Longhorns Country

Longhorns Land Duke OF Luke Storm From Transfer Portal

David Pierce and his staff stay aggressive in the portal, landing an impact bat in Duke's Luke Storm.

Connor Zimmerlee

© Aaron E. Martinez / American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK

While the season didn't end the way the Texas Longhorns would have hoped it would, the way things are shaping up so far this offseason there are a lot of reasons to be hopeful for what 2024 will bring.

David Pierce and his staff, which now includes Troy Tulowitzki again, have seen key pieces announce their return in the pitching duo of Tanner Witt and Lebarron Johnson Jr., as well as left fielder Porter Brown.

Then, on Saturday, they once again added a potential key bat out of the transfer portal after landing former Duke Blue Devils outfielder Luke Storm. 

Storm was a key member of a Blue Devils team that, just like the Longhorns, came up one game short of making it to Omaha. He made 60 starts in 2023, recording a slash line of .258/.354/.492 with 13 home runs and 51 RBI. 

Not only will he give the Longhorns another powerful bat in the lineup, he has experience at both first base and in the outfield. With Jared Thomas anchoring first for Texas, Storm will join Porter Brown and fellow transfer Casey Cummings in roaming the outfield. 

The offseason is far from over, especially with baseball season not starting until February of next year. Between now and then Pierce and his staff will likely continue to be active in the portal. So far, though, they've landed several solid pieces. 

They've bolstered the pitching staff with Baylor's Will Rigney, Notre Dame's Will Mercer and Storm's fellow Duke teammate in Oliver Santos. Add in the addition of Cummings and you have a strong portal haul so far. 

Expectations will always be high in Austin, especially for baseball. After all, you don't win six national championships and make a record 38 appearances in Omaha otherwise. Adding Storm is another big piece for 2024, and a move towards making it back to the College World Series. 

You can find Connor Zimmerlee on Twitter @Connorjz98

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Connor Zimmerlee
CONNOR ZIMMERLEE

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. 

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