TYLER, TEXAS – After recording their best season of the Division II era last year, UT Tyler baseball has put together the top transfer portal class in all of Division II baseball for this upcoming season, as announced by 64 Analytics.

The Patriots brought in twelve recruits via four-year transfers, and that group has been ranked as the best transfer class in all of Division II baseball. The recognition follows a second-place national ranking for UT Tyler's transfer class the year before.

Head coach Brent Porche praised both his staff and his players for the program's continued recruiting success.

"We've had a lot of success getting good players from the transfer portal. I think our staff, led by Coach White, has done a really good job of trying to identify the qualities, both tangible and intangible, that give a player a chance to be successful in our program and in this league," Porche said. "So much credit goes to the players for buying in and putting in the work to be successful on the field. Everyone wants to be a part of winning and having good players that buy in gives us an opportunity to be in those conversations for transfers. Players know other players, and they talk."

Porche added that the program's success comes from finding the right mix of talent and character.

"We are looking for guys who will be a good fit not only physically with their skill set, but guys who play the game hard, are going to buy into doing what it takes for the team to be successful as a whole, and guys who come from winning programs," he said. "I think our repour with our players, the resources we have as a program and the way that our guys know they will be developed both on and off the field go a long way in our success in the transfer portal.

"There are certainly other programs in Division II that have more resources in terms of NIL money available, but we have tried to do a good job maximizing the resources we have to provide the best opportunity for our players. Coach White is one of the best recruiting coordinators in college baseball and has done a tremendous job of creating relationships in all the right areas that have allowed us to get some really quality players and men to UT Tyler. It's no surprise to me that year after year we've had high quality recruiting classes from all levels, high school, junior college and the transfer portal."

Associate Head Coach and Recruiting Coordinator Taylor White said the newest Patriots represent the type of players the program values most.

"We are excited about our transfer class that we have brought in," White said. "Not only are they talented players, but more importantly they are competitive, tough, and men of character. These young men fit the culture of what we strive to have within our program, and are excited to see that play out within our whole team."

The 2025 transfer class includes outfielders Drew Bourgeois, Kael Babin, and Ben Lea; infielders Luke Smith and John Maldonado Jr.; catcher Cole Ketzner; right-handed pitchers Garrett Landry and Cooper Weatherly; left-handed pitchers Ryan Lawton, Caden Copeland, and Coleson Abel; and utility player Travis Bragg. Ten of the twelve come from NCAA Division I programs, with Weatherly transferring from Division II and Lea from Division III.

ABOUT 64 ANALYTICS

Founded in 2023, 64 Analytics emerged from a simple yet powerful idea: to revolutionize the way fans, players, and coaches engage with college baseball. Recognizing a growing need for in-depth analysis in the new era of the transfer portal, we began our journey with a humble, yet impactful tool – a free Google Doc. This document offered unprecedented insights into the rankings of portal players and their team commitments, quickly catching the attention of the college baseball world.