Nation's top 2027 LHP Connor Salerno excited to be a Bulldog

Brian O’Connor and his Mississippi State staff have come to Starkville and gone big game hunting.

August 1 was the opening day for contact from coaches to recruits in the 2027 class and the Diamond Dawgs have already landed four of the top players in the country. The latest was the biggest one of them all.

On Tuesday afternoon, North Carolina left handed pitcher Connor Salerno announced his commitment to the Bulldogs. It gave State the No. 1 lefty in the signing class nationally and one of the top five players in the class by multiple organizations.

“To be honest, I just felt like it was the best place for me family wise. The first thing I look for in a college is how much of a family they are,” Salerno said of his decision. “If you don’t have that and teammates that believe in each other, it won’t go as well as you plan it to be. Having the time with the freshmen or other players that have been there, it was a great experience to find out what the college life was like.”

Justin Parker makes impression on Salerno

The Bulldogs had a head start on the process as pitching coach Justin Parker worked with Team USA’s 16U/17U Developmental Program last summer. It was there where Parker and Salerno first met and the two hit it off.

Since August 1, that relationship has only grown and now O’Connor has joined in on building it as well.

“It’s been a great process. Me and coach Parker have a connection for the last two years so we had a good bond going into this. Knowing him and him being able to trust me is obviously great,” Salerno said. “Me and coach O’Connor’s relationship is getting better even though I just met him. I feel like he’s a great guy that just wants the best for me.”

Salerno came to Starkville the first weekend of September and had the maroon carpet rolled out for himself and several other prospects. Among many things, Salerno had a chance to visit with the staff and players as well as see the facilities that Dudy Noble Field and the Palmeiro Center have to offer.

After taking visits to the home state Tarheels of North Carolina and to Tony Vitello and Tennessee, State had the total package for him. From the relationships built to the facilities, it was an eye-opening experience. But the fans that helped make the Bulldog football team’s win over Arizona State happen impressed Salerno the most.

“I felt like it was a big community that all comes together,” Salerno said. “We went to the football game that night and the crowd was so into it. Knowing that there’s not a pro team up there, the community just wants to root for the team and be a part of a great atmosphere. That’s what I really loved about that.”

Hard-throwing lefty has elite skill set

Salerno is considered the No. 1 lefty by multiple publications and is an early candidate for a top 10 prospect in the entire class at this point. The reason – his live arm from the left side.

At this stage of his career, Salerno is already throwing three different pitches effectively for strikes with a four-seam fastball, two-seamer and a slider that he feels most comfortable with and his changeup is his biggest work in progress pitch.

As a sophomore last season, Salerno pitched 11 games for Sun Valley High School in North Carolina and was 6-1 with a 1.81 ERA with 46.1 innings, 30 hits, 12 earned runs, 23 walks and 81 strikeouts. His summer revealed a fastball that is climbing into the upper 90s.

Salerno is the first pitcher commitment of the class but he joins four strong pieces in 3B Sullivan Reed, INF Fischer Howell and C Carson Kinnick. He’s already built a good bond with two members of the class and is looking forward to being one of the leaders the next two years.

“Me and Fischer were on a couple of visits and I know Sully having played in an All-Star game with him. Being on that big summer circuit, I feel like everybody knows each other no and most of us are friends. Having guys that I know that are going to be playing behind me on defense is always a great thing.”