Backup catcher enters transfer portal
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What has suddenly become a crowded position at Arkansas will have one less player competing for the starting job in 2021, as Dominic Tamez has entered the NCAA transfer portal.
A talented catcher from San Antonio, Tamez is the Razorbacks’ seventh transfer since the coronavirus-shortened season ended.
His departure comes on the heels of the Razorbacks recently adding a pair of graduate transfer catchers in Robert Emery from San Francisco and A.J. Lewis from Eastern Kentucky.
Two-year starter Casey Opitz is expected to get selected in this summer's MLB Draft and begin his professional career, leaving a void that Tamez figured to compete to fill prior to the transfer additions.
The Razorbacks also have Cason Tollett on the roster and will add Dylan Leach. Tollett, a freshman from Little Rock Christian, was limited to only one at bat because of an injury, while Leach is a member of Arkansas' 2021 recruiting class who is skipping his senior year to enroll early.
As a true freshman, Tamez appeared in eight games - which includes a pair of starts - and went 4 for 10 (.400) with three runs scored and a walk. He didn’t get a chance to showcase it in real games, but he also has some pop in his bat.
Despite being a solid hitter, head coach Dave Van Horn was frustrated with his defense behind the plate. That was on display in a midweek game against Illinois State, when he allowed three passed balls in six innings before being replaced by Opitz.
Tamez’s defensive struggles were so severe that just a few days before the season was canceled, Van Horn told the Swatters Club that Opitz would likely be carrying a heavier load moving forward because he couldn’t trust Tamez behind the plate.
It was likely, though, that Tamez would have still been a key reserve on this year’s team as a pinch hitter or even as a backup outfielder, a position at which he worked some in practice.
Coming out of high school, Tamez was the No. 354 overall prospect in the country and the No. 2 catcher from Texas in the Class of 2019, according to Perfect Game. The Seattle Mariners took him in the 35th round of last year’s MLB Draft, but he turned down the pros to play for the Razorbacks.
The recent mass exodus Arkansas is experiencing is the result of an imminent roster crunch created by the aforementioned shortening of the MLB Draft and the NCAA granting eligibility relief across the board - which created a ripple effect that HawgBeat wrote about in detail here.
Here is a look at the previous transfer portal entrants for Arkansas, in reverse chronological order…
As a two-sport standout at Little Rock Christian, Harris received multiple football offers before choosing to play baseball at Arkansas. He established himself as a capable hitter in 2019, even starting nine games as the designated hitter and batting .257 with three doubles and six RBIs. Needing to work on his defense, Harris redshirted this year.
Heinrich was a talented right-hander out of Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Florida, but he didn’t appear in a game during his true freshman season and was likely to redshirt.
A fan favorite known for his enthusiasm, Washington was a key reserve for the Razorbacks each of the last two seasons. The West Memphis native made a total of seven starts during his career and even hit .353 (12 for 34) as a true freshman last year. Although primarily a corner outfielder, Washington was also capable of playing third base and coming off the bench as a pinch hitter or pinch runner.
Much like Heinrich, Pierce was a member of the 2019 signing class who didn't appear in a game as a true freshman. However, he was the No. 336 overall prospect in the country coming out of Arbor View High in Las Vegas and was among the last few players Arkansas decided to redshirt this season.
Collin Taylor
Although he didn't appear in any games this season, Taylor threw 6 2/3 innings across seven outings in 2019. He allowed three earned runs for a 4.05 ERA and had three strikeouts with six walks. The older brother of Arkansas left-hander Evan Taylor, Collin began his collegiate career at Walters State C.C.
Travis Hester
Despite being at Arkansas for two years, Hester never saw any game action with the Razorbacks. Before coming to Fayetteville, though, the right-hander had a standout career at College Station, Texas, even earning All-America honors from Collegiate Baseball as a senior in 2018.