TCU Baseball Is Losing Key Pieces as the Transfer Portal Opens

Why This Offseason Matters for TCU Baseball

TCU baseball’s offseason has officially begun, and the transfer portal is now open. It is never too early to begin preparing for next season.

The Horned Frogs enter the offseason earlier than they wanted, as they missed postseason play after a very disappointing close to the season. It was an up-and-down year in which TCU caught the injury bug before the season even began, and it continued throughout the year. The Horned Frogs made plenty of mistakes and were fairly inconsistent throughout the season, which ultimately resulted in them missing the tournament.

Now, head coach Kirk Sarloos and TCU face a very important offseason. The transfer portal might be the most important focus for TCU right now, as the program will be losing quite a bit of talent. The Frogs have already undergone a few coaching changes, so Sarloos' squad will be starting pretty much from scratch.

He and his new staff will have the extremely important task of finding the right additions necessary to be successful and get TCU back to where it should be and where the program was just a few years ago.

Since the portal opened, seven Horned Frog players have entered the transfer portal.

Welcome to this year's TCU On SI baseball transfer portal tracker. We will provide live updates on everything from additions to departures. Let's take a look at the ongoing movement so far.

Frogs Departing Through the Transfer Portal

Nolan Traeger, Catcher

This one hurts. He has been a major piece of TCU's team over the last two years and one of the program's most productive players during that span.

Nolan Traeger will be a big hole to fill — Nolan Traeger celebrates with teammates after his game-sealing 3-run homerun in the 8th inning. | Brian McLean/ TCUonSI

Traeger didn't quite replicate the success of his freshman campaign this season, but he still made a significant impact. In his two seasons as a Horned Frog, he hit .307 across 93 games while recording seven home runs and 51 RBIs.

The Texas native brought home an impressive list of accolades as a freshman. He was named to the Big 12 All-Freshman Team, earned Second-Team All-Big 12 honors, and was recognized as a Second-Team Perfect Game Freshman All-American. He was also invited to the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team in 2025.

Traeger will depart the Horned Frogs with two years of eligibility remaining.

Brady Dallimore, Catcher

This one is a bit head-scratching, as he would have started with Traeger leaving, but I guess he is looking for a fresh start. Brady Dallimore had quite an impressive freshman campaign, hitting .270 with eight homers in 38 games. He earned Big 12 All-Freshman honors. He started 33 games for the Frogs and will be a major piece leaving the Frogs, as they now have no catchers on the roster.

Tyler Phenow, RHP

The 6-foot-6, 210 lb. sophomore will be departing TCU after two years. He had his ups and downs and showed promising development, but has not yet reached his full potential. Phenow made 13 appearances this season, posting an 11.70 ERA with six strikeouts and seven walks over 10 innings. He also made one appearance during his freshman season, throwing a scoreless inning with one strikeout. He was ranked as one of the top high schoolers in Minnesota before committing to TCU. He’ll depart with two years of eligibility remaining.

CJ Mascaro, OF

Mascaro never had his chance to shine with the Horned Frogs, as he struggled with an injury all season long. The freshman will be searching for a new home to start over. he will have four years of eligibility remaining.

Jack Bell, INF

Jack Bell homerun — Jack Bell jogs around 3rd base after a 2-run moonshot over the right field fence. | TCU Baseball X/Twitter

This one arguably hurts the most. Jack Bell has shown continuous improvement over the past two years and has been a major piece of this program. The Swiss Army knife is a great defensive gem, and his bat continues to improve. He hit .303 for TCU this season and had a .942 OPS, with nine doubles and six homers in 50 games. He will head back to Texas A&M after a two-year hiatus. Bell will be missed and will be a hard spot to fill.

Trever Baumler, RHP

Baumler has been a very important piece of this program these past two seasons. He has served in many capacities, such as outings as a starter and reliever. Baumler made 15 starts and 29 appearances over his two seasons with the Horned Frogs. He would have been slated for an even bigger role this upcoming season, but he is choosing to get a fresh start elsewhere.

As a freshman, he had a 2-4 record and a 6.39 ERA with 34 strikeouts and 10 walks over 38 innings pitched. Then this past season, he went 2-3 with a 6.46 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 2026. Baumler walked 17 and pitched 46 innings in 2026, making 16 appearances with seven starts. He will have two years of eligibility left.

New Faces Joining the Horned Frogs

Ryan Bradford, UT

Bradford was a freshman this past season and is coming to TCU from Johnson County Community College, where he earned the nickname of the JUCO Home Run King. He appeared in 69 games and held a .437 batting average with 114 hits, 42 home runs, which is both the school and JUCO single-season record, 113 RBIs, and 26 stolen bases.

These stats don't even seem real, but Bradford was nearly unstoppable. There is a strong chance that he goes in the draft, but if he doesn't, TCU would sure benefit from having him in their lineup. He is the real deal.

Yusei Uzawa, IF/OF

Yusei Uzawa will be coming to TCU from Butler Community College, where he is a current sophomore. The Japanese native is extremely impressive and has very high potential. This season, he appeared in 55 games and held a .382 batting average with 63 hits, 50 walks, eight home runs, and 36 RBIs.

Uzawa is a utility player, is extremely patient at the plate, and will be a solid addition to the Frogs.

Benjamin Schroeder, RHP

Schroeder will be coming to TCU from the College of Southern Nevada, where he was a solid relief pitcher. He is a current redshirt freshman and will be an incoming sophomore next season. He made 27 appearances with 36 innings of work last season and was pretty efficient. He recorded 34 strikeouts while holding a 1.25 ERA on the season. If he can translate that success to a Power Four conference, TCU will have itself a guy.

Manny Santos, RHP

Santos will be coming to TCU from Rhode Island. The Frogs landed him after a recent visit, and he will have two years of eligibility remaining. In 38 games over the last two seasons, Santos struck out 63 batters in 45.1 innings while holding opponents to a .208 batting average in 2026. Santos showed significant improvement as a sophomore, lowering his ERA to 5.27 while recording 41 strikeouts. He comes with plenty of potential, featuring a fastball that sits 92-94 MPH and touches 95, along with a slider (80-83 MPH) and changeup (86-88 MPH). He will have the opportunity to work with two great pitching minds at TCU.

Jaden Bahl, RHP

Shortly after TCU announced its new pitching coach, it landed Jaden Bahl. An experienced arm from McNeese State. Last season, Bahl was nails. He posted a 2.43 ERA with 47 strikeouts over 40.2 innings in 25 relief appearances during the 2026 season while holding opponents to a .199 batting average. Bahl features a fastball that sits 92-95 MPH and has touched 96, along with a changeup (79-83 MPH) and cutter (86-90 MPH). Before arriving at McNeese, he spent two seasons at Bossier Parish Community College, where he struck out 90 batters in 107 innings. Bahl will arrive at TCU as a senior with one year of eligibility remaining. TCU landed a good one in Bahl.

JB Manarchuck, RHP

TCU baseball picked up another experienced arm from the portal with the addition of Mount St. Mary’s right-hander JB Manarchuck. He had a breakout 2026 season and was extremley effective, posting a 2.83 ERA with 37 strikeouts and seven saves in 41.1 innings while serving as the Mountaineers’ closer. Manarchuck held opposing hitters to a .235 batting average and will arrive in Fort Worth with one year of eligibility remaining. Over his four-year career at Mount St. Mary’s, he recorded 111 strikeouts in 112 innings pitched.

Caleb Eagar, Catcher

TCU landed one of the top juco players in the country with the commitment of Midland College catcher Caleb Eagar. The Fort Worth native will return home. Last season, he hit .436 with 22 home runs, 92 RBIs, and 51 extra-base hits in 65 games during the 2026 season. He was nearly unstoppable. Eagar totaled 105 hits and was nearly flawless defensively, posting a .997 fielding percentage with just one error all season. With TCU losing its two catchers to the transfer portal, Eagar will have an opportunity to compete for immediate playing time and potentially start.

Nicholas Robb, RHP

TCU baseball added more pitching depth with the addition of Robb. He had a 6-2 record and a 5.50 ERA over 16 appearances, including three starts in 2026. Robb pitched 52.1 innings and struck out 45 batters while walking 17. The junior from Keller, Texas, will return to the DFW area for his final year of collegiate eligibility remaining.

George Gilson, OF/1B

TCU baseball added a solid offensive D2 product. Gilson came from Flagler College, where he played two seasons in the outfield and at first base. Last season, he had a breakout campaign, hitting .395 with 79 hits, 23 doubles, 13 home runs, 67 RBI's, and 34 stolen bases. He will be a great addition to this squad and will have two years of eligibility left.

James Nunnallee, OF

TCU picked up a solid outfielder transfer from Mississippi State, sophomore outfielder James Nunnallee, who hit .241 with 13 hits, four doubles, and one home run, and five RBI's in 53 at-bats last season. As a freshman, he was sensational at Virginia, where he appeared in 48 games with 40 starts and hit .296 with 12 doubles and 26 RBI's. His strikeout rate was quite impressive at 10.9, which was the best in the ACC. Nunnallee could start immediately in the TCU outfield, as the Horned Frogs will likely lose both Chase Brunson and Sawyer Strosnider to the 2026 MLB Draft.

Trace Mazon, UT

My favorite pickup yet is Trace Mazon. The Coastal Carolina junior transfer split time at designated hitter, first base, and left field during the 2026 season. The Aledo, Texas native will come back home to play for the Frogs. Last season he hit .359 with 47 hits, nine doubles, two triples, four home runs and 31 RBI's. Mazon appeared in 36 games scoring 24 runs. His collegiate career began at Weatherford college, where he was named All-NTJCAC selection twice. TCU found a stud and I think he will start in some form to begin the season,.

Positions TCU Must Still Address

While TCU has already landed several intriguing additions, work remains. TCU could benefit from adding a few more position players and maybe another starter to bolster their options. Pitching depth, particularly experienced starters, will be important to Kirk Saarloos and his staff, who continue building the roster for the next season. With the portal window still active, more movement should be expected in the days ahead.

2026 TCU Baseball Transfer Portal Tracker

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