Longhorns Country

Texas Baseball Loses Freshman Infielder to the Transfer Portal

Dee Kennedy is the first player to enter the portal since the hiring of Jim Schlossnagle.

Evan Vieth

June 1, 2024; College Station, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns infielder Dee Kennedy (30) races to beat the throw by Texas A&M Aggies pitcher Evan Aschenbeck (53) during the second round in the NCAA baseball College Station Regional at Olsen Field College Station. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-USA TODAY Sports
June 1, 2024; College Station, TX, USA; Texas Longhorns infielder Dee Kennedy (30) races to beat the throw by Texas A&M Aggies pitcher Evan Aschenbeck (53) during the second round in the NCAA baseball College Station Regional at Olsen Field College Station. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-USA TODAY Sports / Dustin Safranek-USA TODAY Sports

Texas Longhorns freshman infielder Dee Kennedy has entered his name into the transfer portal, the first loss of the Jim Schlossnagle era in Austin.

Kennedy started 40 games as a freshman, mostly at second base, and batted .209 with a .680 OPS. The speedster swiped two bags, had ten extra-base hits, and had 48 combined walks and hits.

The middle infielder was ranked as the third-best shortstop in the state of Texas in the 2023 class by Perfect Game and showed signs of greatness in his time thrust into the starting lineup. Kennedy had six multi-hit games, including a two-homerun performance against Houston on April 13th. Kennedy was not assumed to be a starter this season but stepped up after senior infielder Jack O’Dowd’s struggles.

Kennedy’s departure is a big loss for Schlossnagle and his staff. It was assumed that if he stayed, he would be the long-term starter at second base. With his departure, and O’Dowd’s graduation, Texas will have to hope shortstop Jalin Flores returns to the team, or that top recruits Bryce Rainer and Theo Gillen don’t sign with an MLB team.

As of now, Texas has just two middle infielders on the roster with rising juniors Jayden Duplantier and two-way player Cade O’Hara. The two combined for just 12 at-bats in 2024, and a team with aspirations of the College World Series likely cannot have them as starters heading into the year. Schlossnagle will have to work hard to answer back with players of his own in the transfer portal, or else this Texas team could be in trouble in the middle of the infield.

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Evan Vieth
EVAN VIETH

"Evan Vieth is a contributor covering the Texas Longhorns for Sports Illustrated and a rising senior at the University of Texas at Austin, studying journalism and sports media. Since joining SI and On SI in May of 2024, Evan has dedicated his efforts to providing in-depth coverage of Texas athletics. He also serves as the sports editor for The Daily Texan, where his commitment to Texas Sports began in 2021. In addition to his work with SI and The Daily Texan, Evan has written for On SI, The Texan, and Dave Campbell's Texas Football. He created his own Texas Sports podcast, The 40 Yard Line, during his time at UT Austin. His reporting has taken him to locations like Bryant-Denny Stadium in Tuscaloosa and The Sugar Bowl in New Orleans. Originally from Washington, DC, Evan has been surrounded by sports his entire life, playing baseball and soccer and writing sports stories since high school. Follow him on Twitter @evanvieth or contact him via email at evanvieth@utexas.edu."

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