Portal Transfers & Recruits

Oliver Santos
E-6j6nQWUBkTIlm


LHP
6'4"
210 lbs
Newport Coast, CA (let's just say he probably didn't grow up in Section 8 housing on AFDC...)
Orange Lutheran High School -- YES! Another pitcher from California's top private league. Think Lucas Gordon.
Transfer from Duke after 1 year redshirting
#7 LHP in the Nation in HS class of 2022
#1 LHP in California in HS class of 2022


"Santos was one of the top left-handed pitchers in the country in the 2022 class but did not make an appearance his freshman season. He reportedly has a fastball that can touch 93 to go along with a curveball and changeup."

"Oliver Santos is a 2022 LHP/1B with a 6-4 210 lb. frame from Newport Coast, CA who attends Orange Lutheran HS. Extra large frame with broad shoulders, long limbs, and substantial physical projection. Primary left-handed pitcher with a longer arm stroke and a high leg lift. Plus angle thanks to his slot with the fastball sitting in the 87-90 mph range.

Good downhill plane on the heater and can locate to all four quadrants.

Curveball has big 1/7 shape with good spin and depth. Slider is sharper with shorter bite.

Changeup shows good fading action.

Tunnels all four pitches with good results. Impressive ability to pitch and has the stuff to match."

"POLISHED 3-PITCH MIX, WITH A FASTBALL UP TO 93 MPH AND ALREADY SHOWING COMMAND; DOMINATED AT 2020 WWBA WORLD WITH COMPLETE GAME 14-K SHUTOUT, DOMINANT AT 2021 WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS"



Transfer LHP Oliver Santos pledges to Texas

Former Duke LHP Oliver Santos commits to Texas

Oliver Santos Class of 2022 - Player Profile | Perfect Game USA
 
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Oliver Santos is a big pick up.

He'll be on the track to be a weekend starter. If not next year, then 2024 or 2025 unless he goes off the rails. He'll be a valuable contributor next year, whether he's starting or in relief.

 
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Max Belyeu hit a bomb in the cali league yesterday (or very recently), we need him to be ready next season and I’m looking forward to seeing him be given an opportunity.
 
aUTfan said:
Max Belyeu hit a bomb in the cali league yesterday (or very recently), we need him to be ready next season and I’m looking forward to seeing him be given an opportunity.
Click to expand...
Yes indeed!

I think Belyeu will be a breakout player next year.

Hopefully Flores too.

I could see Schuesler as another breakout player at bat if he's back healthy. He and Galvan could hold down the C and DH spots, although Galvan needs to keep his batting avg. North of 0.250. Both have good power at the plate.
 
Reports are that Santos suffered a minor shoulder injury at Duke during the Fall of his Freshman year ("tweaked" his shoulder), hence he recovered all last year. IT WAS NOT TOMMY JOHN. Hopefully, he'll be healthy and good-to-go by Spring, if not by Fall.

If he's healthy, he could be really, really good.
 
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Gage Boehm (97mph Flamethrower JC Transfer, who can also bat)
GageBohem.jpg


2-way Player
RHP and 1B/DH/Power Hitter
Transfer from San Jac JC; played at Blinn JC his Freshman year
6'5"
250 lbs (on a scale that weighs you about 20 lbs light.../big 'ol dude)
From Taylor, Texas
Hutto High School
3.54 ERA :clap:
1.21 WHIP :clap::clap::clap::clap:
28 Innings pitched
29 Strikeouts
16 Walks
Only 1 Homerun allowed (in 28 innings) :clap:
3-2 with 4 saves :clap:
Started 2 games

Mostly used as a Reliever, but has started some games. Fastball clocked up to 97mph. Brings a nifty cutter and breaking ball to the table. Threw up to 94 mph in high school.

He apparently committed to us in high school, but he took a circuitous path to the 40 Acres, going first to Blinn, then to San Jac.

Is regarded as a power hitter as much as a pitcher. 1B or DH power hitter capability. Not shabby on the mound either. Big, hard-throwing right hander.

I think he will mostly be a Reliever next year for us. But if our bats aren't doing well, he could also appear at the plate. I'd like to see a Brooks Kieschnik-like player. Who knows? Maybe Boehm will take over at 1B and Thomas will go to the OF???

"Inside look at our right-handed gunslinger Gage Boehm touching up to 97mph":


From a report on Jul 14, 2021:
"Gage Boehm tore up the Five Tool Summer League
Gage Boehm exploded this summer slashing .397 with 5 HR and 25 RBI over 20 games. The RHH slugged .741 and had an OPS of 1.203. Easy power from a balanced swing. Got a hit in 15 of the 20 games played. Also got it done on the mound with a 1.92 ERA and 32 strikeouts over 28 innings pitched. Fastball reached 89 MPH with a 74-76 MPH curveball and a 73 MPH changeup. Blinn College - RHP/INF"


"Gage brings a power mid-90's arm with a new devastating cutter and hard breaker..."

"Gage Boehm is a 2020 1B/RHP/3B with a 6-5 250 lb. frame from Taylor, TX who attends Hutto. XL frame with broad-shouldered, physical build; ran 60 yard dash in 7.94 seconds. Hits from even-based stance with leg lift trigger, easy and loose stroke with simple, repeatable approach, consistently hard barrel in BP and in games, very good barrel accuracy, drove the ball on a line to all parts of the ballpark, will be a huge home run threat consistently as he continues to lift the ball more and more, impact offensive presence. Worked out well at first base, fields cleanly and shows comfortability in footwork, turns well, clocked up to 87 mph on throws. Also pitched, has two-way upside, offline arm stroke through the back, threw only fastballs and worked in the 85-88 mph range [Note, this is a high school report], lots of life on the pitch, alternates between significant run and bowling ball sink, good upside as a two-way player. Very good student, committed to Hill College, named to 2020 World Showcase Top Prospect List."

https://www.njcaa.org/sports/bsb/2022-23/div1/players/gageboehmoyw8

Posted some numbers on the mound as a Freshman at Blinn JC that I'd prefer not to post here...



Gage Boehm (@g__boehm17) • Instagram photos and videos





gageboehm (@g__boehm) | TikTok

Gage Boehm

Baseball Factory | Top Prospects | Gage Boehm

Gage Boehm | Five Tool

Gage Boehm Class of 2020 - Player Profile | Perfect Game USA
 
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The pen is finally getting a bit deeper.

With some possible starters coming back from injuries, next year we may be one of those teams whose starters only go for around 4 innings, then 3-5 relievers take the mound each game.

Rigney and Santos could be game changers. But, are they fully healed up and ready to start every weekend?
 
Good luck to Mitchell Daly. Over the years, he's made some plays that helped get us to where we are. UK adds a good glove to their middle infield.

 
So to recap and just me talking out loud:

Cummings -OF
Thomas - figuring he moves to the OF because of Gage?
Belyeu/Werchan - OF

Comparing this year to next years possibility:
Thats not a very big drop off from this years outfield defensively. Offensively its a drop off but may not be by a whole lot if Belyeu is able to hit similary to EK or PB.

Gage Boehm -1st base/HR hitter? with a look on the mound?
JDup/Sweeney/O'Hara - 2nd
Flores - SS
Galvan - C
Powell/O'Hara/JDup - 3rd
Schuessler - DH

year to year comparison:
Defensively it seems even at this juncture, I think there are opportunities to improve at 2nd and SS from last year so may be an improvement overall if JDup can get his errors under control. It will definitely be an improvement in arms, so i expect more double plays next year.

Pitchers
Oliver Stone - Starter (take it for what its worth, i thought Shaw was going to be a starter LOL)
Will Mercer - Starter or Closer
Will Rigney - Starter or Reliever
A Duplantier - Reliever
Lummus - Reliever
Whitehead - Reliever

Year over year comparison:
drop off in my opinion, i think we still need help or will need an incoming freshman to surprise us ala Huston Street.

Don't forget Luke Harrison should return some time next season, maybe he will return stronger than TWitt did.
Imagine if you will if Gordon, Stehle and/or Morehouse returned? :bounce1:

I know Stehle and Morehouse don't excite that much but they were beginning to perform at a high level and Morehouse went how many innings in the playoffs carrying us in a crucial game when Witt didn't last?

Depending on which freshmen and return players make it on campus we are already close to being even to this years team, some of the freshman pitchers look better than what we had in the bullpen this year. We get many of our veterans to return, could be icing on the cake and make next year another exciting year.

To be continued as more info rolls in........
 
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Portal may be crazy. The timing is out of whack too. You can’t jump on guys because you don’t know exactly what you need until incoming frosh and draftees happen.

I would imagine we come out just fine. I’d bet we get about 10 deep in our positional players and look to fill up on arms. But we are a bit like this year. Where are our stars?
 
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I don't know, but I think Boehm has been concentrating mostly on his pitching. Last year at San Jac, he was a pitcher--I don't know if he played in the field there or not? Boehm certainly does have a powerful bat. I hope he's a two-way player here, on the mound and at bat. Looks like a reliever, maybe even a closer.

I don't know if 1B will be Thomas, Boehm, or one of the Freshman? (or Schuesler or Galvan or someone else?).

We need another really good portal outfielder or one of the incoming Freshman outfielders to bat 0.300+ with 10+ homeruns. I'd keep looking in the portal.

Gotta like Werchan, but if he's starting in OF on opening day, that's not a good sign.
 
Bats, bats, bats. We need bats, bats, bats.

And another ace starting pitcher or two... (not to be too greedy).

The bullpen is shoring up quite nicely. Especially if Tole is back (I think he will be).
 
aUTfan said:
So to recap and just me talking out loud:

Cummings -OF
Thomas - figuring he moves to the OF because of Gage?
Belyeu/Werchan - OF

Comparing this year to next years possibility:
Thats not a very big drop off from this years outfield defensively. Offensively its a drop off but may not be by a whole lot if Belyeu is able to hit similary to EK or PB.

Gage Boehm -1st base/HR hitter? with a look on the mound?
JDup/Sweeney/O'Hara - 2nd
Flores - SS
Galvan - C
Powell/O'Hara/JDup - 3rd
Schuessler - DH

year to year comparison:
Defensively it seems even at this juncture, I think there are opportunities to improve at 2nd and SS from last year so may be an improvement overall if JDup can get his errors under control. It will definitely be an improvement in arms, so i expect more double plays next year.

Pitchers
Oliver Stone - Starter (take it for what its worth, i thought Shaw was going to be a starter LOL)
Will Mercer - Starter or Closer
Will Rigney - Starter or Reliever
A Duplantier - Reliever
Lummus - Reliever
Whitehead - Reliever

Year over year comparison:
drop off in my opinion, i think we still need help or will need an incoming freshman to surprise us ala Huston Street.

Don't forget Luke Harrison should return some time next season, maybe he will return stronger than TWitt did.
Imagine if you will if Gordon, Stehle and/or Morehouse returned? :bounce1:

I know Stehle and Morehouse don't excite that much but they were beginning to perform at a high level and Morehouse went how many innings in the playoffs carrying us in a crucial game when Witt didn't last?

Depending on which freshmen and return players make it on campus we are already close to being even to this years team, some of the freshman pitchers look better than what we had in the bullpen this year. We get many of our veterans to return, could be icing on the cake and make next year another exciting year.

To be continued as more info rolls in........
Click to expand...
Freshmen: Hayden Morris, Tunis, and the Freshman pitcher from Wisconsin--Cole Selvig. Those are three guys who may challenge for a starting position on the mound.

There’s a very outside shot Tunis and even Morris will go pro right away. Sykora is gone unless his Orange Blood prevails over the desire for quick $$$$.

Hayden Morris does not lack confidence and will go right after any batter that comes to the plate. He just looks mean and tough. I could see him staring down batters after he strikes them out. Eloquent East Coast sports writers might call him a “fiery competitor”, while vulgarians might call him a BAMF.
 
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Chop said:
Freshmen: Hayden Morris, Tunis, and the Freshman pitcher from Wisconsin--Cole Selvig. Those are three guys who may challenge for a starting position on the mound.

There’s a very outside shot Tunis and even Morris will go pro right away. Sykora is gone unless his Orange Blood prevails over the desire for quick $$$$.

Hayden Morris does not lack confidence and will go right after any batter that comes to the plate. He just looks mean and tough. I could see him staring down batters after he strikes them out. Eloquent East Coast sports writers might call him a “fiery competitor”, while vulgarians might call him a BAMF.
Click to expand...

I'm super excited about these incoming freshmen pitchers. I can't wait to find out who actually makes it on campus. Which one's bleed burnt orange and decide to go to school instead. :bounce1::bounce2::bounce1::bounce2:
 
aUTfan said:
I'm super excited about these incoming freshmen pitchers. I can't wait to find out who actually makes it on campus. Which one's bleed burnt orange and decide to go to school instead. :bounce1::bounce2::bounce1::bounce2:
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I think Cole Selvig will almost definitely play here at UT. I had thought the same about Easton Tumis, but some are projecting him to be drafted somewhere around 200ish. That sort of $ could make it a close call for many players.

I was a bit concerned about Morris because MLB scouts tend to salivate when they see a pitcher throw around 95 mph and also have a plus breaking ball. Yet, Morris isn’t showing up on the draft projections. Some articles are calling his fastball 93 mph. Does 2 mph make that much of a difference to scouts? Oddly enough, I think it might. I think he’s going to be a really good college pitcher. He’s not just another Pierce George. Morris has his control down already. And his breaking ball really breaks—and he can land it for a strike.
 
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Chop said:
I was a bit concerned about Morris because MLB scouts tend to salivate when they see a pitcher throw around 95 mph and also have a plus breaking ball. Yet, Morris isn’t showing up on the draft projections. Some articles are calling his fastball 93 mph. Does 2 mph make that much of a difference to scouts? Oddly enough, I think it might. I think he’s going to be a really good college pitcher. He’s not just another Pierce George. Morris has his control down already. And his breaking ball really breaks—and he can land it for a strike.
Click to expand...
Morris is now showing up in some of the MLB draft projections. Like the other guys, it's probably a matter of how high he's picked (assuming he's picked) and how much $$$ they put in front of him. It would be great to get him on the 40 acres for a few years. Dude is a beast on the mound.

In other internet buzz, we may have a 3B portal commit in the very near future. (Powell can play any position on the field, except for pitcher.) We could also use another starting pitcher (or two).
 
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Tolle—2-way player from Wichita State would be an excellent pickup. Lots of suitors and competition for this one.

Logan Kohler 3B of Memphis would also be really good. He could be the rumored likely 3B transfer? Batted 0.330 with 11 homeruns in 2023 against mostly solid competition.
 
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Chop said:
Tolle—2-way player from Wichita State would be an excellent pickup. Lots of suitors and competition for this one.

Logan Kohler 3B of Memphis would also be really good. He could be the rumored likely 3B transfer? Batted 0.330 with 11 homeruns in 2023 against mostly solid competition.
Click to expand...
TCU picked up Tolle today. He’s a big time transfer. 2 way player.
 
Here's a potential grad transfer from Rice that we should be talking with:

Connor Walsh, OF
0.293 batting average
0.404 OB %
11 homeruns
Has the range to play any OF position, including CF
Transferred to Rice from Ole Miss

Nothing spectacular, but solid. He bats around 0.300 and hits North of 10 homeruns per year. We may need him for next year if Brown goes pro (I'm pretty sure Campbell will sign with the pros, and EK is gone).
 
Here's a write-up on Tumis. Per this scout, he sounds kind of like Shaw, but with a bit more velocity. There is a real danger that he's drafted high enough to go pro...

"Tumis is an ultra-projectable righty with a long, lean, lanky frame with length in the levers and good body control. The fastball only approaches the low-90s right now, but he pitches to both sides of the plate with it with some late life. Tumis' secondaries are his selling point with a changeup that flashes solid average with significant arm speed, as well as a slider he's willing to throw across righties and bury to the back foot of lefties. Big sweeper."

2023 MLB Draft: The Top 400 Prospects - Future Stars Series
 
More on Hayden Morris, BIG RHP, from a pro scouting report:
(getting Morris onto the 40 acres is no sure thing)

#266 Hayden Morris:

"Hayden Morris comes packed into an extra-large, physical, athletic 6-foot-8-inch frame, and the stuff you'd expect from that sort of profile is as anticipated. Morris can rush it up to 95 with significant carry and some arm-side run. His fastball includes well above-average spin rates and projects to jump into the mid-to-upper 90s as he gets into pro ball. Over long innings, Morris is more 90-93. He tunnels a mid-80s curveball with late depth and above average spin rates. There's also a changeup here, though it's clearly a tertiary weapon. Big, physical righties like this often make it to school, and poaching guys away from Texas-Austin is usually an incredibly tall task. But Morris has huge fans in the industry"

The bold-faced sentence is not good for us. Some teams evidently really like Morris, so he may get picked high enough to go. Let's hope he makes it to the 40--he could tear it up here a few years, then turn pro. College life in Austin sure beats roach motels and cold hot dogs on the road all the time in the minors for several years.

2023 MLB Draft: The Top 400 Prospects - Future Stars Series
 
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There are different ways to interpret this tweet. (Could it be that Porchas didn't necessarily leave on the best of terms...? Or could he be saying good that George--ridiculously high ERA in limited action--is hitting the road to make room for someone else...?)

Porchas still has UT stuff on his Twitter account where he posted this, so I don't know if he wants to try to come back here or not? Woody Williams is following Porchas on Twitter, and Porchas is following Williams, Pierce and some of the Longhorn fan Twitter sites. Sounds like he still likes us a lot. So maybe he left due to grades, homesickness, health, no full scholarship, not enough NIL $, locker room stuff, or something personal...? Whatever his deal is, from a human standpoint, I hope he's ok.

Based on his pitching skills alone, I sure would like to see him come back. This dude has big-time talent.

 
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Is disappointing.

We will do very well I think, but I’m not sure it will ever totally feel right. I’m interested to see the west coast reaction to all of it. It’s already a bit bleak.
 
George Zaharias
RHP
6'4"
200 lbs
Menlo-Atherton, CA (that means he probably didn't grow up in Section 8 or on food stamps... one of the nicer areas of Silicon Valley; it also means that we just nabbed one of the very top pitchers from the heart of Stanford territory.)

David Pierce has an amazing eye for pitching talent.

Killer Strikeout Pitcher against high level HS competition.

"95 strikeouts in 45 1/3 innings pitched." That would be over 2 strikeouts per inning (for any lurking Sociology majors...).

Daily Journal's (covers all of California) pitcher of the year.
Peninsula Athletic Conference Bay Division's pitcher of the year.

I figured Zaharias was good, I just didn't know he was THIS good.

Zaharias has "a fastball that touches 93 mph, it has an average spin rate of 2,324 RPMs, and a max of 2,413 RPMs. [must be a 2 seemer...?] He drops nearly 15 mph on his curveball, an eye-popping variation, with a vertical break of -15.0 and a horizontal break of -12.2."

Also throws an 80 mph changeup, and a 77 mph slider.

Struck out 17 batters in a 5-0, 4-hitter victory over Capuchino (a coffee school? :rolleyes1:).

"the 2023 season was only really his second full year pitching in organized baseball." :yikes::yikes::yikes: He's probably just going to get better and better and better...

The newspaper says he likes to run sets of 10 one-hundred yard wind sprints in his free time...? (well, he's certainly not built like Fernando Valenzuela or Bartolo Colon). Another poster has advised me that he is not a descendant of the legendary athlete Babe Zaharias, as she had no children. Babe's husband was legendary pro wrestler (another) George Zaharias, but I don't know if there is any relation or connection with this George Zaharias. This George Zaharias comes from a basketball family. At 6'4" that makes sense.

6637_full.jpg
images

The newspapers are calling him "Big Z".

Daily Journal Baseball Player of the Year: Menlo-Atherton’s George Zaharias

Prep roundup: Menlo-Atherton’s George Zaharias strikes out 17, shuts out Capuchino

Prep Baseball Report - Player: George Zaharias

Prep roundup: Menlo-Atherton’s George Zaharias strikes out 17, shuts out Capuchino

George Zaharias Class of 2023 - Player Profile | Perfect Game USA

George ‘Big Z’ Zaharias has another big day for first-place M-A
 
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Pencil in Zaharias as a guy we'll probably see a lot of this next season. Whether starting, or coming in from the pen, he'll play. As a guy who has only had 2 full years of organized baseball experience, he may be mostly a reliever next year. He's too good for a redshirt though.
 
Rumor on local radio today said that Travis Sykora may be coming to Texas. Only having a 20 round draft and NIL is playing a role in the decision.
 
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