South Carolina baseball catcher hits transfer portal
South Carolina baseball catcher Max Kaufer has entered the transfer portal.
Kaufer spent just one season in garnet and black. Even after starting catcher Talmadge LeCroy’s season-ending injury, he played primarily in a reserve role following an offseason transfer from Texas A&M. He played in 25 total games for USC, including 11 starts. On the season, Kaufer hit just .133 and one home run.
With two years with the Aggies and one with the Gamecocks, Kaufer had just one season hitting over .183, a 2024 season in which he had 20 total at-bats.
Kaufer is the 11th player (and second catcher) from the 2025 roster to hit the portal or announce plans to do so. He enters the portal with one year of eligibility remaining.
South Carolina baseball transfer portal resources:
- South Carolina Baseball Transfer Portal Headquarters
- South Carolina Baseball Transfer Portal Tracker
- On3 National Transfer Portal Tracker
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Max Kaufer’s South Carolina Baseball Bio from GamecocksOnline
JUNIOR (2025)
- Played in 24 games with 11 starts for the Gamecocks in 2025
- Had seven runs scored, a pair of doubles and a home run
- Homered and walked three times in the win over Gardner-Webb (Feb. 25)
- Doubled and scored a run in the Morehead State win (March 7)
- Had hits in conference games vs. Mississippi State (April 5) and Texas A&M (April 10)
PRIOR TO CAROLINA
- Attended Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas, for two years
- Played in 60 games with 43 starts for the Aggies in two seasons and had 24 hits, three doubles, two home runs and 17 RBI
- Hit .250 as a sophomore with two doubles, a home run, five RBI and eight walks
- Enrolled midyear in 2023 at Texas A&M, playing in 46 games with 36 starts at catcher
- Went 3-for-5 with three RBI in a win over Cal State Fullerton in the 2023 Stanford Regional
- Also had three RBI in the championship game of the 2023 SEC Tournament vs. Vanderbilt
- Prepped at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Fla.
- Was a two-time team MVP and was ranked among the Top 50 prospects by Baseball America and the top catching prospect in the state of New Jersey
- Hit .375 as a sophomore with 31 hits and a .450 on-base percentage
- Hit .430 as a junior with a .520 on-base percentage, three home runs and 37 total hits
- Played summer ball for the Martha’s Vineyard Sharks in the NECBL in 2023 and the Brewster Whitecaps in the Cape Cod League in 2024.
PERSONAL
- Born on March 25, 2003
- Son of Mindy and Marc Kaufer
- Major is political science
