Kentucky Baseball announces 8 Division I transfer portal additions

After losing a dozen players to the transfer portal, Nick Mingione decided to take advantage of the market himself.

Kentucky Baseball announced on Thursday that the Bat ‘Cats have added eight Divison I transfers from the portal, all of whom will be eligible to play this coming season thanks to the newly introduced one-time transfer rule. Four of the incoming transfers are pitchers while the other four are position players. The group is headlined by former America East Conference Player of the Year, infielder John Thrasher.

Joining Thrasher for the 2022 season will be outfielders Adam Fogel and Hunter Jump, infielder Daniel Harris IV, left-handed pitchers Tyler Bosma and Magdiel Cotto, and right-handed pitchers Darren Williams and Tyler Guilfoil. The majority of these players come to Lexington with plenty of college experience under their belts, as well.

Considering head coach Nick Mingione saw nine players leave the program just a week after the conclusion of the 2021 season, this is quite the return. In total, Kentucky lost 12 players from last season’s roster to the portal.

“We are excited to bring this group of young men into our program,” Coach Mingione said in UK’s press release. “There is no substitute for experience and we added a wealth of it. Offensively, all four players have had success at the Division I level and bring impressive versatility. On the mound, each of them have pitched in a variety of roles and give our pitching staff depth and flexibility.”

Here’s a quick breakdown of all eight incoming transfers, via UK Athletics:

Tyler Bosma, LHP, Graduate Senior (Miami [Ohio])

One of the top left-handers in the Mid-American Conference in 2021…Started 14 games, going 2-4 with a 3.95 ERA in 57.0 innings…Struck out 72 and did not allow a home run…In three seasons, has struck out 134 batters in 109.2 innings over 33 appearances (18 starts)…Has allowed just three home runs in his career…Is 5-6 overall with a 4.84 ERA and three saves.

Magdiel Cotto, LHP, Sophomore (South Carolina)

One of the top prep pitchers in the nation in the 2020 recruiting class…Cotto was ranked the top player in the state of South Carolina by Prep Baseball Report and the No. 3 overall player by Perfect Game…Was the No. 189 overall prospect for the 2020 MLB Draft according to MLB Pipeline and the No. 202 by Baseball America…Averaged more than 17 strikeouts per nine innings in high school…Appeared in eight games as a freshman at South Carolina in 2021…Struck out nine in 8.2 innings…Pitched to a 3.38 ERA over his first seven appearances.

Adam Fogel, OF, Graduate Senior (Hawaii)

A 2021 Second-Team All-Big West selection…Batted .323 with 17 doubles,

Has 50 career multi-hit games, including 18 in 2021…Had a team-best 12-game hitting streak and ranked fifth in the conference in doubles….In 171 career games (653 at-bats), has batted .297 with 194 hits, 97 runs, 55 doubles, two triples, 18 home runs and 111 RBI…Showed impressive power despite hitting in one of the most spacious home ballparks in Division I-A.

Tyler Guilfoil, RHP, Junior (Lipscomb)

The Lexington native is returning to his hometown after a successful career at Lipscomb where he was a Second-Team All-Atlantic Sun selection in 2021…Served as the primary closer the past two seasons, recording 11 total saves, including a league-high six in 2020…Led the team with 53 strikeouts in 36.0 innings last season while going 3-1 with a 3.25 ERA in 17 appearances…Opponents have hit just .194 against him in his career…Did not allow a run in 13.0 IP in 2020…Was named to the A-Sun All-Freshman Team in 2019.

Daniel Harris IV, IF, Graduate Senior (Eastern Kentucky)

Decorated infielder with more than 700 plate appearances at the Division I-A level…Was a third-team All-American in the abbreviated 2020 season, a Freshman All-American in 2018 and former top 500 recruit…In 182 career games (180 starts) he has batted ,289 with 139 runs, 201 hits, 33 doubles, seven triples, 22 home runs and 131 RBI…Has stolen 31 bases, including 15 in 2021…Career OPS is .799…In 2021, batted .290 with 46 runs, 11 doubles, three triples, six homers and 36 RBI…Had a 20-game hitting streak…In 2020, ranked ninth nationally with a .460 batting average in 50 at-bats.

Hunter Jump, OF, Graduate Senior (Arizona State)

The California native batted .316 with a .784 OPS in 367 at-bats over three seasons with the Sun Devils…Has 28 career doubles, three triples, five home runs and 67 RBI…In 2021, batted in the top half of the Arizona State order to the tune of a .289 average with 20 runs, 20 extra-base hits and 30 RBI…Ranked eighth in the Pac-12 with 17 doubles…Had 16 multi-hit games, including a pair of four-hit games.

John Thrasher, OF, Graduate Senior (Hartford)

The 2021 America East Conference Player of the Year and Second-Team ABCA/Rawlings All-Northeast Region honoree…Led the nation in stolen bases per game (1.03) and was third in total steals, swiping 37 in 40 attempts…Led the America East in batting average (.369), slugging percentage (.680) and on-base percentage (.470)…Scored 37 runs, drove in 23, clubbed 11 doubles, three triples and seven home runs in 122 at-bats…For his career, is a .287 hitter with an .832 OPS, 23 doubles, six triples, 13 home runs and 63 RBI…Holds the Hartford school records for steals in a season (37) and career (69)…Also earned America East All-Rookie Team honors in 2018.

Darren Williams, RHP, Graduate Senior (Eastern Kentucky)

The Second-Team All-OVC honoree served as Eastern Kentucky’s No. 1 starter on the weekends in 2021…Ranked second in the conference in strikeouts (93) and innings (83.1)…Pitched to a 4.10 ERA in 2021 and was sensational over his final eight starts, posting a 2.41 ERA and 62 strikeouts in 56.0 innings…Prior to 2021 had mostly been a reliever, appearing in 29 games and earning four saves…For his career, had 184 strikeouts in 163.0 innings over 62 appearances.