Mississippi State baseball transfer portal tracker: Who's in, who's out for Chris Lemonis
STARKVILLE — Selection Monday is among the most exciting days in college baseball, but for Mississippi State, it's only represented the opening of the transfer portal the last two years.
The Bulldogs were left out of the postseason again this year, giving coach Chris Lemonis another busy offseason. Along with finding a new pitching coach and dealing with losses to the 2023 MLB Draft, Lemonis and his staff will have to utilize the transfer portal to revamp their roster for 2024.
Lemonis admitted after the season finale against Texas A&M on May 20 that finding a premier pitcher out of the portal would be a priority. MSU may need more than one top-tier arm after finishing with a program-worst 7.01 ERA. The Bulldogs have had the worst ERA in the SEC in back-to-back seasons after winning the 2021 national title.
Finding offensive talent also will be vital with outfielders Colton Ledbetter and Kellum Clark likely departing for the MLB. Follow along for all of Mississippi State's transfer portal movement below:
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Players joining Mississippi State baseball via the portal
LHP Nate Lamb − Lamb was MSU's first portal addition when he announced his commitment on May 28. He is a left-handed pitcher out of Division II program Young Harris College. Lamb made 14 starts in 2023 with a 3.53 ERA.
C Johnny Long − Long became the second transfer portal addition on July 3, when he committed to play for the Bulldogs on his Instagram page. The Pitt catcher hit .250 last season with two home runs and 12 RBIs. He spent the first two seasons of his career at FGCU.
3B Logan Kohler − Kohler announced his commitment to play for MSU on July 7. The Memphis transfer started 52 games last season and posted a .978 OPS on his way to second-team All-AAC honors. He spent two seasons at Oklahoma before playing at Memphis for two years.
RHP Karson Ligon − Ligon announced via social media on July 12 that he's coming to MSU. He spent two seasons at Miami, including 2022 when he was named to the freshman All-ACC team. Ligon started 10 games in 2023 and had a 4.80 ERA.
RHP Khal Stephen – Stephen, a transfer from Purdue, committed to MSU on July 31. He spent two seasons with the Boilermakers – the first as a reliever before becoming a starter. This year, Stephen had a 5.21 ERA in 14 starts en route to a third team All-Big Ten selection.
Players leaving Mississippi State baseball via the portal
SS Lane Forsythe − Forsythe entered the portal on May 30, according to a 247Sports report. Forsythe started 130 games in three seasons with MSU. As a shortstop, he was part of the 2021 College World Series all-tournament team.
LHP Graham Yntema − Yntema also entered the portal on May 30, according to a 247Sports report. He spent one season at MSU after coming through the junior college ranks. Yntema had a 10.55 ERA.
C Bryce Hubbard − Hubbard entered the portal on May 30, according to multiple reports. He spent one season at MSU, appearing in three games and recording one hit.
C Ryan Williams − Williams entered the portal on May 31, according to multiple reports. Williams is a native of Cypress, Texas, who redshirted his freshman season at MSU.
INF/OF Von Seibert − Seibert entered the portal on June 1, according to D1Baseball. Seibert spent two seasons at MSU after coming through the junior college ranks. He appeared in 41 games and collected 13 hits.
INF Slate Alford − Alford entered the portal on June 5, according to D1Baseball. He started 40 games as a sophomore in 2023, hitting .248 with nine homes runs and 36 RBIs.
Stefan Krajisnik is the Mississippi State beat writer for the Clarion Ledger. Contact him at skrajisnik@gannett.com or follow him on Twitter @skrajisnik3.
This article originally appeared on Mississippi Clarion Ledger: Mississippi State baseball transfer tracker: Who's in, who's out
