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Texas Baseball adds former Butler outfielder Jack Moroknek from the portal

by: Evan Vieth06/12/25
Butler-RF-Jack-Moroknek-commits-to-Texas-out-of-NCAA-transfer-portal
Photo via Butler Athletics.

Texas baseball’s quiet portal cycle may just be heating up.

Former Butler outfielder Jack Moroknek announced via X that he has committed to the University of Texas, marking the Longhorns’ second transfer of the cycle and the second lefty bat head coach Jim Schlossnagle has added to the roster.

Moroknek was a part of the All-Big East second team this past year, batting an absurd .372 with a 1.145 OPS and 18 home runs for a struggling Butler team. Moroknek entered the transfer portal with just one year of eligibility left and has found his home at Texas, joining former Wichita State utility man Josh Livingston as the second player in Schlossnagle’s class.

While Livingston was a fine pickup to add depth to this Texas roster, Moroknek will become a true needle mover for the Longhorns. The Indiana native fits every mold that Schloss looks for in his player recruitment: tall and athletic (6’3″), a lefty bat with versatility and power.

Even better for Schlossnagle, this pickup came at a true position of need. Texas’ outfield heading into the season looked extremely thin with multiple transfers and the likely departure of Max Belyeu to the MLB Draft. Belyeu is expected to be a late first-round pick, with money and opportunities that may just be too hard to pass up. Though this term tends to be overused in the sporting world, Moroknek literally fills the Max Belyeu role to a tee for this Texas squad.

Texas now has a bat with the potential to hit in the top five spots of the order, joining hitters like Adrian Rodriguez and Casey Borba as some of the best bats heading into the 2026 season.

A pattern has begun to emerge from Texas’ camp in this portal cycle. Schlossnagle has now identified two strong hitters from poor mid-major teams last season who will be looking to play at the highest level for their final year(s) of eligibility. Livingston was Wichita State’s best batter in 2025, and there was no one even close to Moroknek’s level of production. Texas is adding much-needed lefty bats to this lineup and doing so by picking players from previously poor situations.

The Longhorns have now addressed one of their biggest needs in this portal cycle, a third outfielder to pair with Jonah Williams and Will Gasparino, but they are far from done. Texas still needs to find a catcher and shortstop to replace likely MLB draftees Rylan Galvan and Jalin Flores, and the bullpen is lacking lefty arms. On top of that, Texas may look for luxury pickups like a true first baseman or DH or even a veteran weekend starter for the Sunday slot.

As IT said earlier today, patience must be a virtue in this process. It took just six hours for Schlossnagle to make a big move since then, and there’s still far more to come. IT expects a minimum of four more players to be added before the end of June.

Texas Baseball Transfer Portal 2025

Departures:

  • OF Matthew Scott
  • OF Donovan Jordan
  • LHP Chance Covert
  • LHP/OF Ace Whitehead
  • 3B/OF Sam Richardson
  • INF Carson Luna
  • C Oliver Service
  • RHP Easton Tumis
  • OF Tommy Farmer IV
  • INF Jaquae Stewart

Additions:

  • INF Josh Livingston – Wichita State – Story
  • OF Jack Moroknek – Butler

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