Where Did Ace Reese, Mississippi State Baseball Star, Get His Name?

June 6, 2026, 10:00 a.m. CT

Mississippi State baseball’s Ace Reese crushes opponent’s ace pitchers, but that’s not exactly why he got that first name.

Reese is the Bulldogs’ star third baseman and a top prospect for the 2026 MLB Draft.

He’s in his second season at MSU, which is facing Georgia in the Athens Super Regional starting on June 6 (10 a.m. CT, ESPN). The winner will go to the College World Series, where MSU hasn’t been since the 2021 national championship.

Here’s what to know about Reese, including the story of his first name.

Ace Reese name

Reese’s parents named him Ace because they thought he’d be a star pitcher. They were correct that Reese would be a star baseball player, but just at a different position.

“I didn’t know, right?” Aaron Reese told The Clarion Ledger last season. “We prayed about it a lot and you have confidence and faith and know that you’re going to get going in the right direction. At that moment, that was the direction we were being led.”

Ace Reese stats

Reese is batting .328 with 22 home runs, 72 RBIs and 69 runs. He leads the team in home runs, RBIs and runs.

Reese joined Mississippi State legends Rafael Palmeiro and Will Clark this season as the only players in program history with consecutive 20-home run seasons.

Reese is a two-time All-SEC first-team selection and the 2025 SEC Newcomer of the Year.

In his two Mississippi State seasons, Reese is batting .337 with 43 home runs, 136 RBIs and 125 runs. His .707 career slugging percentage at MSU is on pace to be the third-highest in program history behind only Clark and Palmeiro.

Ace Reese MLB draft projections

Reese is ranked as the No. 21 prospect by the MLB for the 2026 draft. Mississippi State hasn’t had a batter drafted in the first round since Justin Foscue in 2020.