College baseball transfer portal update: Best available, commitment decisions during College World Series (2024)

The latest dealings in college baseball's busy transfer portal.

Brad Crawford

A national champion will be decided Monday at the square off for a decisive Game 3 and meanwhile, college baseball's transfer portal continues to stay active. Updating a look at the best-available players and talented starters who have already made commitments, a few off the biggest names are already off the market.

Numerous well-known sluggers and top-of-the-line pitchers made themselves available following the spring season, including one of the Group of Five's best players overall.The transfer portal openedearlier this month withthe deadline to enterbeing July 2. Like its football counterpart, there are exceptions for graduate transfers. Athletes who are 21 or olderor have completed their third season at the college level are eligible for selection in the 2024 MLB Draft.

NIL opportunities have a great deal of influence on where players land now that the draft is over and choices are being made on where to play next spring.

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Here are a few of the biggest names available portal and updates on those who have already made their transfer decisions:

Zach Root, ECU, LHP

College baseball transfer portal update: Best available, commitment decisions during College World Series (2)

Per Hoist The Colours, Zach Root was projected to be the team's ace next season after a strong sophomore campaign in Greenville behind future likely first-round pickTrey Yesavage, Considered one of the top left-handers eligible for the 2025 MLB Draft, Root finished the season 5-2 with a 3.82 ERA, striking out 76 against 21 walks in 68.1 innings. Root dealt with an arm injury the second half of the season and didn't pitch from late April, until the conference tournament, before returning to throw three innings in Clearwater, Fla., at the AAC Tournament.

Gavin Kash, Texas Tech, 1B

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One of college baseball's active leaders in home runs is available in the transfer portal as one of the top players on the market. Texas Tech's Gavin Kashclubbed 41 round-trippers over his career in Lubbock including a Big 12-leading 26 during the 2023 season. That single-season number was the second-most all-time in a single season behind Joe Dillon’s 33 in 1997. Kash played in 16 games at Texas previously after originally signing with the Longhorns. After two years with the Red Raiders, he has another year remaining.

Gavin Kilen, Louisville, INF

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One of several everyday players in the ACC to enter the transfer portal when it opened, Gavin Kilen is arguably the most coveted after hitting .330 with nine home runs, 23 doubles, three triples and driving in 41 runs this season for the Cardinals. The all-conference player was one of three selected to the All-ACC team from Louisville and started 54 games for the Cardinals this spring. Losing him at the top of the lineup is a significant blow.

Brady Neal, LSU, C

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Per Geaux247, Brady Neal slashed .276/.408/.578 with nine home runs and 31 RBIs in 44 games, 33 starts, this past season as a sophomore. Neal also had eight doubles with a walk rate of 14.1 and strikeout rate of 24.7.Neal, who bats left-handed, is originally from Tallahassee and played at North Florida Christian as a freshman before spending his next two years at IMG Academy before reclassifying from the 2023 class to the 2022 class where he was considered the 29th-best player and second-best catcher according to Perfect Game.

Bobby Boser, USF, INF

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Bobby Boser is available on the market as one of the Group of Five's top position players after a notable season with the Bulls.Boser hit .299 this season with 12 homers and 32 RBIs. He also managed a 1.018 OPS during the 2024 season. He's a middle-of-the-lineup guy, but could spark rallies at the top, too. He was named all-conference this spring for his standout campaign and is commanding attention from several power conference schools, including Arkansas.

Austin Williamson, South Carolina, RHP

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Austin Williamson announced on social media he was leaving the program earlier this month.The sophomore righty has two years of eligibility remaining after appearing in 18 games as a freshman last season and three this spring. His top performance of the 2024 season came on Feb. 24 against Belmont when he struck out two batters over 1 2/3 innings. He's likely a reliever at his next stop, but could be inserted into a rotation as a mid-week guy.

Jason Torres, Miami, 1B

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Update: Committed to Alabama

Jason Torres wasone of eight players from the University of Miamito enter the transfer portal earlier this month. Per InsideTheU, the sophomore first basemanhit .331 with eight home runs and 32 RBIs in 39 games this season before missing the final month of thecampaign after Tommy John surgery. Torres hit .358 with 11 home runs and 43 RBIs in 57 career games — including 45 starts — with the Hurricanes. Considering the recovery time from surgery, he should be available next spring.

Blake Cyr, Miami, UTL

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Update:Committed to Florida

Blake Cyr hit .284 with seven home runs and 21 RBIin 25 games as a sophomore, splitting time between left field and second base, before sustaining a season-ending left thumb injury in April, which required surgery. Like Torres, he missed the rest of the campaign and officially entered the portal with six others in Coral Gables. He hit .305 with 17 home runs and 63 RBIs as a freshman, earning All-ACC Third Team, Freshman All-American and All-ACC Freshman Team honors.

Cam Johnson, LSU, LHP

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Update:Committed toOklahoma

One of seven LSU players to enter this month, Cam Johnson is the most-talented former Tigers pitcher to do so after making the call. Geaux247's Glen West says Johnson has "untapped potential" as a hard-throwing, 6-foot-5 lefty and he was expected to take a sizable role on next season's team after playing just one year in Baton Rouge. He fanned 13 batters over nine innings and 13 appearances this season, but did give up 16 walks and 12 earned runs. Florida State is reportedly the team to watch for Johnson.

Logan Maxwell, TCU, OF

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Update:Committed to Arkansas

Per HornedFrogBlitz, Logan Maxwell entered the portal after leading TCU with a .929 OPS from his outfielder spot and splitting time in the designated hitter role. A multi-year starter in Fort Worth, Maxwellhit .300 as a sophomore in 2023 with 30 total hits including six doubles, two triples and two home runs. Most of his starts over his first two seasons at the program came in left field. He's never been known for his power, but Maxwell makes a lot of contact and has speedon the basepaths.

Mason Koch, Creighton, RHP

College baseball transfer portal update: Best available, commitment decisions during College World Series (12)

Update:Committed to Auburn

Quality pitchers are not easy to find in the transfer portal, but Creighton'sMason Koch certainly fits the mold of a quality reliever or potential front-end starter next spring. At 6-foot, 190 pounds, Koch is known for his live fastball and fanning 60 hitters over 38 1/3 innings. His slider is one of his top pitches, too. He scattered 17 walks with an almost 3:1 strikeout to walk ratio. Opposing hitters managed a .226 batting average against him.

Cole Cramer, Washington State, 3B

College baseball transfer portal update: Best available, commitment decisions during College World Series (13)

Update:Committed toTCU

One of three first-team all-conference honorees for the Cougars this season, Cole Cramer was a tough out at the plate. According to his Washington State bio, the formerLinn-Benton Community College transferfinished the regular season eighth in the Pac-12 with a .364 batting average, tied for the team-high with 15 doubles along with a pair of triples, three home runs, 37 RBI andhad seven stoles bases in seven tries. Cramer, ajunior with another year of eligibility remaining, led the team with 19 multiple-hit games and had seven doubles in conference play.

College baseball transfer portal update: Best available, commitment decisions during College World Series (2024)

FAQs

What happens if you enter the transfer portal and don't get picked up? ›

It is an almost impossible situation as some college program or the other is likely to be interested. Yet, if a player were to enter the NCAA Transfer Portal and no team picks him up, he would not be playing that season. That does not mean he cannot go to school as they can transfer to be just a full-time student.

Do you lose your scholarship if you enter the transfer portal? ›

According to the NCAA, once a student-athlete enters the transfer portal, their current institution has the ability to cancel or reduce their scholarship for the upcoming academic year. This means that a student-athlete may indeed lose their scholarship if they decide to enter the transfer portal.

How to access the NCAA transfer portal? ›

The portal isn't publicly accessible; rather, coaches and administrators have logins. Coaches usually have view-only access to the information, which they can filter by any of the database fields entered and export the information. Coaches are able to create a watch list in the portal.

How does the portal work in college football? ›

The transfer portal permits student athletes to place their name in an online database declaring their desire to transfer. Athletes enter the portal by informing their current school of their desire to transfer; the school then has two business days to enter the athlete's name in the database.

Can you contact other coaches before entering the transfer portal? ›

While it is a violation to speak to a coach from a different school before entering the NCAA Transfer Portal, you are permitted to speak to student-athletes and alumni at any time to gain a better understanding of the prospective program.

Can you stay at your school if you enter the transfer portal? ›

If you end up rescinding the transfer and decide to stay at your current school, your scholarship could be in jeopardy. Once your current school knows you intend to transfer, they can rescind any scholarship offers for the next semester, quarter, or trimester.

Can the public view the transfer portal? ›

Transparency – While the transfer portal is a private database, it should be made public so that all athletes entering their names in the portal can see who else is in the database and make a more informed decision.

How many times can a player enter the transfer portal? ›

The NCAA will no longer limit the amount of times that athletes can transfer schools. Previously, athletes were allowed to transfer one time and play immediately, but they had to sit out a full year if they transferred schools a second time without a waiver.

How do you tell a coach you are transferring? ›

3 Tips to Help Tell Your Coach You're Transferring
  1. Schedule a Conversation. Based on your experience and the reasoning for transferring, there's many different conversations you can have with your coach. ...
  2. Know Your “Why” The next thing you need to do is be prepared to tell them why you're transferring. ...
  3. Be Respectful.
Jun 24, 2022

Can you play in a bowl game if you enter the transfer portal? ›

Entering the transfer portal doesn't disqualify one from playing in their school's bowl game. However, a large portion of those players will decide against playing in the postseason as they look elsewhere.

How does the baseball transfer portal work? ›

DI schools must enter a student's name in the portal within two business days; DII schools must do so within seven business days. The school's Compliance Officer is typically the person to enter the student's name and supporting information pertinent to the student-athlete into the NCAA Transfer Portal.

How do I hop in the transfer portal? ›

How does a student-athlete start the process? A college athlete who wishes to leave school first has to notify the current program of an intent to enter the portal. At that time, the university notifies its compliance department, which then enters the athlete's name into the portal.

Can you come back after entering the transfer portal? ›

Can a player come back after they enter the transfer portal? By entering the portal, players give up their roster spot and scholarship. They can return to their current team only if the coach allows them to and there is an open roster spot.

Can you take yourself out of the transfer portal? ›

Once a player's name enters the transfer portal, they have the option to remove their name at any time. However, it's important to note that the decision to remove their name from the transfer portal does not guarantee that the player will be able to return to their original school or team.

What are the downside to the transfer portal? ›

One of the most problematic aspects of the portal is that there is no mandatory orientation session for prospective transfer portal applicants that highlight the pros and cons of their decision and there are few guard rails that protect student-athletes from making impulsive decisions.

Can you enter the transfer portal after the deadline? ›

As part of the NCAA rules on transfer players, graduates are allowed to enter their names into the portal just about whenever they like. With one exception: the NCAA's notification deadline on May 1 for fall and winter sports. Grads must enter their names before that day to be eligible for next season.

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