STARKVILLE, Miss. (WTVA/MSU Athletics) - Mississippi State relief ace Caleb Reed added a third preseason all-America honor on Friday.
The senior from Cleveland, Miss., was named to the Perfect Game 2012 College Baseball Preseason All-America Third Team. Reed paced the Diamond Dogs in 2011 with 12 saves and a 1.55 earned run average in 29 relief appearances.
MSU opened up spring practice on Friday, three weeks shy of opening up its 2012 baseball season.
Mississippi State plays a school-record 37 games on 35 dates this spring at Dudy Noble Field and opens the campaign with a 17-game homestand. The Diamond Dogs open at home against Washington State on February 17th.
The Bulldogs return 16 lettermen and 14 of the 16 pitchers that took the mound during Mississippi State's 2011 run to the NCAA Super Regionals. Mississippi State posted a 38-25 record in 2011 and was ranked as high as 15th nationally after coming within outs of the program's ninth advancement to the prestigious NCAA College World.
Reed and senior Bulldog outfielder Brent Brownlee (Oxford, Miss.) have been named captains of the 2012 Bulldogs.
MSU's returnees also include a pair of 2011 SEC All-Freshman Team picks, outfielder C.T. Bradford (Pace, Fla.) and infielder Adam Frazier (Bishop, Ga.).
Bradford, a 2011 Louisville Slugger Freshman All-America Team selection, hit .303 with 74 hits and 11 stolen bases and was the lone Bulldog to play in all 63 games.
Junior pitchers Chris Stratton (Tupelo, Miss.) and Nick Routt (Silver Spring, Md.) are also past SEC All-Freshman Team selections.
