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Clemson Baseball Loses Three Players to the Transfer Portal

Clemson's portal window opened with a jolt, but the Tigers aren't blinking.
Angelo Feliberty|
The College Baseball transfer portal window opened this past Monday, and Clemson has already lost three young talents.
The College Baseball transfer portal window opened this past Monday, and Clemson has already lost three young talents. | Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

This past Monday, the college baseball transfer portal window officially opened and will remain open until December 15.

Within the first two days, the Clemson Tigers already have had three names enter the portal, though the moves come with little concern for the Tigers' depth chart heading into next season.

Catcher Steele Burd was the initial player to enter the transfer portal for the Tigers. The in-state talent was about to begin his second season in Tigertown after redshirting as a true freshman last year.

As a senior for Hilton Head Christian Academy, Burd accounted for 36 runs, 27 hits, 27 RBIs and seven home runs while batting a .338 average in 80 at-bats. Defensively, he had 74 putouts on 81 total chances with only four errors through 28 games.

Coming out of the 2024 class, Burd was considered as the 19th-best player and the fifth-best catching prospect in South Carolina, according to Perfect Game. 

On Tuesday, two more players entered the portal, with catcher Skyler Hegler being the first to announce the decision via X.

The true freshman has been a longtime commit of the Tigers, announcing his decision over four years ago in November of 2021. He ranked as the No. 10 overall player and No. 5 catcher in South Carolina, according to Perfect Game.

However, the most interesting aspect of Hegler's departure is that he had just signed with Clemson Baseball as part of the 2025 class. With little more information than a transfer portal entry, we can only assume that Clemson and Hegler's plans for the future didn't align well.

Despite the two young catchers' exits, Clemson's plenty stocked at the position heading into 2025 with Jacob Jarrell back for his final year and sophomore Nate Savoie arriving from Loyola Marymount over the summer.

Third baseman Josh Castellani was the third Clemson player to enter the portal, and second to do so on Tuesday.

In 2025, his true freshman season, Castellani played in six games and recorded five at-bats, striking out three times. 

Coming out of the 2024 class, the 6-foot-4 athlete ranked as the No. 333 overall prospect, the No. 49 player in Florida and the No. 9 third baseman, according to Perfect Game. 

As a senior at Hollins High School, Castellani batted .400, smashing 34 hits, including four homers for 24 runs and 11 RBIs, while adding on 11 stolen bases. Fielding-wise, he recorded 28 putouts and 44 assists in 76 total chances.

Other notable players that remain at the position for the Tigers include Tryston McCladdie and Jay Dillard.

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Angelo Feliberty
ANGELO FELIBERTY

Angelo Feliberty is a Sports Communication major who got his start with The Tiger newspaper at Clemson University starting as a contributor and working his way up to senior reporter covering multiple sports for the Clemson Tigers. A native of Myrtle Beach, S.C., Feliberty was a three-year letterman in track at Myrtle Beach High School.

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