After securing their best season of the Division II era last year, that included 50 wins and a trip to the Division II College World Series, the UT Tyler Baseball program has put together one of the top transfer portal classes in the nation for this upcoming season. According to 64 Analytics and The Juco Baseball Blog, the Patriots were ranked sixth in four year university transfers and tenth in junior college transfers.

2026 marks the third consecutive year that UT Tyler Baseball has earned a top 10 transfer class, highlighting the program's ongoing dedication to secure experienced talent.

This year, the Patriots welcomed 10 new players from four year universities highlighted by Easton Ballard (Sam Houston State University) and Samson Pugh (Texas State), while five more come from the Division One level.

Head Coach Taylor White also added 10 new recruits from the junior college level led by Sam Distel (Howard College) and Brayden Stout (North Central Texas College). And heading into his first season at the helm of the Patriots, White is looking toward the experience of his transfers to lead his team to another trip to Cary.

"Experience is a really good thing. We've got a good group of pitchers that have a bunch of innings under their belt. It is extremely valuable any time you return guys that have played in big time moments. It is one thing to do it in the Fall in scrimmages, but it is another thing to do it when the lights come on in the Spring." 

And while bringing the best talent to UT Tyler is the goal, White also was looking for players that would connect to the community on and off the diamond.

"We talked about it in the recruiting process that this place is not about individuals. it is about the name on the front of the jersey, and that's always been the standard here at UT Tyler going back to Coach Vilade, when he started this program, that's not gonna change. We're going to pour into this community every chance we can. We love getting out and serving and always will look for opportunities to impact not just ourselves but others. So, we're gonna be tough and hard-nosed on the baseball field,but we're also going to go out of our way to make sure that we help this community as well."

The 2027 transfer class includes outfielders Hudson Grace, Leo Salas, Garrett Hayes and Brady Dalton; infielders Max Towchik, Colson Wood and Blaine Lucas; catchers Jack Bilski and Chase Fuentes; right-handed pitchers Drew Thompson, Sam Peterson, Kaden Johnson, Stetson Callaway, Anthony Kelley and Jamison Adams; left-handed pitcher Gredan Wolf.

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.

ABOUT The Juco Baseball Blog
The goal of The Juco Baseball Blog is to shine a spotlight on the junior college baseball landscape, serving as a primary pipeline tracker for players advancing to four-year programs