Arizona Baseball Adds RHP Out of the Transfer Portal

The Arizona Wildcats have added their eighth transfer from the portal after snagging a right handed arm for the staff.

Jun 13, 2025; Omaha, Neb, USA; Arizona Wildcats head coach Chip Hale on the field during the game against the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers at Charles Schwab Field. Mandatory Credit: Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images | Steven Branscombe-Imagn Images

The 2025 college baseball season is well over and Arizona’s success getting to the College World Series, which featured a Super Regional 2-1 series win over No. 5 seed North Carolina is a massive stepping stone and tone setter for the program moving forward under head coach Chip Hale.

Like we have talked about before, Hale has done a great job of keeping the talent on the roster following the trip to the CWS. Outside of graduating players and players taking the next step to the MLB draft, Arizona will have key players returning, making for an interesting 2026 season.

The starting rotation will have talent coming back in Smith Bailey and Owen Kramkowski set to take on bigger roles after ending the season on a high note with the two combining for 11 innings of work in the CWS and struck out 11 batters while giving up just five runs.

Even with things going in the right direction, that hasn’t stopped Hale from looking across the country and seeing what players the Wildcats can snag in the portal to improve the 2026 roster.

In all, Arizona has been able to bring in seven transfers ahead of the window closing, which has officially closed for the time being.

The players that Arizona has added are pitchers RHP JT Drake (Texas Tech), LHP Luc Fladda (Tulane), RHP Corey Kling (South Florida), LHP Patrick Morris (Western Kentucky).

Off the mound, the Wildcats have added three position players in INF Tyler Bickers (Milwaukee), C Beau Sylvester (Oklahoma State) and OF Carson McEntire (Oregon State).

As of Sunday night, the Wildcats will be adding their eighth transfer addition in right handed pitcher Nolan Straniero, which was first reported by AZ Desert Swarm’s Brian Pedersen.

Straniero is a 6-foot-2, 200-pound is a starting pitcher who pitched for Elon the last two seasons posting a career 7.15 ERA in 118 ⅓ innings of work.

Last season, Straniero started 14 games while making 16 appearances posting a 4-4 record in 71 innings of work. In those 16 games, he struck out 69 batters to his 32 walks.

The big addition to this point is infielder Tyler Bickers, who hit .369 while smacking four home runs and driving in 42 RBI, which were a career-high in his two seasons with the program. He played in 58 games taking 225 plate appearances last season with Milwaukee.

There is still a long way from here and the start of the 2026 season. So, during this time off, expect Hale to keep searching for additions that could improve the roster.

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