games with six starts and batted .289 with two RBIs.
C/OF Ross Highfill
Highfill entered the transfer portal on June 6, according to reports from On3 and 247Sports. He began the season as the starting catcher but lost his job to Joe Powell because of defensive issues. The junior from Madison then played sparingly as an outfielder. He batted .218 with three home runs and 20 RBIs this season.
INF/C Steven Spalitta
Spalitta entered the transfer portal on June 5, he told the Clarion Ledger. He played in 12 games this season as a backup with a .400 batting average, one home run and six RBIs.
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P Kevin Mannell
Mannell told the Clarion Ledger on June 5 that he has entered the transfer portal. He joined MSU this season from Cloud County Community College and had a 4.30 ERA and 2-0 record in 11 relief appearances.
Mannell committed to Nebraska.
P Robert Fortenberry
Fortenberry told the Clarion Ledger on June 5 that he has entered the transfer portal. He came to MSU from Weatherford College and had an 11.12 ERA in six relief appearances.
P Luke Dotson
Dotson entered the transfer portal on June 4, according to D1Baseball. The sophomore from Georgia was a key bullpen arm, with a 3.09 ERA in 18 relief appearances.
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C Jackson Owen
Owen entered the transfer portal on June 4, he told the Clarion Ledger. The senior from Starkville appeared in six games with one start this season.
OF/P Nolan Stevens
Stevens entered the transfer portal on June 4, he announced on X. He began the season as a starter in the outfield but got injured and fell out of favor when he returned. He batted .320 in 28 starts with four home runs and 21 RBIs, but his batting average dipped to .289 in conference play. Stevens, a sophomore from California, made two pitching appearances in relief and had a 7.71 ERA.
Stevens committed to Oklahoma.
MORE: How Brian O'Connor hire reaffirms Mississippi State as a top program in college baseball
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OF Michael O'Brien
O'Brien entered the transfer portal on June 4, he announced on X. The sophomore was MSU's backup center fielder. He batted .190 in 37 games with four starts, two RBIs and seven runs.
SS Dylan Cupp
Cupp entered the portal on June 2, according to On3. He was the MSU starting shortstop to begin the season but lost the job to Sawyer Reeves. The sophomore batted .282 with one home run and 15 RBIs in 31 starts this season.
P Gavin Black
Black entered the transfer portal on May 28, according to 64Analytics. He made one appearance this season in February with one inning as a reliever. He joined MSU last season from Northwest Florida State College and had a 5.93 ERA in 12 appearances.
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OF Landis Davila
Davila told the Clarion Ledger on May 28 that he has entered the transfer portal. The freshman from Farragut, Tennessee, played in only six games, with no starts. He batted 1-for-6, the one hit being an RBI single.
Mississippi State player who've said they aren't transferring
Some players have announced publicly that they will not be entering the transfer portal:
P Ryan McPherson
P Dane Burns
3B Ace Reese
P Charlie Foster
CF Bryce Chance
RF Reed Stallman
P Ben Davis
Sam Sklar is the Mississippi State beat reporter for the Clarion Ledger. Email him at ssklar@ and follow him on X @sklarsam_.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State baseball transfer portal tracker: Who's in, out
