Multiple Bears' Players Place Names in Transfer Portal
Things appear to be continuously getting worse for the Baylor Bears baseball team, as several players have put their names in the transfer portal following the end of the season.
The first notable player to put their name in the transfer portal for the Bears was outfielder Jared McKenzie, who was the engine that made the Baylor offense run all season long. It was announced that his name was in the portal on Wednesday afternoon.
McKenzie was a major contributor for the Bears this season, earning a place on the Second Team All-Big 12 Team as a result. He would finish the season slashing an impressive .288/.388/.517 while leading the team in home runs with 11 and driving in 42 runs, good for second most on the team.
Now, there appears to be a mass exodus from the program as seven more Bears' players have put their name in the transfer portal as of Thursday afternoon, including several starters.
Those seven players that have also placed their names in the portal are: Tre Richardson, Kyle Nevin, Jack Pineda, Casen Neumann, David Needham, Antonio Valdez and Evan Godwin.
Of those seven transfers, three of them in Tre Richardson, Kyle Nevin and Jack Pineda were honorable mentions for the All-Big 12 team, as Baylor will lose four of their six 2022 All-Big 12 Team members, with Jared McKenzie being named to the Second Team.
These transfers come following a disappointing 2022 season that saw Baylor finish with a losing record at 26-28, and coach Steven Rodriguez announcing he would be resigning.
As the search for a new coach begins, there is no telling who will ultimately lead Baylor in 2023. However, if they can come in and convince some of the intended transfers to stay, that would be their first major victory as the coach of the Bears.
You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98
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Connor Zimmerlee is a writer and reporter for the FanNation network. Zimmerlee received his Bachelor's of Journalism from the University of Texas at Austin and graduated from Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism with a Master's of Science in Journalism with a Specialization in Sports Media.