Texas Baseball Lands Another Elite Catcher From the Transfer Portal

When the Texas Longhorns saw their season come to an end at the hands of the Georgia Bulldogs, their attention fully turned to the offseason and restocking the roster. One position of need was catcher, as Carson Tinney is all but guaranteed to be taken in the upcoming MLB Draft.

It didn't take long for the Longhorns to fill that need, however. On Saturday they made a splash in the portal and secured a commitment from former Saint Mary's Gaels catcher, Ian Armstrong. This marks their second portal pick up so far, joining Linkin Garcia.

For the second straight year, Texas has secured a big-time talent behind the plate. Armstrong will follow in the footsteps of Tinney, who made his way to Austin from Notre Dame last offseason and proceeded to put together an outstanding season for the Longhorns.

Texas continues to be aggressive in the transfer portal

Texas Longhorns coachJim Schlossnagle — Texas Longhorns head coach Jim Schlossnagle stands in the dugout ahead of the Lone Star Showdown. | Aaron E. Martinez/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

As for Armstrong, one look at his numbers and Longhorns fans will be excited to see him in action once the 2027 campaign starts. He was amazing as a freshman in 2025 when he posted a .364 average and earned a spot on the both the WCC All-Freshman Team and Second Team.

His 2026 campaign was even better. Slashing .351/.416/.654, he led the Gaels with 16 home runs while finishing third with 51 RBI and earning an All-WCC First Team selection. He also provided solid defense behind the plate and will only improve in that area during the offseason.

It is no secret that Jim Schlossnagle and his staff bring an aggressive approach to the transfer portal. His first two seasons in Austin have been heavily impacted by key transfers such as Ethan Mendoza, Aiden Robbins and the aforementioned Tinney.

This offseason has been no different, first with the addition of Garcia early in the process and now Armstrong. And it most likely will not be the last move the Longhorns make in the portal either, as they certainly could look to bolster the outfield alongside Anthony Pack Jr.

After coming up short in Omaha this season, Texas is hungry to get back to the College World Series and bring home the program's seventh national championship. There's still a long way to go until the start of next season, however the addition of Armstrong is another strong step in building an elite roster for 2027.

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