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Jacob Parker ascent continues with Starkville Regional's Most Outstanding Player

Mississippi State beat writer Colin Dammsby: Colin Damms06/01/26Colintheshots95

Several players stood out for Mississippi State as the team swept the Starkville Regional, but the tournament’s Most Outstanding Player honor went to a freshman: Jacob Parker.

The freshman slugger recorded three home runs at the Starkville Regional, including a two-home run day against Louisiana to fuel a 19-5 win. It took his tally for the season to 16 home runs, just two shy of a freshman record held by Rafael Palmeiro.

“This rookie here, the job that he’s done this year, obviously being the MVP of the Regional, is pretty special,” head coach Brian O’Connor said in his post-game press conference on Sunday. “Sure glad that he decided to go to college and wear this uniform.”

The rookie dubbed “The Pride of Purvis” made a strong early impression for the Bulldogs in 2026, but cemented his place as a starter going into SEC play. He became invaluable with a .340 batting average, good enough for third on a team with a Top 10 offense in Division I baseball.

He wasn’t an immediate starter though, and despite some surprise that he joined the college ranks rather than going pro, he took the time and effort to work on his game and make the improvements he felt he needed.

“There was a reason for that,” Parker said. “I needed a lot of work. I trusted my coaches, I trusted their decision for that, and when the opportunity arose, I seized that moment and just took it from there.”

The big swings started to come for Parker, who is second on the team with 58 RBI, second in home runs with 16 and leads the team in slugging percentage at .717. Once he became a regular, he never looked like giving up his spot again. Big moments against Ole Miss, LSU, Texas and Auburn cemented his status as a fan favorite, and that fueled a memorable postseason performance in Starkville for the first time in five years.

“I loosened up and just started having fun,” Parker said, reflecting on his growth. “All of our guys, it’s just a fun team, honestly. It’s backyard baseball, and we’re all trying to win, and it’s a lot of fun. Everyone will say it’s the SEC, but at the end of the day it’s still baseball and we’re still kids.”

Last week, Parker was named as one of five finalists for the Baseball America Freshman of the Year prize. It added to a growing list of honors, including an SEC All-Freshman selection and a Midseason Freshman All-American selection by Perfect Game. Now he has a MOP honor as well, and he’s hoping to continue, both for himself and the team, as he strives to live up to the names that inspired him to wear the M over S.

“I mean, you grow up watching guys like Jake Mangum and Tanner Allen,” Parker said. “And it’s just so special I can contribute in that way. You know, maybe a kid can look up to me in that way and see that.”

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