Diamond Hogs' backup catcher to enter transfer portal
Arkansas is officially once again in the market for a transfer catcher.
Not only did Michael Turner exhaust his remaining eligibility in the College World Series this week, but backup catcher Dylan Leach also announced his intention to enter the transfer portal Saturday afternoon.
“This year has brought such blessing and thankfulness,” Leach wrote in a statement on Twitter. “I have been given many opportunities that countless baseball players dream of, and am grateful God has blessed me with the gift of having the ability to play at such a level.
“I would like to express my gratitude to coaches, my teammates, family, and Razorback fans for such support of my growth as a Razorback. I would like to announce that I am entering into the transfer portal and will be continuing my growth.”
The Carthage, Texas, native appeared in 41 games over the last two season and made 26 total starts — most of which came behind the plate, first as Casey Opitz’s backup in 2021 and then as Turner’s backup in 2022.
Originally a member of the Class of 2021, Leach opted to skip his senior year of high school and enroll at Arkansas early. He figured to get a crack at the starting job last year, but Opitz unexpectedly went undrafted and returned to school.
That season, Leach started 10 games and appeared in seven others, hitting .257/.469/.429 with one home run and four RBIs in 35 at bats.
With Opitz gone, the Razorbacks signed Turner from the transfer portal. Leach actually cracked the starting lineup twice as a designated hitter, but was once again the primary backup catcher, starting 14 games behind the plate.
In 58 at bats, Leach slashed .224/.297/.517 with four home runs and 16 RBIs. The highlight of the season for Leach came in a midweek game against UCA when he hit for the cycle and homered twice — once from both sides of the plate.
His departure, coupled with Turner’s graduation, leave the Razorbacks with only one catcher on the roster: Max Soliz Jr. He appeared in five games as a true freshman, going 2 for 9, but never played catcher. He was either a designated hitter or right fielder.
Considering it doesn’t have any high school or junior college catchers currently signed, Arkansas will almost certainly try to sign one from the transfer portal again.