College Baseball Transfer Tracker: 2020’s Most Impactful Names

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OF Mike Antico – St. John’s to Texas
2019: .386/.500/.598, 184 AB, 6 HR, 29 RBI

Antico’s 2019 numbers for the Red Storm, which also included 20 stolen bases, stand out, but he was a multi-year contributor in the program, hitting .332/.451/.519 in parts of four seasons, including 2020. The Longhorns had a hole to fill in the outfield with Duke Ellis signing a free agent deal with the White Sox, so Antico should fit in quite nicely. 

C Sean Arnold – Incarnate Word to Texas-San Antonio
2019: 325/.425/.495, 200 AB, 5 HR, 35 RBI

Catchers who can handle the bat are valuable in the sport, and Arnold fits that bill with what he did for Incarnate Word in 2019. Now, he’ll move 20 minutes to the northwest to ply his trade for Texas-San Antonio, following former Incarnate Word coach Patrick Hallmark, who went from UIW to UTSA after the 2019 season. Hallmark’s time at UIW was marked by the team’s sharp improvement. Arnold will certainly help him do the same at this stop. 

1B Justin Banks – Coppin State to Saint Mary’s
2019: .394/.493/.588, 165 AB, 5 HR, 43 RBI

A California native, Banks will come back to his home state to finish up his college career after spending the 2019 and 2020 seasons at Coppin State. In 2019, he was named first team all-MEAC at first base for his efforts, and he was off to a good start in 2020 as well, hitting .348/.474/.587. Banks will be a welcome addition to a Saint Mary’s offense that lost its top hitter in infielder Gio Diaz, who signed as a free agent with the Nationals, from a group that hit just .235 as a team in 2020. 

OF Corrigan Bartlett – Saint Louis to Wichita State
2019: .310/.411/.419, 210 AB, 1 HR, 26 RBI

After earning first team All-Atlantic 10 honors for his performance in 2019, Bartlett was off to a hot start in 2020, hitting .322/.447/.441, good for the team lead in batting average and on-base percentage. Now, the Maize, Kansas, native will be heading back home as a grad transfer to finish his career at Wichita State, where it’s safe to expect his bat to earn him plenty of opportunities. 

1B Cole Beeker – Swarthmore to George Washington
2019: .393/.518/.647, 150 AB, 5 HR, 47 RBI

Beeker mashed in his career at Swarthmore. In more than 600 plate appearances, he hit .362/.447/.539 with 56 doubles and more walks (82) than strikeouts (69). This summer for the Winter Park Diamond Dawgs of the Florida League, he stayed hot by hitting .382 with six doubles in 20 games. There will always be questions about a Division III transfer’s ability to handle the step up to Division I, but Beeker often dominated Division III pitching and clearly was prepared for a bigger challenge. If he takes to the increased level of competition well, Beeker could be a game-changer in the lineup for George Washington. 

RHP Andrew Belcik – Notre Dame to Houston
2019: 2-3, 3.21 ERA, 33.2 IP, 37 K, 1 SV

Belcik emerged as a bullpen workhorse for Notre Dame in 2018 and 2019, leading the team in appearances both seasons and pitching in a total of 60 games. Walks can be a trouble spot for the righthander, as he issued 23 free passes in 2019, but he has proven to be difficult to hit. Batters had a .226 batting average against him in 2018 and a .226 average off of him in 2019. Having pitched in the ACC for parts of four seasons, Belcik should be ready to handle big moments for Houston. 

C Kyle Bergeron – Incarnate Word to Texas-San Antonio
2019: .244/.280/.267, 45 AB

Bergeron’s 2019 season was cut short after just 11 games, so his stats there won’t blow anyone away. Instead, the UTSA faithful should be looking to 2018 to see what he could bring to the lineup. In that season, he hit .321/.396/.466 with 14 doubles, six home runs and 50 RBI. Bergeron is actually the second UIW catcher this offseason to transfer to play for former coach Patrick Hallmark at UTSA, following in the footsteps of Sean Arnold. 

LHP John Michael Bertrand – Furman to Notre Dame
2019: 4-6, 4.90 ERA, 82.2 IP, 62 K

One of the first Furman players to find a marquee landing spot in the aftermath of the program shutting down, Bertrand enjoyed a solid 2019 season as the Paladins’ Friday starter for much of the season. But it’s what he did in 2020 that should have the Notre Dame faithful most excited about what he’ll bring to the table. In four starts, he was 3-1 with a 1.50 ERA, 23 strikeouts and a .186 opponent batting average in 24 innings. The Fighting Irish have gone pitching-heavy in the transfer market this offseason, but even with a lot of competition for innings, Bertrand is likely to find a role. 

C/OF Alex Brait – Florida Gulf Coast to Notre Dame
2019: .321/.390/.414, 237 AB, 4 HR, 30 RBI

Brait brings a lot to the table for Notre Dame. As a catcher who is also athletic enough to play the outfield, he provides some defensive versatility. Offensively, he has a long track record of mashing. In his FGCU career, which covers 149 games, he has a .314/.388/.421 slash line. He also continues to add new facets to his game. In 2019, for example, he was a perfect 10-for-10 in stolen bases after stealing just two bases total in his first two seasons on campus. Given his clear offensive skill, Brait could flourish at Notre Dame under a hitting-minded coach like Link Jarrett. 

OF/RHP Richard Brereton – Emory to Duke
2019: .392/.444/.497, 143 AB, 1 HR, 30 RBI; 3-1, 3.66 ERA, 39.1 IP, 30 K

A move from Division III to the ACC won’t be easy, but if Brereton can be just a fraction as dynamic as he was at Emory, the Blue Devils will have an impact player on their hands. At the plate, he showed exceptional hitting ability, not only by flirting with hitting .400 in 2019, but also walking as often as he struck out. As a pitcher, Brereton showed his potential by going to the Cape Cod League in 2019 and striking out 24 batters in 23.1 innings. No matter how Duke decides to use him, it’s a worthwhile bet to make that Brereton will be able to handle the improved quality of play. 

OF Julian Bury – Columbia to Loyola Marymount
2019: .314/.356/.415, 188 AB, 1 HR, 18 RBI

Bury was productive for the Lions from the minute he stepped on campus, and in his three-plus years with the team, he hit .296/.351/.365. His 2019 season was his best full season, but the 2020 season, which he finished hitting .355/.429/.452, was shaping up to be his best yet. He’s more of a spark plug type in the lineup rather than a run producer, but that should help him fit in well at LMU, which plays its games in a pitcher’s league, mostly in pitcher’s parks. 

OF Hudson Byorick – Wofford to West Virginia
2019: .326/.443/.436, 218 AB, 2 HR, 45 RBI

The stat line you can see here paints the picture of a very productive hitter who should be a nice addition to the West Virginia lineup, and that’s without the most impressive stat from his 2019 season, a 45-to-18 strikeout to walk ratio. With 18 doubles last season (and seven more in 2020), he flashes some gap power, and he has the speed to chip in with some production on the bases as well. 

1B Brett Centracchio – Davidson to North Carolina
2019: .262/.327/.482, 191 AB, 9 HR, 36 RBI

A power bat who hit 10 home runs as a sophomore before slugging nine as a junior, Centracchio was perhaps on the way to his best season in 2020. He was hitting .352/.410/.648 with four homers in 14 games. He won’t be Aaron Sabato in terms of his production, but he is capable of stepping into the UNC lineup and holding his own right away. 

RHP Nolan Crisp – Florida to Georgia
2019: 4-4, 6.41 ERA, 39.1 IP, 21 K, 8 SV

As an underclassman, Crisp will need a waiver in order to be immediately eligible for Georgia, but if that is granted, he’ll bring an experienced arm to the Bulldogs’ staff. Crisp took over the closer’s role for Florida as a freshman in 2019, but it was a mixed bag in terms of results. He got off to a hot start, but faded down the stretch, taking his ERA from 2.57 in early April to 6.41 at the end of the season. And in 2020, he didn’t make any appearances for the Gators. To break through and hold down an important role for Georgia, Crisp will have to be more consistent. 

OF Chris Davis – Princeton to Duke
2019: .281/.360/.407, 167 AB, 1 HR, 19 RBI

Davis, the son of ESPN College Gameday host Rece Davis, enjoyed a breakout season in 2019, setting career highs across the board and leading the team in slugging percentage and extra-base hits with 16, all while starting every game of the season. He’ll be a good fit at Duke, not just from the obvious academic standpoint, but also as a productive, veteran outfielder who does a lot of things well. 

1B Conor Davis – Auburn to Arizona State
2019: .290/.351/.448, 252 AB, 8 HR, 36 RBI

All Davis did was hit in his time at Auburn. Including his stats from the shortened 2020 season, he hit .287/.368/.418 with 40 doubles, 14 homers and 113 RBI in a Tigers uniform. His abbreviated 2020 season was already shaping up to be his best, as he was hitting .339/.442/.593 when things shut down. He’ll fit in nicely in at Arizona State, which will be rebuilding its lineup after it had most of its top hitters, including first baseman Spencer Torkelson, drafted. 

OF Christian Del Castillo – Seton Hall to Miami
2019: .286/.364/.505, 182 AB, 5 HR, 35 RBI

A Miami native, Christian Del Castillo will return home to finish his playing career alongside his brother, Hurricanes catcher and premium 2021 draft prospect Adrian Del Castillo. Christian is certainly a talented player in his own right and will have a chance to be a contributor right away. In 2019, he led Seton Hall in doubles, with 17, and slugging percentage, signifying a big jump from his 2018 season, when he hit .237/.322/.308. 

LHP Trevor DeLaite – Maine to Liberty
2019: 1-2, 2.12 ERA, 34 IP, 41 K, 7 SV

After putting up an 8.61 ERA in 2018, DeLaite took a big step forward and developed into Maine’s most reliable reliever in 2019, leading the team in ERA and in opponent batting average at .185. DeLaite made just one appearance in 2020 before the season was canceled, but it was an impressive one. In a start against Missouri State on March 7, he threw four shutout innings, giving up just one hit and two walks with six strikeouts. DeLaite has proven to be a trustworthy piece at the back of the bullpen, but perhaps he can also provide some versatility in his role for Liberty. 

OF/RHP Garett Delano – Brown to Mercer
2019: .289/.354/.458, 142 AB, 6 HR, 25 RBI; 3-5, 4.83 ERA, 69 IP, 41 K

The Ivy League grad transfer market is teeming with talent this offseason, and Mercer secured the services of one of the best two-way talents coming out of that league with the commitment of Delano. At the plate, he’ll provide some power, having hit 16 homers over his three-plus seasons at Brown, and on the mound, he’s a proven commodity as a durable starting pitcher, having started 25 games in his career. To a Mercer team that should again be competitive at the top of the Southern Conference, Delano will bring value as a player who can do a lot of things well. 

INF/RHP Brandon Dieter – Stanford to New Mexico State
2019:.208/.284/.278, 72 AB, 1 HR, 12 RBI; 1.1 IP

Dieter’s numbers at Stanford don’t necessarily reflect his talent, as he came to campus as the No. 257 player in the Baseball America 500 for the 2018 draft. He took a big step forward on the mound in the shortened 2020 season. In 12 innings across seven appearances, he struck out 16 and held opponents to a .146 batting average. The 2020 season was just his sophomore campaign, so in order to help NMSU as an impact two-way player right away, he will have to be granted immediate eligibility. 

RHP Javin Drake – Western Illinois to Indiana State
2019: 7-6, 4.37 ERA, 103 IP, 109 K

Tucked away with Western Illinois in the Summit League, Drake was a workhorse during the 2019 season, and he was at it again in 2020, most notably on opening day against Tennessee, when he limited the Volunteers to two runs on two hits in five innings. For an Indiana State program that’s always competitive in the Missouri Valley Conference, Drake could be a finishing touch for a team that looks to get back in the postseason in 2021.

2B Scott Dubrule – Jacksonville to Mississippi State
2019: .307/.404/.359, 231 AB, 0 HR, 29 RBI

This move feels somewhat reminiscent of Southeast Missouri State’s Trevor Ezell transferring to Arkansas for the 2019 season, as Dubrule, like Ezell, is a second baseman by trade who has done nothing but hit at his original program. He could be a ready-made replacement for Justin Foscue at second base, but if nothing else, he has the skill to be a quality extra bat off the bench. 

RHP Chris Farrell – William & Mary to Texas A&M
2019: 5-2, 2.58 ERA, 38.1 IP, 47 K, 6 SV

Farrell is another pitcher who could do a number of things with his new program, which in this case, is Texas A&M. He’s got experience starting games, as he did in 2018 when he had a 4.44 ERA in 14 games that included 13 starts, but he’s been at his best for the Tribe when pitching in relief, as he did in 2019. You can never have too many arms in the SEC, and Farrell will give the Aggies some additional depth, at the very least. 

RHP Kamron Fields – Texas to Texas Southern
2019: 1-2, 4.26 ERA, 25.1 IP, 36 K, 3 SV

With a passionate post on social media, former Texas righthander Kamron Fields announced his decision to transfer to Texas Southern, an HBCU institution. While it’s clear from his post that there are personal and societal reasons at the forefront of his decision, Fields will also be joining a very good baseball program that has made three regional appearances in the last five full seasons. Fields, a proven pitcher with a 3.27 career ERA at Texas in 55 innings of work, will undoubtedly have a huge role on the Tigers’ pitching staff. 

C Jackson Greer – East Tennessee State to Tennessee
2019: .314/.434/.541, 207 AB, 10 HR, 42 RBI

Greer, a Knoxville native and East Tennessee State’s top hitter in 2019, will have to adjust to SEC pitching, but his 2019 season, and his four early homers in 2020, suggest that he could be ready for that level. In a best-case scenario, he can provide instant pop in Tennessee’s lineup, but in any scenario, a team can never have too many players who can hit and handle catching duties. 

RHP Stephen Hansen –  Iona to Pittsburgh
2019: 4-6, 3.23 ERA, 94.2 IP, 3 K

After two mostly effective seasons as a swingman for Iona in 2017 and 2018, Hansen came into his own as a workhorse in 2019, leading the team by a wide margin in innings and strikeouts. He was off to another good start in 2020, with a 3.55 ERA and 24 strikeouts in 25.1 innings. The righthander will give the Panthers an experienced arm who could conceivably hold down any role on the staff. 

RHP Ryan Hare – Nevada-Las Vegas to Cal State Fullerton
2019: 8-4, 3.52 ERA, 79.1 IP, 52 K

After spending the first four years of his college career at UNLV, Hare will finish out his career at Cal State Fullerton, about 15 minutes east of where he played his high school baseball in Lakewood, California. The righthander will provide the Titans with another proven starting pitching option after serving in that role with the Rebels. It’s a small sample size, but it’s worth noting that Hare’s strikeout rate took a jump in 2020, as he struck out 22 batters in 20.1 innings after striking out 52 in 79.1 innings in 2019. 

RHP Sean Harney – Massachusetts to Kentucky
2019: 3-5, 3.27 ERA, 66 IP, 48 K

Harney will add an experienced arm to the mix for the Wildcats. In his three seasons at UMass (including the shortened 2020 season), he had a 3.49 ERA in 136.2 innings over 27 appearances, 21 of which were starts. He’s tough to hit, with opponents hitting just .227 against him in his career, but he has also often been a little too generous with free passes. In those 136.2 innings, he issued 74 walks, but there’s enough track record there to suggest that he could help UK right away when he’s eligible, whether that’s 2021 or 2022. 

RHP MacGregor Hines – Dallas Baptist to Houston
2019: 3-1, 3.55 ERA, 33 IP, 49 K, 3 SV

A well-traveled pitcher who began his career at Florida before transferring to San Jacinto College and eventually Dallas Baptist, Hines has been a key piece in the DBU bullpen since the 2018 season. In 87 career innings, he has a 4.03 ERA and 118 strikeouts. It’s easy to see him slotting right into a role late in games for the Cougars. 

RHP Mitchell Holcomb – Pennsylvania to Rice
2019: 6-1, 3.76 ERA, 64.2 IP, 51 K

The Ivy League grad transfer market is an incredibly rich source of talent this offseason, and Rice got a good one in Holcomb, who will be returning to his home state to finish out his collegiate baseball career. The righthander started 28 games in three-plus seasons at Penn and finished his time there with a 4.03 career ERA in 163 innings. The final start of his time as a Quaker, his second of two starts in the shortened 2020 season, should get the Rice faithful excited about what Holcomb can bring to the table. Against Florida International, he threw eight shutout innings, striking out eight along the way. 

RHP Chance Hroch – New Mexico State to Nebraska
2019: 10-1, 2.74 ERA, 85.1 IP, 69 K

After serving as an effective reliever for his first two seasons in Las Cruces, Hroch broke out as a starter in 2019, leading the team in ERA and finishing tops among starting pitchers in opponent batting average. In four 2020 starts, he was 2-1 with a 4.68 ERA and 20 strikeouts compared to just four walks in 25 innings. The Cornhuskers struggled to the tune of a 5.94 ERA in 2020, so the addition of Hroch could help them shore up that aspect of the team in 2021. 

RHP Chance Huff – Vanderbilt to Georgia Tech
2019: 2-0, 6.38 ERA, 18.1 IP, 21 K

Huff’s 2019 season stats and the fact that he didn’t make any appearances for Vanderbilt during the 2020 season aren’t indicative of his talent level and the potential he holds for Georgia Tech. Coming out of high school, he was ranked No. 280 on the BA 500 on the strength of his stuff, including a low-90s fastball and an above-average breaking ball, and his 6-foot-4 frame. Moving forward, he’ll have a chance to be a breakout star for a Yellow Jackets pitching staff that will be vitally important to the team’s success in 2021. 

SS Hal Hughes – Louisiana State to Rice
2019: .174/.289/.188, 149 AB, 0 HR, 11 RBI

An extremely skilled defensive shortstop, Hughes should step in and help Rice’s defense right away. If he is granted immediate eligibility, that could be as the starting shortstop, if the Owls’ incumbent starter, Trei Cruz, begins his professional career or moves to third base in 2021. Hughes could also handle other spots on the infield if need be. No matter when he steps on the field or where he plays, it will be difficult to keep a player of Hughes’ defensive skill out of the lineup. 

RHP A.J. Jones – Jacksonville to Central Florida
2019: 7-4, 3.30 ERA, 87.1 IP, 77 K

Jones could be a valuable piece of the puzzle as the Knights look to carry the momentum from a hot start in 2020 into 2021. At 6-foot-5 and 220 pounds, Jones is an imposing figure on the mound and he backed that up with his performance in his one full season at Jacksonville after transferring from State College of Florida. Perhaps Jones could be an instant replacement in the UCF rotation for lefthander Joe Sheridan, who is currently in the transfer portal himself. 

RHP Holt Jones – Clemson to Kentucky
2019: 2-1, 3.93 ERA, 36.2 IP, 43 K, 3 SV

A 6’8 righthander with a fastball that can reach the mid 90s, Jones has the talent to be an impact arm at Kentucky right away, should he be granted immediate eligibility. In 2019 for Clemson, he proved to be extremely tough to hit. In addition to 43 strikeouts in 36.2 innings of work, he also held opponents to a .183 batting average. 

LHP Art Joven – Missouri to Cal State Bakersfield
2019: 3-1, 4.33 ERA, 43.2 IP, 51 K, 1 SV

A Bakersfield native, Joven will head back home to play his final season of college baseball. The lefty, a draft pick of the Red Sox coming out of junior college in 2018, became a valuable swingman for the Tigers in 2019, appearing in 19 games in a number of different roles. He never quite got on track in 2020, although he did end his season with four scoreless innings against Northern Illinois, but he could be a big part of the Roadrunners’ plans for the 2021 season. 

RHP Zach Kammin – Coe to Kentucky
2019: 11-1, 2.68 ERA, 77.1 IP, 77 K

Transferring up from Division III to the SEC is not an easy thing to do, but Kammin has the track record at Coe College, a successful DIII program, to suggest that he can make it work. At the very least, stuff isn’t going to be much of a question with Kammin, as he features a fastball in the low 90s and a good slider as part of a four-pitch mix that should serve him well against top hitters. To date in the Northwoods League this summer, Kammin has struck out 34 in 24 innings. 

RHP Beau Keathley – Oakland to Cincinnati
2019: 3-7, 3.77 ERA, 71.2 IP, 83 K

In his breakout 2019 season, Keathley, a funky, low-slot righthander, proved to be incredibly difficult to hit. Not only did he strike out 83 batters in 71.2 innings, but he also held opponents to a .189 batting average. Walks were more of a problem, however, as he issued 42 of them. If he can control his repertoire a bit better moving forward and curtail those free passes, he can be a weapon right away for Cincinnati, either in a starting role or, given his unorthodox delivery, as a reliever. 

LHP/OF Lael Lockhart – Houston to Arkansas
2019: 4-6, 3.58 ERA, 83 IP, 76 K; .225/.315/.288, 111 AB, 1 HR, 8 RBI

Lockhart was one of the first players to jump on board in what turned out to be a busy offseason in the transfer market for Arkansas. Lockhart has developed into more of an impact player on the mound throughout his career, but in 2018, he hit .297/.425/.419. His experience as a weekend starter might get him on the mound first, but he could conceivably help the Razorbacks in a couple of different ways. 

OF Allbry Major – Xavier to Arizona State
2019: .281/.341/.488, 203 AB, 7 HR, 34 RBI

One of the most dynamic players and best prospects in the Big East during his time at Xavier, Major is on his way to Arizona State, where he will help fill the vacuum left by the departures of a number of key lineup cogs to the draft. With the Sun Devils, Major will try to make his springtime production match what he showed in the Cape Cod League in 2019, when he hit .407/.435/.525 against some of the best pitching college baseball has to offer. 

RHP Reece Maniscalco – Wofford to Coastal Carolina
2019: 4-1, 2.34 ERA, 42.1 IP, 60 K, 6 SV

It speaks to the talent level present on the Wofford roster that it has three outgoing transfers on this list. Maniscalco at Coastal Carolina, like former teammate Rasesh Pandya, who is heading to Clemson, should provide immediate quality and depth in the bullpen. The righthander was extraordinarily difficult to hit in 2019. In addition to his 60 strikeouts in 42.1 innings, he held the opposition to a .192 batting average. 

OF Peter Matt – Pennsylvania to Duke
2019: .328/.391/.456, 195 AB, 1 HR, 35 RBI

Duke is a natural landing place for Ivy League grad transfers, and in former Penn outfielder Peter Matt, the Blue Devils got one of the best ones available. Matt’s best full season came in 2019, when he put up career-high marks in batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage while also stealing 14 bases. In 2020, he was hitting .457/.525/.543 when the season was canceled. He’ll be a dynamic ready-made contributor for Duke in 2021. 

OF Jaylon McLaughlin – Nevada to Utah
2019: .339/.385/.456, 180 AB, 3 HR, 24 RBI

After hitting .212 and .252 in part-time roles in his first two seasons at Nevada, McLaughlin broke out in a big way in 2019 and showed why the Mets made him a 38th-round draft pick out of high school in 2016. In addition to the huge jump in batting average, he showed improved pop, collecting 13 extra-base hits in 2019 after putting up just six extra-base hits in his first two seasons combined. He also emerged as a huge threat on the bases, swiping 25 bags. He has the skill to be a catalyst for the Utah offense moving forward. 

SS Jackson Olson – Hartford to Stetson
2019: .306/.345/.396, 222 AB, 1 HR, 21 RBI

There’s a lot to like with Olson’s game if you’re Stetson. He handles a premium defensive position well, but he also provides versatility as a player who could also slot in at second base and third base. As a .288/.335/.377 career hitter for the Hawks, he has also proven himself with the bat, and although he won’t bring home run power to the table, a combined 27 doubles between the 2018 and 2019 seasons shows that he does have some doubles pop. And with 20 stolen bases over his three-plus seasons with Hartford, he’ll give the team some production on the bases as well. All in all, he seems like a perfect fit for a Stetson program that values athleticism and defense over power and physicality.

1B Andrew Orzel – Wofford to Gonzaga
2019: .267/.370/.381, 236 AB, 3 HR, 36 RBI

A four-year contributor at Wofford with 177 career games played and more than 700 plate appearances, Orzel enjoyed his most productive season in 2019, setting a career high in doubles and RBI, more than doubling his walk total while lowering his strikeout total and stealing as many bases (19) as he had stolen in his entire career up to that point. He was also off to a hot start in 2020, hitting .315 with a .431 on-base percentage at the time the season ended. He should be a quality addition to the Gonzaga lineup right away.  

RHP Seth Owens – Charleston Southern to Coastal Carolina
2019: 2-3, 4.06 ERA, 44.1 IP, 41 K

Owens was a durable reliever for the Buccaneers during both the 2018 and 2019 seasons. He set a number of personal high-water marks in 2019, including his 31 appearances, but he was just as effective in 2018, putting up a 2.18 ERA in 20.2 innings spread over 23 appearances. Owens and righthander Reece Maniscalco, a transfer from Wofford, should help bolster the Coastal Carolina pitching staff with proven, veteran arms. 

RHP Rasesh Pandya – Wofford to Clemson
2019: 4-2, 1.80 ERA, 35 IP, 41 K, 2 SV

Pandya burst onto the scene with an outstanding 2019 season at Wofford, and he went into the 2020 season as the Terriers’ closer, putting up a 2.13 ERA with three saves in 12.2 innings. Thanks to a redshirt season he took while at Wofford, he’ll provide extra value to Clemson as a graduate transfer who will have two years of eligibility remaining. 

1B Tristan Peterson – New Mexico State to Washington State
2019: .400/.510/.769, 195 AB, 20 HR, 90 RBI

Following coach Brian Green, who made the move after the 2019 season, Peterson is heading from New Mexico State to Washington State to play for the former Aggies’ skipper. The slugging first baseman, who also had stops at Kansas State and Howard Junior College in his career, should plug right into the middle of the Cougars lineup. In 2019, as a running mate for first-round pick Nick Gonzales, he hit .400 and slugged 20 home runs. 

LHP Kyle Petri – Virginia to San Diego State
2019: (at University of Chicago) 6-0, 1.13 ERA, 40 IP, 64 K

Petri originally moved from the University of Chicago to Virginia, but after sitting out the 2020 season in Charlottesville, he will restart his college career at San Diego State. Although it won’t be as steep as making the jump from Division III to the ACC, Petri will still be stepping up in competition going to the Mountain West Conference. However, it bodes well for the 6-foot-6 lefthander’s chances to compete well at SDSU that he was absolutely dominant with Chicago before transferring. 

RHP Will Proctor – Georgia to Michigan
2019: 3-0, 4.35 ERA, 10.1 IP, 15 K

Proctor went down early in the 2019 season, which prematurely ended what was otherwise looking like a promising campaign for the righthander as a member of the Bulldogs’ rotation. The season prior, he had been an effective piece of the bullpen, putting up a 2.42 ERA in 26 innings of work. Proctor was set to return to the mound for Georgia during the 2020 season, but the shutdown scuttled those plans. The best might be yet to come for Proctor, who originally came to Georgia as an infielder, but if it happens now, it will come at Michigan instead. 

C Dax Roper – Furman to Creighton
2019: .278/.396/.515, 198 AB, 9 HR, 33 RBI

Roper is a catcher who can get on base and hit for power, and that profile alone will make him an intriguing piece for Creighton in 2021. With 70 strikeouts in 2019, he does have swing and miss in his game, but his ability to work a walk and hit the ball out of the yard makes up for it. If he can cut down on the strikeouts and maintain his level of production, he can be a special offensive weapon for the Bluejays. 

OF Hernen Sardinas – Maine to Stetson
2019: .298/.353/.556, 198 AB, 11 HR, 34 RBI

A product of Miami’s Christopher Columbus High School, Sardinas will return to his home state for his final year of college baseball. Over the last three seasons, he has become a stalwart in the Black Bears’ lineup. Although his 2019 season was his best, he also hit .308/.357/.505 with seven home runs in 2018 and .254/.327/.368 with 16 doubles as a freshman. Sardinas played right field for Maine in 2019, but also has experience at first base. Regardless of position, it’s realistic for Stetson to expect him to hit right away. 

INF Joe Satterfield – Elon to South Carolina
2019: .325/.438/.476, 212 AB, 4 HR, 35 RBI

In Satterfield, the Gamecocks are getting an experienced and accomplished hitter who also doubles as a versatile defender on the infield. In 11 games in 2020 alone, Satterfield saw time at first base, second base and third base. In more than 700 career plate appearances in an Elon uniform, Satterfield hit .291/.387/.422, and his 2020 slash line of .343/.465/.486 suggests that the canceled season might have been his best yet. South Carolina will be very talented in 2021, but with his ability to hit and his versatility, you have to imagine Satterfield will find his way into playing time. 

RHP Christian Scafidi – Pennsylvania to Notre Dame
2019: 6-2, 2.62 ERA, 68.2 IP, 59 K

The 2019 Ivy League pitcher of the year will provide a jolt to the Notre Dame pitching staff. In his Penn career, Scafidi 11-6, 3.47 and 141 strikeouts in 158.1 innings of work. He was off to a hot start in 2020 as well, throwing 15 innings without allowing an earned run. The Fighting Irish showed early signs of progress under Link Jarrett this season. Scafidi’s presence could help them continue that progress in 2021. 

SS Benjamin Sems – Kansas to Michigan
2019: .305/.414/.437, 197 AB, 4 HR, 39 RBI

Sems looks like a ready-made replacement for Jack Blomgren in the Michigan infield. A steady defender who fielded .971 at shortstop in 2019 and .988 in the shortened 2020 season, Sems will give the Wolverines the type of glove they seek at that premium position. Offensively, Sems made a jump in 2019, setting career highs in a number of categories. Perhaps he won’t be the type of hitter who can carry an offense for weeks at a time, but he’s still an asset to the lineup in that regard and he won’t be asked to try to do too much. 

RHP Kenny Serwa – Southern Illinois-Edwardsville to Central Florida
2019: 3-2, 3.19 ERA, 42.1 IP, 33 K

Serwa, who ended up at SIUE only after his Division II school, St. Joseph’s College, shut its doors for good, was an effective pitcher for the Cougars when he was healthy. That includes in 2019, when he was named second team All-OVC despite appearing in just seven games. The righthander was also dominant in 2020, going 4-0 with a 1.33 ERA and 42 strikeouts in 27 innings, and had begun to pick up steam as a prospect for the 2020 draft just as the season was canceled. He should be a ready-made option for UCF in the spring. 

RHP Kieran Shaw – Harvard to San Diego
2019: 1-3, 3.96 ERA, 25 IP, 28 K, 13 SV

In his Crimson career, Shaw saved 21 games, including 13 as part of Harvard’s 2019 Ivy League championship team. Any concerns about whether Shaw will be able to succeed outside of the Ivy League were likely assuaged by what he did in the Cape Cod League in 2019. In 13.2 innings for Bourne, he had a 1.31 ERA and struck out 20. The Toreros will likely be able to plug Shaw into a significant role right away. 

LHP Joe Sheridan – Central Florida to Notre Dame
2019: DNP (injury)

After missing all of the 2019 season recovering from a torn labrum suffered during the 2018 season, Sheridan returned to the mound strong in 2020, going 2-0 with a 3.32 ERA in four starts for a much-improved UCF team. Over his career with the Knights, he went 15-7 with a 3.30 ERA and 131 strikeouts in 147.1 innings of work, primarily as a starter. Speaking of improved teams, Notre Dame was off to a good start in 2020, and Sheridan should help keep that momentum going in 2021. 

RHP Austin Smith – Southwestern (Division III) to Arizona
2019: 7-2, 3.18 ERA, 79.1 IP, 110 K

Smith originally looked ticketed for Oklahoma, but changed his commitment to Arizona instead. The 6’3 righthander was named the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference pitcher of the year for his exploits in 2019. Early returns in 2020 were good as well. In his first eight innings, he had a 0.00 ERA and struck out 14. Moving up from Division III to the Pac-12 will be a challenge, but Smith has the raw stuff, including a fastball that can reach the high 90s, to succeed in making that transition and to be a key piece of the staff for the Wildcats in 2021. 

RHP Alex Stiegler – Yale to Boston College
2019: 6-4, 3.52 ERA, 76.2 IP, 76 K

A young team in 2019 and 2020, Boston College has long been eyeing the 2021 season as a potential breakthrough campaign, and Stiegler makes them even stronger. A first-team All-Ivy League performer in 2019, the righthander will fit in nicely on a pitching staff that already projects to return most of its key pieces, including staff ace Mason Pelio. 

1B/RHP Ryan Stoudemire – Charleston Southern to George Mason
2019: .298/.381/.544, 215 AB, 14 HR, 45 RBI; 1-5, 7.25 ERA, 22.1 IP, 20 K

Stoudemire came into his own as a slugger with Charleston Southern in 2019, hitting .298 with 14 homers to help him earn first-team All-Big South honors as a junior after hitting just .222 with six home runs as a sophomore. He has also chipped in on the mound, appearing in 52 games across three seasons, even if the 2019 season was his worst statistically as a pitcher. Stoudemire may be limited to first base or DH duty, but a team can never have too many players capable of hitting the ball out of the ballpark, so it’s easy to see why George Mason brought him in. 

RHP T.J. Stuart – Manhattan to Florida Atlantic
2019: 8-5, 4.08 ERA, 86 IP, 86 K

There are a number of roles that Stuart could fill at FAU. He could start games, as he did for Manhattan in 2019 and was going to do in 2020. He was solid for the Jaspers last year, but this year, he was even better in a small sample, putting up a 2.42 ERA in 26 innings of work. He could also be a bullpen weapon, as he was as a sophomore in 2018, when he had a 2.57 ERA, a .178 opponent batting average and 10 saves in 63 innings. The Owls typically do a good job of mixing and matching their best arms into the right roles, even in seasons when they’re a little light on the mound, and Stuart will give them additional flexibility. 

1B Bryan Sturges – Texas-San Antonio to Texas A&M
2019: .316/.465/.523, 193 AB, 7 HR, 48 RBI

Sturges has been well traveled throughout his college career. After beginning at Texas Christian, he transferred to Howard College before landing at Texas-San Antonio, where he mashed for the Roadrunners in 2019. He was at it again in 2020, hitting .290/.384/.484 at the time the season was shut down. His bat is what draws the eye right away, but he’s not a stereotypical un-athletic slugger. He stole eight bases for UTSA in 2019 and put four more on the board to begin 2020. Led by the likes of John Doxakis and Asa Lacy, the Aggies have been more closely associated with pitching in recent seasons, but Sturges will provide a jolt to a lineup that had shown significant improvement in a shortened 2020 season. 

RHP Luke Taggart – Incarnate Word to Oklahoma
2019: 7-5, 3.68 ERA, 88 IP, 76 K, 1 SV

An imposing 6’2, 220-pound righthander with a fastball that sits in the low 90s, Taggart was a durable arm for Incarnate Word for parts of three seasons, ending his career in San Antonio with a 3.74 ERA in 202.1 innings of work. He was off to an outstanding start in 2020, putting up a 3.08 ERA with 28 strikeouts in 26.1 innings. Taggart should be a ready-made addition to the Oklahoma pitching staff.

RHP Eric Walker – Louisiana State to Oklahoma State
2019: 5-4, 5.47 ERA, 72.1 IP, 56 K

Despite not possessing electric stuff, Walker fought his way into the LSU rotation from day one of his freshman season. After that point, save for missing all of the 2018 season due to Tommy John surgery, the righthander has been a consistent workhorse for the Tigers. He has a 4.30 ERA in 173.2 innings of work in his LSU career, and he’ll give Oklahoma State pitching coach Rob Walton a pitcher as battle-tested as just about any in college baseball. 

1B/RHP Ben Wanger – Southern California to Miami
2019: 15 AB, 1.1 IP

Wanger missed much of what was supposed to be his senior season at Yale in 2019, but in 2018, he was a lockdown reliever for the Bulldogs, putting up a 0.90 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 30 innings of work. Because the Ivy League doesn’t allow players to compete as graduate students, Wanger grad transferred to USC for 2020, where he really tapped into his potential as a two-way player hitting .410/.500/.564 while also throwing 6.1 innings without an earned run allowed and saving three games. Now, after a second grad transfer to Miami, he’ll have the chance to contribute in a number of different ways for a Miami team that will be doing some retooling in 2021. 

1B/OF CJ Willis – Louisiana State to Louisiana
2019: .212/.311/.288, 52 AB, 0 HR, 7 RBI

There is some uncertainty with Willis’s transfer to the Ragin’ Cajuns. First and foremost, it’s unknown if he’ll be eligible to play in 2021 or if he will have to take a redshirt season. But beyond that, because Willis got just 56 at-bats over parts of two seasons at LSU, it’s also difficult to be sure what to expect in terms of production. What is certain is that Willis is an extremely talented player. He was ranked No. 195 in the Baseball America 500 going into the 2018 draft and was expected to produce big-time power at the college level. He didn’t have that chance at LSU, but will look for a new start and more opportunity at UL. 

OF Jake Wilson – Bowling Green to Liberty
2019: .303/.360/.404, 178 AB, 1 HR, 12 RBI

Wilson had already committed to Liberty before Bowling Green announced that its baseball program would be discontinued, but that decision means that he would have ended up in the transfer portal either way. As a .301 career hitter with the Falcons, he’ll bring a proven bat to the Liberty lineup, a well as a steady glove and good speed to the outfield.