Two-way standout RJ Shields adds to State's talented 2027 class

A staple of Brian O’Connor’s teams in the past has been players with versatility, and the coach grabbed another one this week.

Mississippi State continued its strong run of talent in the 2027 class as the Diamond Dawgs picked up a commitment from Venice (Fla.) High School’s two-way star RJ Shields. The 6’1, 215-pounder announced his intentions on social media Tuesday evening and brings talent on the mound, at the plate and in the field to the Diamond Dawg program.

“I just feel really blessed that coach O’Connor and his staff reached out to me because I’ve been taking my time trying to choose the right fit,” Shields said. “Mississippi State was definitely the best school. It’s a great staff with a great campus.”

Shields made the decision pretty quickly after visiting Starkville for the first time. Despite interest from North Carolina State and taking a trip to Florida, the trip to town last weekend was an eye-opener.

O’Connor and the staff had the talented two-way player on campus to see the team compete in a scrimmage and he also took in the sights at the football game at Saturday afternoon. By the time he left, he knew where he wanted to be.

“I was definitely surprised; I didn’t think it would be as good as it was. I knew that they were a great program, but the campus was beautiful, it was a great town and everybody was extremely nice,” Shields said of his visit. “Every single coach took the time to get to know me which I really respected.”

Shields brings true two-way talent to Starkville

Unlike many of the other players committed in the class of ’27, Shields’ relationship with the State staff is fairly new. The coaches contacted him in September and started building that relationship with him.

The ability for Shields to both pitch and hit was intriguing to O’Connor and his crew. Their interest in that was equally intriguing to him.

“They really do like that I’m a two-way and want to develop me in the best way that I can so I can contribute the best way possible,” Shields said. “I’m really confident when I get up to the plate and really confident on the mound. If you’re not confident, you’re not going to have success on both sides.”

Shields’ sweet swing from the left side has drawn attention as has his 96 mph outfield velocity defensively, but he’s also became a major factor on the mound as a right-handed pitcher. He’s currently ranked inside the top 250 for the class by Perfect Game and is a top 50 outfielder as well as a top 50 prospect in the talent-rich state of Florida.

Earlier this month, Perfect Game tabbed Shields as one of its top pitchers at the World Wood Bat Association’s World Championship in Jupiter, Fla. He was one of 40 players that would make the cut on that list.

It was at WWBA’s World Championship that he impressed with a fastball/slider combo. His heater has climbed into the 90s in recent months and topped out at 95 mph at the event which was the sixth highest recorded fastball in Jupiter. His slider was 79 with a 2400 spin rate. Among his best performance at the event was 3.0 inning stint that included eight strikeouts on just one hit in a scoreless outing.  

Pitching coach Justin Parker has already begun to have his wheels turning in his head for Shields’ future.

“We talked a lot last weekend. Our relationship is really good and has a lot of time to grow,” Shields said of Parker. “He wants me to develop my offspeed but he really likes my fastball and slider, but wants to see if we can get that one extra pitch in there.”

Shields is the eighth commitment for a class of ’27 that has grown into one of the best in the country in the last month. The Bulldogs have already picked up top 100 players like Sullivan Reed, Carson Kinnick, Connor Salerno, Kyler Meccage, Deuce Jenkins and Devlin Daniel. Petal’s Fischer Howell and Shields are also rising prospects in the class whose stock is moving up.

This week, the Bulldogs also got commitments from top 50 2026 players Rocco Maniscalco and Will Brick as well as another talented RHP in Jake Carbaugh and there is no slowing down for O’Connor and the staff. That’s something that Shields can’t wait to be a part of in a couple of years.

“I’m really excited. I want the best competition possible,” Shields said. “Mississippi State is a program that has the best competition and I’m very blessed to get a chance to play with those guys who are very talented. It’s going to be awesome.”