2025 TCU Baseball Transfer Portal Recap

The Frogs have made some key additions to supplement an already talented roster.

Following a very successful 2025 season, TCU baseball and Kirk Sarloos have high expectations heading into next year with a large crop of returning talent both offensively and on the pitching staff. True freshman stars, Sawyer Strosnider and Noah Franco, will be back to anchor the lineup, and Friday night starter Tommy LaPour will be back to lead the pitching staff. Sarloos and his staff have been busy in the transfer portal, adding to a very talented roster, while the Frogs have lost a few key contributors to the portal as well.

Incoming Transfers

Ethan Thomas

The first commitment that Kirk Sarloos and TCU secured from the transfer portal this offseason was right-handed relief pitcher Ethan Thomas from Hawaii. Thomas will be a redshirt sophomore for the 2026 season and threw 25 innings for the Rainbow Warriors last season with a solid 3.60 ERA. Thomas sports a high strikeout rate with 37 K’s last season and a low walk rate with just six free passes last season, suggesting his ERA should only get lower with more experience under his belt. The pitch arsenal is impressive, with a low to mid-90s fastball with solid ride that plays well at the top of the zone, along with a slider with good horizontal movement. Thomas also has the stamina to go multiple innings, pitching over one inning in ten appearances last season. Expect Thomas to be a reliable bullpen piece for the Frogs in 2026.

Rob Liddington

The portal addition with the clearest path to playing time is former Incarnate Word first baseman Rob Liddington. Liddington is coming off an excellent 2025 season where he hit .359 with 15 home runs and 50 RBIs. Liddington got on base at a .448% clip and slugged .675 last season, good for an impressive OPS of 1.123. As a first baseman and a power bat, Liddington should slide right into a starting spot for the Frogs next season, providing solid defense at first and being an impact bat in the lineup. If the senior can come close to replicating his 2025 season next year for the Frogs, TCU could be a very dangerous squad and a true competitor on the national stage.

Tanner Sagouspe

Horned Frog fans looking for the next high-leverage, dependable reliever should be excited for the arrival of Cal Poly transfer Tanner Sagouspe. Sagouspe has been a very effective reliever for Cal Poly for the last two seasons, with at least 44 innings of work in 2024 and 2025 and an ERA of 3.43 across those two seasons. Sagouspe’s fastball sits in the low 90s, which sets up a hammer of a curveball that falls off the table and is very effective at putting away hitters. The right-handed senior will be an important arm for TCU this coming season.

Nolan Johnson

With the potential loss of Ben Abeldt and Caedmon Parker to the draft and the loss of Kole Klecker to the transfer portal, Kirk Sarloos needed to find reliable starting pitching. North Dakota State transfer Nolan Johnson should be a reliable left-handed arm with the potential to eat up innings and fill that hole for the Frogs. Johnson pitched to an ERA of 4.52 across 87.2 innings in 2025 as a very dependable starter for a North Dakota State team that made the NCAA Tournament after winning the Summit League Conference Tournament. Johnson was named Summit League Pitcher of the Year and was a big part of the run to the championship, being named Summit League Championship MVP.

Kyuss Gargett

With the potential loss of Anthony Silva to the MLB Draft looming, the Frogs have a hole to fill on the left side of the infield, and Kentucky transfer Kyuss Gargett could potentially see some of those at-bats. Gargett has the versatility to play multiple positions on the infield and is a threat on the bases with eight stolen bases for Kentucky in 2025. Gargett slashed .266/.343/.330 for the Wildcats and should provide solid infield depth for the Frogs in 2026.

Dallas Macias

TCU’s latest portal addition is former Oregon State outfielder Dallas Macias. Macias struggled in 2025 but had a very impressive 2024 season that had him projected as a top 100 pick in this year’s MLB Draft coming into the season. Macias hit .313 with an OBP of .388 and a slugging percentage of .509, good for an OPS near .900 in 2024. Macias also provides value in the field and on the bases as a great athlete who can cover ground as a defender and as a base runner. Macias played mostly center field for the Beavers as a good defender in that spot and stole nine bags in 2024. While Chase Brunson will likely hold onto his starting spot in 2026, Macias could be used in the corner outfield spots to give Noah Franco or Sawyer Strosnider more rest throughout the season.

Notable Outgoing Transfers

Karson Bowen

TCU’s biggest loss to the transfer portal was Karson Bowen who was a three year starter at first base and catcher for the Frogs. Bowen was a very impactful position player during his time with the Frogs as a good defensive catcher and a dangerous bat in the lineup. Bowen slashed .333/.425/.516 in his final year with the Frogs and was an opportunistic base runner with 20 stolen bases across three seasons for TCU. Bowen recently announced his commitment to Florida and leaving a large hole at first base and in the leadership department for the Frogs to fill.

Isaac Cadena

One of the more heralded transfer portal commitments from last offseason for TCU was Isaac Cadena, who transferred to TCU after a solid freshman season at Ohio State. Cadena recently announced his commitment to USC and leaves the Frogs in need of more outfield and catching depth, as he filled in at both spots for the Frogs in 2025. Cadena provided some much-needed pop to the TCU lineup, hitting eight home runs and collecting 34 RBIs.

Kole Klecker

The biggest portal loss to the pitching staff was right-hander Kole Klecker, who recently committed to Arizona State after three solid seasons for the Frogs. Klecker was a huge part of TCU’s run to Omaha in 2023, his true freshman season, where he pitched 96.2 innings with an ERA of 3.72. Klecker entered 2025 battling injuries but returned to be a reliable arm for the Frogs down the stretch with 19.1 innings of work with a 4.66 ERA.

Mason Bixby

TCU lost perhaps its most electric bullpen arm in Mason Bixby to the transfer portal as the right-hander consistently reached triple digits with the fastball and flashed a breaking ball with tremendous movement. Unfortunately, Bixby never quite mastered the control of either pitch and struggled with walks and HBPs during his time at TCU.

Cohen Feser

Another right-handed reliever recently entered the transfer portal, as Cohen Feser announced his commitment to Kansas State after three seasons with the Frogs. Feser missed the entire 2024 season with an injury and returned in 2025 to be a reliable bullpen piece with an ERA of 4.97 over 25.1 innings of work.