Texas A&M Lands Elite Catcher From Transfer Portal

Catcher Connor "Bear" Harrison comes to Aggieland from Saint Mary's College of California.

Aaron Raley | Jul 10, 2024

Jun 9, 2024; College Station, TX, USA; Texas A&M infielder Kaeden Kent (3) hits a grand slam in the top of the seventh inning against Oregon at Olsen Field, Blue Bell Park. / Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports

The transfers just keep on coming.

In another day of what has been an active offseason for new A&M head coach Michael Earley, he and his coaching staff were able to pick up another prime transfer for the Aggie baseball team, this time in the form of Connor "Bear" Harrison, a catcher from Saint Mary's College of California.

Out of Danville, CA, Harrison wasted no time making an impact during his freshman year at St. Mary's. He quickly earned the starting catcher position for the Gaels, playing in 43 games. Through those games, he held a batting average of .322, garnered 47 hits, eight doubles, smashed eight home runs, and drove in 36 runs. From behind the dish, he caught nine runners attempting to steal on 28 attempts, and he held a season fielding percentage of .990.

Throughout the season, Harrison displayed his ability to hit to all areas of the ballpark and ended the season by notching a base hit in eight of the team's last nine games. For his stellar freshman season, Harrison earned a spot on the 2024 WCC All-Freshman team.

Before his collegiate career took off, Harrison was a highly decorated high school athlete at De La Salle High School in Danville. He was awarded first-team MaxPreps California All-State Team and received De La Salle Baseball MVP. He was a two-time D1 NCS Section Champion and D1 Northern California Champion. He is the younger brother of Kyle Harrison, who currently pitches in the majors for the San Francisco Giants.

Harrison will have to wait before he earns a starting gig behind home at Blue Bell Park, as Jackson Appel has the starting job locked in and the Aggies also recently snagged Alabama State catcher Jamal George from the transfer portal just yesterday.

Published Jul 10, 2024

AARON RALEY

Aaron Raley is a credentialed writer covering the Texas A&M Aggies for On SI, joining the team on May 27, 2024. Born and raised in Northeast Texas, Aaron is a senior journalism major at Texas A&M University and is also minoring in history and sports management. Aaron’s writing abilities are driven by his love and passion for various sports, both at the collegiate and professional level, as well as his experience in playing sports, especially baseball and football.