Coming to Missouri Baseball Near You: Transfers
Missouri Tigers fans can expect to see a lot of new faces on the baseball roster for the 2024 season, in fact there are more new faces than old.
The end of the 2023 campaign saw a lot of departure for the Tigers. Four of their key contributors got picked up in the MLB draft, but many of those leaving chose to do so through the transfer portal. Lots of roster turnover is expected with a new coach, but they didn't just get a new head coach in Kerrick Jackson to spark their hopes of a more successful season, they got 22 new players to work with — 12 of those being transfers.
"I think it's one of those things where you come into a situation like this new, you have what you have to work with and as coaches, we have to be able to adapt to what we have," Jackson said.
Danny Corona- INF, junior
Corona comes to Missouri fresh off a team that was battling it out in the top four for the College World Series just last year. The junior spent two years at Wake Forest before transferring to the Tigers, hitting .285 with 13 home runs and 45 RBIs in the year prior. Corona should make an instant impact both on the field and in the batting order, where he has had some stints as a designated hitter.
Jeric Curtis- OF, sophomore
Curtis is one of four incoming outfielders. The sophomore made only three starts last season for Texas Tech, primarily seeing time at center field. He got three hits, two runs and four RBIs in just 16 plate appearances for the Red Raiders.
Jacob Peaden- RHP, graduate
Peaden is looking to get back into form after posting a 7.82 ERA in 12 appearances last season. The 5th year transfer from Davidson University has shown much promise punching opponents out in relief, racking up 103 strikeouts over 49 career appearances.
Kadden Drew- LHP, junior
Coming from Paradise Valley Community College, Drew logged 66 Ks through 56 innings in 12 appearances. Drew held opponents to a .209 batting average against and an ERA of 4.34. The 6-foot-2 junior had a record of 7-1 in his appearances and averaged 4.66 innings per appearance.
Jedier Hernandez- C, junior
With three of their catcher leaving through the draft and transferring, Missouri needed to add a catcher to their roster. This junior out of Seton Hall looks to bring the success of his 2023 season to the Show-Me State. Hernandez hit .273 with 44 hits, three homers and 27 RBIs in 46 games. Missouri’s newest catcher doesn’t just show promise in the box, but behind the plate as well, throwing out 14 would-be base-stealers on the season.
RJ Jimerson- OF, sophomore
Coming to Mizzou with new head coach Kerrick Jackson, Jimerson is one of four new players coming to the outfield. He started 40 games for Memphis during his freshman campaign, hitting .235 with a pair of home runs, 18 RBIs, eight doubles and three steals. His stats at the plate aren’t the only impressive ones, Jimerson comes with a 38 putouts and a .870 fielding percentage.
Cameron Benson- INF/OF, junior
Benson is another player coming with coach Jackson from Memphis. He is a player that could rack up some playing time on the team. Last season he started 44 of the 46 games he played in. This lefty batter hit .245 with nine doubles and four home runs. He isn’t just a menace at the plate, but on the basepath, as well, with 12 stolen bases as a sophomore. Between the outfield and infield, he recorded 38 putouts last season.
Kaden Jacobi- RHP, junior
Coming from St. Charles Community College, Jacobi will be expected to bring strikeouts in his relief appearances. Through 10 appearances and 35.2 innings pitched last year, Jacobi recorded a team best 11.36 strikeouts per game and 4-1 mound mark.
Victor Quinn- RHP, junior
Quinn is heading back to Missouri and looking to find his groove in his home state after two years at Oregon State. As a part of the Beavers, Quinn made eight relief appearances last year, mostly in late innings, with two scoreless innings and four strikeouts in 5.1 innings pitched. Quinn is looking to improve from his previous years and get a fresh start with the Tigers.
Xavier Lovett- RHP, junior
The last of the players coming from Memphis, Lovett did not make an appearance last year. But prior to that, he earned six strikeouts in 6.0 innings at fellow SEC school Texas A&M. Lovett was also part of Mississippi State’s National Championship squad in 2021, making six relief appearances that year.
Seth McCartney- RHP, junior
Hailing from the state of Mississippi, McCartney put on a performance striking out 41 batters in 36.1 innings and two saves last season. He started six games during his stint at Meridian Community College earning wins in three of those. McCartney made 14 appearances last season split between relief and starts.
Miles Garrett- RHP, junior
Garrett was a part of Vanderbilt’s 2021 national runner-up squad, but has not appeared on the roster since. During his freshman campaign, Garrett made nine relief appearances and posted a 2.79 ERA with eight strikeouts over 9.2 innings pitched.
