More Kentucky Baseball players enter the Transfer Portal

With Kentucky Baseball’s season now over, players are evaluating their futures. So far, redshirt junior outfielder and right-handed pitcher James McCoy is the most notable Wildcat to enter the transfer portal, but he’s far from the only one. According to On3’s College Baseball Transfer Portal Tracker, 14 Kentucky players have entered the portal so far, which ranks second among Power Four programs behind Virginia (21).

That number includes a few more names you might know. Senior first baseman Dylan Koontz and redshirt sophomore left-handed pitcher Hayden Smith entered the portal this morning. Koontz started 23 games this season, recording a .214 average with two home runs. Smith, a Nicholasville native, had a 3.48 ERA and 15 strikeouts over 14 appearances this season. Sophomore infielder Kyuss Gargett and outfielder Griffin Cameron are also in the portal. Gargett had a .243 average with four doubles, a triple, two home runs, and 18 RBI in 52 career games. Cameron, a former Lexington Catholic star, had a .224 average with 11 stolen bases in 53 career games.

This past season was a rebuilding one for the Cats, who lost 13 out of 15 core players from the 2024 team that went to the College World Series for the first time in program history. McCoy and Devin Burkes (who has exhausted his eligibility) were the only two offensive starters remaining. Last offseason, Kentucky brought in 15 new transfers, with seven playing major roles (RHP Simon Gregersen, LF Cole Hage, CF Carson Hansen, 2B Luke Lawrence, RHP Nic McCay, RHP Scott Rouse, and LHP Ethan Walker). So far, none of those seven have entered the portal, a good sign.

The transfer portal for baseball opened on Monday and will close on July 1. We’ll bring you the biggest Kentucky Baseball news here, of course, but you can track all the movements with On3’s tracker.

Kentucky Baseball Transfer Portal Entries

Landon Franklin, 6-foot, 185 pounds, INF, Redshirt freshman
Cooper Robinson, 6-foot-5, 220 pounds, RHP, Senior
Hayden Mains, 6-foot-1, 185 pounds, Utility, Freshman -> Morehead State
Eli Small, 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, OF, Sophomore
Aidan Larkin, 6-foot, 185 pounds, INF, Freshman
Nolan Belcher, 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, C, Freshman
James McCoy, 6-foot-4, 215 pounds, OF/RHP, Redshirt Junior
Bradley Ferrell, 6-foot-3, 185 pounds, RHP, Freshman
Griffin Cameron, 6-foot-1, 180 pounds, OF, Sophomore
Zak Spurrier, 6-foot-2, 220 pounds, RHP, Freshman
Hayden Smith, 6-foot-2, 210 pounds, LHP, Redshirt Sophomore
Kyuss Gargett, 6-foot-1, 190 pounds, INF, Sophomore
Dylan Koontz, 6-foot, 215 pounds, INF, Grad transfer
Logan Grubb, 6-foot, 170 pounds, LHP, Freshman

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