Top 100 California catcher Carson Kinnick announces commitment to Mississippi State

Brian O’Connor’s hit rate on his first full recruiting class is pretty strong at the moment.
Following the commitments of two 2027 instate standouts in Lamar School’s Sullivan Reed and Petal’s Fischer Howell, Mississippi State landed another major commitment. California catcher Carson Kinnick announced his decision to commit to the Diamond Dawgs on Monday.
Kinnick is currently ranked as the No. 11 catcher nationally and is also No. 11 in the state of California for the ’27 class, according to Perfect Game. He’s also ranked inside the top 100 nationally by the publication.
The lefty bat throws right-handed behind the plate and plays his high school ball for Upland High School. As a sophomore, he played in 25 games and had a .250 batting average with 18 hits, seven RBI, two doubles, two home runs and a triple, but has taken a major jump in the summer circuit with strong backstop play and a nice approach at the plate.
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As the Diamond Dawgs continue to build this ’27 class with some depth, sources believe more help is on the way at the catcher position. State is expected to have more good news in the class soon as O’Connor gains momentum on the recruiting trail prior to his first season on campus.
State is balancing the recruitment of several players visiting campus with fall ball work. The Diamond Dawgs have had several open scrimmages to this point and fans can see the team again on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. inside Dudy Noble Field with a Friday night scrimmage at 6 p.m. and Sunday at 4 p.m.