Five Big Moves in the College Baseball Transfer Portal

The movement in the college baseball transfer portal has already begun for the 2027 season. Here are five big moves that World Baseball Network wants you to know about.

LSU adds Florida veteran Cade Kurland

The LSU Tigers are heavily active in the transfer portal after a disappointing season in Baton Rouge. LSU finished with a 30-28 overall record in 2026 with a 9-21 record in Southeastern Conference (SEC) play. The Tigers missed the NCAA Tournament this season for the first time since 2011.

As a result, LSU head coach Jay Johnson added two huge names from the transfer portal in Florida’s Cade Kurland and Notre Dame’s Bino Watters.

Kurland spent the past four seasons playing for the Florida Gators. He finished his career with 34 doubles, 43 home runs, and 142 RBIs. His best season was his freshman year in 2023. He was first-team All-SEC, a part of the SEC’s All-Freshman team, and a freshman All-American. That season, Kurland had a .297 batting average, a .404 on-base percentage, 17 home runs, and 50 RBIs.

It is important to note that Kurland missed a lot of the 2025 college baseball season due to shoulder surgery. This is the reason why he has one final year of collegiate eligibility. Kurland is eligible for the 2026 MLB Draft and made it clear at the Gainesville regional this season that he wants to play at the next level.

If Kurland were to make it to campus in Baton Rouge, he would bring lots of experience and postseason success with him. The veteran was a part of two College World Series teams with the Gators.

LSU adds Notre Dame’s Bino Watters

Bino Watters wrapped up his sophomore season playing for Notre Dame. He has put together a great college baseball career thus far. In 2025, Watters was a part of the Atlantic Coast Conference’s (ACC) All-Freshman team. He was named first-team All-ACC in 2026.

In his two seasons with the Fighting Irish, Watters finished with a .343 batting average, a .442 on-base percentage, 27 doubles, 19 home runs, and 90 RBIs.

Watters is a premier hitter from the ACC and was one of the biggest names in the transfer portal once he entered.

The additions of Kurland and Watters are two huge ones for the LSU Tigers. Johnson has already brought in a great transfer portal class to Baton Rouge, showing he is eager to turn the program back in the right direction after winning the national championship in 2025.

Linkin Garcia heads to Texas

Texas Tech infielder Linkin Garcia is heading to another in-state school by way of the transfer portal. The Newport Beach, Calif. native will play for the Texas Longhorns in 2027, which will be his sophomore season.

In his freshman season with the Red Raiders, Garcia finished with a .338 batting average, 21 doubles, and 59 RBIs. He was a part of the Big 12 Conference’s All-Freshman team this season.

Before his 2026 freshman season in college baseball, Garcia put up insane numbers at the high school level playing for A3 Academy. He had a .503 batting average and six home runs in 119 total at-bats.

Transfer portal players have found success playing for the Longhorns this season. Carson Tinney and Aiden Robbins are two of the top three hitters for Texas in a year where they made the College World Series.

With this, Garcia can find a way to be a big-time player at one of college baseball’s big-time programs.

Luke Jones joins other Coastal Carolina players at South Carolina

Coastal Carolina right-handed pitcher Luke Jones is heading to South Carolina for the 2027 season. In two seasons with the Chanticleers, Jones has a 4.09 ERA in 127 2/3 innings of work. Over that same stretch, he has 105 strikeouts and has allowed an opposing batting average of .236.

Jones was a part of Coastal Carolina’s 2025 team that went all the way to the College World Series and finished as national runners-up to the LSU Tigers.

The Greenville, S.C. native is joining head coach Kevin Schnall and several other Coastal Carolina teammates in Columbia to play for the South Carolina Gamecocks.

With a winning culture of players and coaches starting a new era of South Carolina baseball, Jones can make an immediate impact on the Gamecocks in his junior season. He is a big candidate to fit into the 2027 South Carolina starting rotation.

Jay Abernathy moves from Tennessee to Oklahoma

Jay Abernathy is moving SEC schools from Tennessee to Oklahoma by way of the transfer portal.

The 2026 season was not what Abernathy hoped it would be in Knoxville. The outfielder finished with a .236 batting average in his sophomore season with the Volunteers. He struck out 37 times and comparatively drew 22 walks.

This 2026 season for Abernathy came after a promising freshman season for Tennessee in 2025. He had a .288 batting average that season with an on-base percentage of .409.

Abernathy is a big-time speed threat and a solid defender. These are the biggest qualities he will bring when playing for the Oklahoma Sooners.

In two seasons with Tennessee, he finished with 17 stolen bases and just five errors.

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WBN NCAA: /news/category/ncaa

 

PHOTO: Texas Tech infielder Linkin Garcia throws to first base during an NCAA baseball game against Utah on Saturday, April 18, 2026, in Salt Lake City, Utah. (AP Photo/Tyler Tate)