Boston College Baseball Adds Quality Pitching Depth in Former Northwestern Starter
Pitching depth was one of Boston College baseball’s weaknesses during the 2026 postseason, but the coaching staff is handling that well so far this offseason.
On Sunday, BC signed former Northwestern pitcher Matt Kouser, a 6-foot-6, 230-pound right-hander, from the transfer portal.
Kouser announced his decision on Instagram.
Kouser is the third pitcher the Eagles have added from the portal, which opened on June 1 and closes on June 30. BC also signed former Wofford reliever Champ Davis on June 6, including former Saint Louis ace Ben Cherico on June 12.
A product of St. Augustine Prep (Richland, N.J.), Kouser made 15 appearances with 12 starts in 2026 for the Wildcats as a sophomore. He struck out 44 batters in 66.1 innings of work, which both ranked second-highest on the team, and churned out a 5.02 ERA — down from 7.59 his freshman year.
Kouser’s 14 starts during his rookie campaign were the most of any pitcher on the team.
Prior to his collegiate career, Perfect Game ranked Kouser the No. 14 player in New Jersey and the No. 7-ranked right-handed pitcher. Kouser led St. Augustine to a 2024 Non-Public A State Championship as a senior.
Kouser’s fastball velocity tops out at 95 miles per hour and sits in the 90-93 mph range, and he also throws a changeup (84-87 mph), a slider (79-82 mph), and a cutter (83-86 mph).
RHP
— Matt Kouser (@kouser_matt) June 1, 2026
Fastball 90-93 T(95)
Change up 84-87
Slider 79-82
Cutter 83-86
129 innings in 2 years
2026 stats: 66.1 ip 4.75 era 44 Ks pic.twitter.com/NZFitll18g
Since the end of the 2026 season, BC graduated two of its weekend starters in A.J. Colarusso and Tyler Mudd, who combined for 149.2 innings alone last year. The additions of Kouser and Cherico should hopefully fill in those gaps to some extent — even if they do not end up becoming starters for the Eagles in 2027.
Boston College Baseball 2027 Transfer Portal Additions:
1. Gr. RHP Champ Davis | 6'1" | 180 lbs. | Previous School: Wofford | Signed 6/6/2026
2. Gr. RHP Ben Cherico | 6'4" | 205 lbs. | Previous School: Saint Louis | Signed 6/12/2026
3. Jr. RHP Matt Kouser | 6'6" | 230 lbs. | Previous School: Northwestern | Signed 6/14/2026
Boston College Baseball 2027 Transfer Portal Departures:
1. So. RHP John Mass | 5'11" | 195 lbs. | Entered 6/3/2026
2. So. LHP Aidan Gelbsman | 5'11" | 185 lbs. | Entered 6/3/2026
3. So. C/OF Jace Roossien | 6'0" | 185 lbs. | Entered 6/3/2026
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Graham Dietz is a 2025 graduate of Boston College and subsequently joined Boston College On SI. He previously served as an editor for The Heights, the independent student newspaper, from fall 2021, including as Sports Editor from 2022-23. Graham works for The Boston Globe as a sports correspondent, covering high school football, girls' basketball, and baseball. He was also a beat writer for the Chatham Anglers of the Cape Cod Baseball League in the summer of 2023.
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