Just two days after Kentucky was eliminated from the Men’s College World Series, offseason dominoes have begun to fall.
Right-hander Travis Smith highlights a crop of Cats that entered the Transfer Portal on Friday. Right-hander Drew Lafferty and outfielder Lukas Schramm entered the Portal as well.
Smith, who started 13 games for Kentucky in 2023, opened the 2024 season as the Friday night starter. Through his first five starts however, the right-hander boasted a 6.69 ERA in 24 2/3 innings and was replaced by right-hander Trey Pooser in the rotation.
He made seven appearances out of the pen and started Kentucky’s SEC Tournament game against LSU, where he pitched to a 5.54 ERA in 13 innings. Smith, who is the No. 331 overall prospect in the upcoming MLB Draft according to Future Stars Series, could ultimately turn pro.
Lafferty, who will have three years of eligibility, was Kentucky’s midweek starter this season due to Ben Cleaver’s lingering injuries. The redshirt freshman made eight starts and pitched to a 6.86 ERA in 21 innings.
Schramm, who will also have three years of eligibility, played in nine games for the Cats this season. He notched five hits in 21 at-bats, including a home run in the third game of the season against USC-Upstate.
Smith, Lafferty, and Schramm join outfielder Ben Higdon (Southern Miss), UTIL Josh Skowronski, and UTIL Blake Bowen (Akron) as Kentucky’s Transfer Portal subtractions.
Kentucky has already added nine players in the Portal, with more coming soon.
- Freshman P Oliver Boone (California)
- Junior OF Jackson Strong (Canisius)
- Senior DH Cole Hage (Columbia)
- Junior RHP Ryan Verdugo (Cal State Bakersfield)
- Sophomore RHP Chase Alderman (Eastern Kentucky)
- Sophomore P Ethan Walker (Longwood)
- Junior RHP Scott Rouse (Radford)
- Junior LHP Cole Hentschel (Richmond)
- Senior P Nic McCay (South Dakota State)
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