Skip to main content
Mississippi State
Join Now

Mississippi State flips 2026 Florida commit Denton Lord

3rupauk8_400x400by: Robbie Faulk4 hours agoRobbieFaulkOn3
denton lord
Denton Lord (Photo by Mississippi State Athletics)

Relationships are everything in recruiting and Justin Parker’s are paying off.

Several commitments from the 2026 and 2027 baseball signing classes have already came through for Mississippi State based on those relationships that Parker had built dating back to over a year ago. Among those is massive RHP Denton Lord who hails from Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.

Lord previously committed to the Florida Gators last fall but recent issues with the coaching staff had him surveying his options. After a weekend trip to Starkville this past weekend, he decided to flip to the Diamond Dawgs.

“It just goes back to my history with coach Parker. Two summers ago, coach Parker was the pitching coach for the Team USA event. I was on his team and developed a great relationship,” Denton said. “I took a visit last year and everything didn’t work out. When this stuff went down with Florida, coach Parker reached out and was wanting to talk and see where we were at with things.

“I just knew in my heart that was a place I wanted to be and there’s no better place to be in the country to play in front of those fans. Seeing what type of ship coach Parker runs is unbelievable. I knew if I wanted to be a better man and better pitcher in college, that’s where I needed to be.”

The relationship with Parker being a key, the visit was the seal of approval that he needed.

Lord visited last year and was impressed with the facilities and all that State had to offer. On this visit, he couldn’t leave without being a Bulldog. Brian O’Connor, Parker and the entire staff put the finishing touches on his decision.

“Coach Oak is a guy I’m willing to play under and is a great mentor. He was great to me and my family and has been around the game for a long time and having somebody like that leading the squad is incredible. Seeing and hearing about the fans is something I’m all about,” Lord said. “The facilities stood out and everything behind the facilities. I got a chance to dive deep into how coach Parker rolls and how he handles his pitchers is great. He puts his guys in the best position for success and that’s something I need out of a pitching coach.”

Dudy Noble Field a dream come true for Lord

The South Walton High School standout is one of the top prospects in the entire country this season with a No. 50 ranking by Perfect Game and he’s considered one of the top 10 high school pitchers in the 2026 MLB Draft.

Standing 6’8, Lord is an imposing figure on the mound and he has a four-seam fastball that is running up to 98 mph and sitting in the mid 90s with a 2-seam fastball 92-95 mph. His secondary pitches include a slurve and 12-6 curveball in the low 80s, a changeup 85-88 mph and is working on a hard slider.

While he projects to be a factor in the MLB Draft, he couldn’t stop thinking about the possibilities he could have with the Diamond Dawgs next year.

“It’s a dream come true,” Lord said. “On Saturday night, me and coach Oak, coach Parker and my parents finished dinner and came back to the ball park. We walked on the field about 8 o’clock that night and I walked out to the mound. I remember sitting there with coach Parker and looking up and I couldn’t imagine what it was like pitching on a Friday night with 15-16,000.

“My heart was racing and I just knew that mound was meant for me. I’m honored that I can call that place home and I cannot wait to pitch in front of those fans and get to Starkville.”

Lord is the fifth top 100 commitment for the class of 2026 for O’Connor. The Diamond Dawgs were ranked No. 9 nationally by Perfect Game prior to his commitment.

You may also like