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College  | Recruiting | 11/10/2025

Head of the Class: No. 9 Mississippi State

Complete Class of 2026 College Recruiting Rankings

No. 9 Mississippi State Bulldogs





Head Coach: Brian O’Connor | Recruiting Coordinator: Mike Roberts

Total Commitments: 14 | Top 100 Commits: 4

Full 2026 Recruiting Class

Top 5 Recruits

RK Name Pos. HT WT B-T High School Hometown ST
5 Will Brick C 6-2 195 R/R Christian Brothers Memphis TN
37 Martin Shelar OF 6-2 200 R/R Marist Atlanta GA
51 Wilson Andersen RHP 6-4 200 R/R Tampa Jesuit Tamp FL
54 Rocco Maniscalco SS 6-2 185 S/R Oxford Oxford AL
124 Dax Hardcastle 1B 6-4 220 R/R St. Mary’s Stockton CA


After finishing the year going 36-23, Mississippi State brings in a new Head Coach in Brian O’Connor. O’Connor brings in years and years of proven success and looks to keep the ball rolling for Mississippi State as we start gearing into the next season. This recruiting class coming in has some of the best top end talent with 4 commits ranked within the top 100. There are plenty of big names after that as well which really helps round out the class making it very balanced on both sides of the ball.

Both Will Brick and Rocco Maniscalco re-classed and were immediately bumped up into the top 100 rankings with the re-class. It’s a testament to the talent both these players have while being young for the class. Brick, a physical backstop, is the top catching prospect in the class even after re-classing. He does everything right on both sides of the ball and the overall power projection with a real feel to hit is very real. Another big re-class and commit is Rocco Maniscalco who is a switch hitter and can really hit from both sides. He might

have one of the higher ceilings when looking at the profile as a bat when it’s all said and done. Moving down the line here and it keeps getting more loaded as you have Martin Shelar coming in as a big-time outfielder along with Dax Hardcastle who has shown some serious thump in the bat. Shelar, a high-end athlete who can really hit with big time bat speed and power, should make an instant impact at Mississippi State. He has the tools to stick out there and cover ground with high end baseball instincts. Hardcastle on the other hand is a physical right-handed power hitting first baseman but can also pitch as he has been up to 95 at events.

Some other names coming in include Noah Danza, Hunter Strohm, and Zach Geertsma. Danza is an athletic middle infielder who can impact the baseball well. He moves well on the dirt with clean actions and should stick on the dirt for Mississippi State. He can also get into a ton of power as the ball jumps off his barrel at the point of contact. Tools on both sides of the ball should continue to show up here. Strohm had a loud year across PG events and should be a big impact bat coming in as well. He has shown some serious right-handed power with big bat speed. It is very clear that Mississippi State is doing their homework on right-handed power bats with big feel to hit as well.

As mentioned above, there is a quality looking crop of young position players coming in and we haven’t even mentioned the arms yet. Leading the way for big time pitching recruits are Wilson Andersen, Landon Brown, Jake Carbaugh, Beckett Doane, Daniel Nienaber, and Quincy Bright. Anderson, a PG All American, has been up to 97 with a ton of projection still remaining. His fastball explodes out of his hand with command and pairs that up nicely with 3 other quality offerings. Anderson should make an immediate impact once he makes it to campus. Brown has really started to trend up this year touching 96 with his fastball. The slider has gotten more polished and should continue to be a big out pitch for him. Carbaugh stands in at 6-foot-5 and has been up to 94 in events. It’s a huge physical frame that projects well with a ton of upside. Beckett Doane is a massive lefty standing in at 6-foot-6 and has been up to 92. There is some serious projection for Doane with more in the tank as well. Overall, Mississippi State is bringing in a well rounded crop of arms, all of which have a ton of upside.

So long as these guys make it to campus, Mississippi State looks set up for years to come. A strong recruiting class littered with high end bats and athletes gets them placed at number 9 overall in the recruiting rankings. The right-handed power bats are undeniable here when it’s all said and done. The arms coming in have a ton of upside as well and it would not be surprising to see Mississippi State as a competitive contender for years to come.

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