McPherson, Reese Selected To USA Baseball Team
July 04, 2025 | Baseball
CARY, N.C. – A pair of Mississippi State players will represent their country in The Land of the Rising Sun.
Pitcher Ryan McPherson and third baseman Ace Reese were selected to the United States Collegiate National Team following a five-day training camp among 56 of the top non-draft eligible players in the country. The 26-man USA Baseball Team will compete in the 45th USA vs. Japan Collegiate All-Star Series across Japan from July 8-13.
The Bulldogs are one of nine programs to produce multiple players on the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team. New MSU head coach Brian O'Connor also had two of his former players at Virginia earn roster spots.
McPherson made two relief appearances for the Stripes team totaling three shutout innings. The rising sophomore right-hander did not allow a hit and surrendered just one baserunner during training camp while striking out a pair.
It is the second time McPherson has donned the Stars and Stripes in his career. He was also a member of USA Baseball's 15U National Team in 2021. The 6-foot-3, 205-pounder from Hollywood, Florida made 20 mound appearances and two starts as a freshman for the Diamond Dawgs this past spring. He posted a 4-1 record and tied for the team lead with three saves while striking out 56 through 39 1/3 innings and finishing with a 4.12 earned run average.
Reese started five of the six games during training camp on the Stars squad. The rising sophomore was 4-for-15 (.267) with four singles and drove in a pair while scoring three runs.
Reese, who was named a first team All-American and All-SEC as well as the SEC Newcomer of the Year, started 57 games for the Bulldogs this past season. The Canton, Texas native led the team batting .352 with 80 hits, 18 doubles, 21 home runs, 66 RBIs, 163 total bases and a .718 slugging percentage, ranking in the top seven in the conference in each category. He also produced 25 multi-hit games, 20 multi-RBI games and five multi-homer games during his first year at State.
Since 1984, 23 Diamond Dawgs (17 players, six coaches) have been selected to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team.
McPherson and Reese will arrive in Japan on Saturday and will have two practices before playing Japan on Tuesday and Wednesday at 3 a.m. CT. The series will continue next Friday at 2 a.m. and 9 p.m. and conclude on July 13 with a 2 a.m. finale before returning to the U.S.
Visit www.HailState.com for the latest news and information on the baseball program. Fans can also follow the program on social media by searching 'HailStateBB' on X, Facebook and Instagram.
