Portal patience: Mississippi State fans await roster-defining moves

The wait continues for Mississippi State fans hoping to see their new coach build a roster that’ll compete for championships next season.

Last Friday, new coach Brian O’Connor received five commitments from players in the transfer portal but hasn’t added any more since and nobody really knows when the silence will end.

Pete Nakos, On3’s transfer portal expert, provided updates on some of the players Mississippi State is targeting in the transfer portal. He didn’t give a timeline for decisions, by did say former Virginia outfielder Henry Ford’s top contenders are Mississippi State, Texas and Tennessee, who hosted Ford on a visit over the weekend.

However, Ford is draft eligible and could go that route. The other big name from Virginia, shortstop Eric Becker, is not draft eligible and Nakos said, “the Bulldogs are viewed at this point as the team to beat.”

That’s music to Mississippi State fans’ ears considering Becker is the No. 1 rated player in the portal by 64 Analytics and fills a massive hole in the Bulldogs’ potential lineup.

Two other, non-Virginia players, Nakos is reporting are Mississippi State targets are Rice RHP Davion Hickson and Seton Hall catcher Kevin Milewski.

Hickson, who is draft eligible, started 11 games for the Owls last season after spending his first two seasons in the bullpen. He went 2-7 with a 3.82 ERA in 73 innings last season and recorded 90 strikeouts, 35 walks, 31 earned runs and five home runs allowed.

Milewsky played in 52 games last season for Seton Hall and had 188 at-bats. He had a .303/.421/.606 slashing line and hit 16 home runs for 58 RBIs.

Both players would help Mississippi State get closer to having a championship-caliber roster.

Mississippi State Baseball Roster Tracker

Outgoing Transfers

RHP Will Passeau (Auburn University at Montgomery)
RHP Eli Walker
RHP Gavin Black
INF Dylan Cupp
LHP Wes Pritchard
RHP Mikhai Grant
OF Landis Davila
OF Michael O'Brien
OF Nolan Stevens (Oklahoma)
C Jackson Owen
RHP Kevin Mannell
LHP Robert Fortenberry
LHP Luke Dotson
LHP Bradley Loftin

Incoming Transfers

LHP Tomas Valincius (Virginia)
OF James Nunnallee (Virginia)
C/INF Chone James (Virginia)
INF Vytas Valincius (Illinois)
OF Aidan Teel (Virginia)

Players With No Eligibility Remaining

RHP Stone Simmons
RHP Chase Hungate
INF Hunter Hines
INF Sawyer Reeves

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