Brian O'Connor excited for fall ball at Mississippi State

 In just a few short months, Brian O’Connor and his Mississippi State staff have built a roster, started the ground work for future classes and are now preparing the Diamond Dawgs for a new season.

Excitement is already high around the State fanbase but it couldn’t be higher than the levels in the Dudy Noble Field locker room and coaches’ offices.

O’Connor and the Bulldogs went to work on Friday as the first official day of fall baseball began. The team has been working behind the scenes in the weight room and the batting cages, but the first scrimmage will take place on Friday night at Dudy Noble Field.

With things kicking off in a big way this weekend, O’Connor spoke to the media about how he’s prepared the last few months and what he’s looking forward to in the months ahead.

Opening Statement: A lot has happened in those three months – a lot of exciting things. Really looking forward to getting full fall baseball started. We’ve been together for about four weeks now doing small group work and things like that. This starts our first full fall baseball segment (Friday) and that runs through the Louisiana Tech game on November 1. We’re looking forward to building this team, getting he guys out there and seeing them compete against each other to ultimately build our team and see what we’ve got. Looking forward to it.”

Q: You’ve got a lot of guys returning and a lot of guys coming in that know you. How has it been combining the culture?

BOC: “It’s been a lot of fun for sure. Certainly there are a few players that came here that played previously for me at Virginia. I’ve really made a full conscious effort to having them not lead things to just instill what I believe in and how a college baseball team needs to be run and how they need to go about their business. I’ve got to tell you in the first four weeks together, it’s been impressive. When you have 15 returning players, 18 transfers and eight freshmen, to see them very quickly in the clubhouse connect with each other, encourage each other and push each other has been really a bright spot for me in the first four weeks to see them working together for a common goal.”

Q: It was a whirlwind for you in the first month or so and then you had to add in high school recruiting for 2027 and now getting practices rolling. How have you navigated that?

BOC: “Very little sleep. Sleep is overrated. First and foremost, it was to build this year’s roster and that’s what we were focused on and once we were done with that, it was moving to filling some spots in the 2026 class which we’re still pursuing that with some recruits. Then August 1 was the first day that we called 2027. You’re just looking at things big picture at what do you see future rosters look olike in this college baseball world where rosters will ultimately be the 34 (players) and how you’re going to navigate that.

“The question is how many high school players are you going to take and that’s always a little bit of a moving target as you project out. I still believe that you still have to have elite high school players even at the highest level of college baseball if you want to maintain consistency at the highest level. We’re focused on that – players that we believe can come to Mississippi State and have an impact from a high school standpoint. We’ll supplement from there.

“It’s been a lot, but the last four weeks, our main focus and attention has to be on this team while you’re also working the recruiting game as well. I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been relentless. You have to be that way. You just can’t stop. There’s no days off and keep moving forward.”

Q: How proud are you at the way your team has come together so early?

BOC: “I’ll let the players speak to that. That’s what I see is that I felt like the chemistry right away has been really good and that’s part of the selection of the young men that you bring in and what’s important to them. That’s been really fun to see. We do some things everyday when we’re together intentionally to bring the group together so there’s a lot of intentionality in what we do to create that kind of culture. It’s been fun and enjoyable to watch.”

Q: Do you know if you’re going to have to make any roster cuts?

BOC: “We don’t have to make any roster cuts because of the designated student athletes. This is our roster and we’re not required to downside at all because to meet any rules. Ultimately, it’s going to take four years for designated student athletes to work themselves through the system everywhere then it will be at the 34 at that time. We could be at 34 prior to that, but that’s going to take some time for the designated student athletes to work their way through the system.”

Q: How has it been working with the new administration?

BOC: “Working with the new administration has been excellent. I used this word ‘alignment’ and having alignment is very important. This administration is very much in line with what we need to do to have a baseball program that can compete and win at the highest level. They’re very, very committed to that and I knew that when I took the job, but their follow through has been very good. It’s been fun.”

Q: What went into the scrimmage with Florida State?

BOC: “The game in Pensacola against Florida State was previously scheduled. So the Florida State coach called me right after I got the job and said we had an agreement that we would meet in Pensacola and have this game, so it was already in place. I didn’t have anything to do with the date. There was no wiggle room or anything, it just happened to fall where the football team was playing at Florida.

“We’re excited about that opportunity just like we are the game at home against Louisiana Tech. In college baseball, you get two of these opportunities to play somebody else in a different uniform so we’re excited. It doesn’t surprise me, with our fanbase, that that game sold out that quickly. It will be a great environment, a great atmosphere for our players to compete in and ultimately get them prepared for the spring season. Excited for that opportunity. We’ve got some work to do between now and then, but it’s going to be a great opportunity for us to head down there.”

Q: Have you had any interactions with coaches around the league so far?

BOC: “Not much interaction with coaches around the league. Two weeks ago was the SEC head coaches meeting in Birmingham for two days and obviously saw the coaches there and talked to them and I’ve competed against all of them at some point in time in my coaching career. A lot of it was in my time at Virginia coaching against them at Omaha or at a Regional or Super Regional.

“This league and the coaches is the highest level and it’s competitive as heck. It’s why we do it. It’s why you coach and play in this league. I’ve got a ton of respect for all the coaches in this league because they’ve all had really, really great careers as coaches. I look forward to the spring competing out on that field.”

Q: You got on social media after over 20 years as a coach. What went into that decision?

BOC: “I was on X at one point during my time at Virginia and actually had just deleted it about a year ago. Just felt like I didn’t want the noise and things like that, but I brought it back because it’s a really great way to stay connected with the fanbase and our recruits. I felt compelled to bring it back to be able to make that connection.”

Q: Are there some players that have stood out to you as leaders?

BOC: “I think that will play out over the next month or two to see that. But somebody like Bryce Chance – this Mississippi State (logo) means so much to that young man. You can see it with how he goes about his business and the words that come out of his mouth. It’s really important to him. Somebody like Ben Davis who certainly could have entered professional baseball. The M over S to those guys is incredibly powerful.

“You see players like that when you’re instilling a new culture and things that are a little differently than it’s been done before, seeing them reinforce things and say the right things is incredibly important. The first team meeting we had, I had all of the players get up individually and introduce themselves to their teammates. The returning Mississippi State players, I had each of them speak to what the M over S means to them. Being in this room and hearing those 15 young men talk about what it means to them was incredibly powerful. It was awesome that it’s part of their fiber of who they are. I think it was really impactful to the other guys who had not yet worn this uniform.

“Leadership is crucial to being successful. The best teams are player-led teams. When you have young men that have worn this uniform before, it means so much to them. Other guys that we brought in, they’ll lead as well too. Who exactly those guys are, it will play out in time.”