Three Ways Oklahoma State Baseball Won in the Transfer Portal

The Oklahoma State Cowboys needed a good transfer portal cycle, and they got one as the portal closed on June 30.

Oklahoma State head baseball Josh Holliday. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

The Oklahoma State Cowboys baseball team put in good work to improve their roster before the closing of the transfer portal window on Tuesday.

The window closing doesn't mean the Cowboys can't sign more players in the ensuing weeks. It just means players cannot enter the portal for the 2027 season. Only players that are in the portal can move to another program.

Oklahoma State knew it would lose some players via the transfer portal, but it also gave the Cowboys opportunities to find targeted replacements.

When assessing what Oklahoma State lost and what it gained, there's good reason to believe the Cowboys came away winners pure. Here are three reasons why.

Former Cowboys Waiting for a Team

Oklahoma State's head baseball coach Josh Holliday. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Oklahoma State lost eight players to the transfer portal — pitcher Gaige Albright, third baseman Evan Saunders, pitcher Josiah Golden, catcher Brady Francisco, catcher Quinn Schambow, pitcher Caden Sramek, pitcher Ty Kennedy and pitcher Cael Turner. That’s per the D1Baseball.com transfer tracker.

Of those eight players, only two have landed somewhere. Schambow committed to Illinois shortly after he entered the portal on June 3, while Francisco committed to Grand Canyon after he entered on June 8.

The other six players haven't found a landing spot yet, including all five pitchers. The transfer portal can be dicey. If you're a high-level talent, there's plenty of interest. If you’re not, it depends on fit. Perhaps these players haven’t found the right fit yet. But it could also say something about where they might have fit — or not fit — at OSU next season.

The Emphasis on Pitching

Noah Kenney finishes his day with 6.0 IP, 1 R, 5 H, and 5 Ks.

Gunnar Nichols takes over in the seventh. pic.twitter.com/R1Tk1Tx6ga

— Washington Baseball (@UW_Baseball) April 24, 2026

The Cowboys lost five pitchers, which meant they had to replace them. Plus, they’re losing pitchers like Hudson Barrett, who will likely be drafted next month. So, the emphasis must be on finding pitchers that could help immediately. Oklahoma State did a good job of doing that.

OSU landed a weekend starter in former Washington pitcher Noah Kenney. He can fit into a rotation with Ethan Lund and Stormy Rhodes. The Cowboys snagged relief help from two Big 12 rivals — Will Jordan from Texas Tech and Kaden Soder from Utah. Jordan missed time last year due to injury but should be ready next year.

The Cowboys managed to land a commitment from the little-used Tyler Wood from Wake Forest. They also rolled the dice a bit on a Division II reliever with a great late-inning track record in North Greenville’s Ben Leikam.

OSU landed as many pitchers as it lost in the portal. Wood is the only one that’s a bit of enigma. The other four should be able to produce right away.

Targeted Slugging

B5 | Break it open!

Sean Yamaguchi with the no-doubter and the grand slam puts the Pack up 8-3 on the Rebels!

📺 Mountain West Network/MW App#BattleBorn pic.twitter.com/jpHfxjojLG

— Nevada Baseball (@NevadaBaseball) April 25, 2026

The Cowboys only landed two hitters in the portal (so far), but both players fit into the Cowboys’ offensive profile.

Sean Yamaguchi from Nevada can slide in as the starting third baseman after the departure of Aidan Meola. In two years with the Wolfpack, he was named the Mountain West freshman of the year, hit 27 home runs and drove in nearly 100 RBI. With the new “5-for-5” rule, he has three years of eligibility now instead of two.

Morehead State’s Aubrey Kearns had a breakthrough season in 2026 as he finished with a slash line of .387/.622/.471 with a 1.093 OPS, which was second for MSU and eighth in the Ohio Valley Conference. He also hit 12 home runs, drove in 59 runs and was named first-team all-OVC.

The Cowboys could bring in more talent, but with Yamaguchi and Kearns they’re bringing in hitters with track records of hitting at least 10 home runs per season.