In-state product enters portal
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FAYETTEVILLE — A fourth Arkansas baseball player has entered the NCAA transfer portal, HawgBeat has learned.
Reserve catcher Cason Tollett is the latest to decide to leave the team and pursue opportunities elsewhere, joining a trio of pitchers who did so last week: Blake Adams, Jacob Burton and Nate Wohlgemuth.
Although there is still one week left in the regular season, the timing of Tollett’s departure is not uncommon in college baseball. Non-contributors typically have their exit meetings following final exams and then begin offseason training, go play summer ball or decide to transfer. The UA had its finals earlier this month.
An in-state product out of Little Rock Christian, Tollett had a standout prep career and was the No. 309 overall recruit in the country for the Class of 2019, according to Perfect Game.
That made him the top-ranked position player in the state that year, with only two pitchers - Adams from Springdale Har-Ber and Zack Morris from Cabot - ahead of him in the overall state rankings.
As a true freshman, Tollett appeared in only one game during the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, grounding out as a pinch hitter against Eastern Illinois.
He likely would have competed with fellow 2019 signee Dominic Tamez for the backup catcher job behind Casey Opitz last season, but an arm injury prevented that from happening.
Although Tamez transferred following the season, Opitz unexpectedly returned for another season because of the shortened MLB Draft, plus Arkansas added Dylan Leach as an early enrollee and Charlie Welch from the JUCO ranks.
Leach has emerged as Opitz’s backup, starting nine games behind the plate, and Welch has secured a role as the Razorbacks’ top pinch hitter, ultimately resulting in Tollett - who is now listed as a catcher/first baseman on the roster - not seeing the field in 2021.
With last season not counting toward eligibility limits and by redshirting this year, Tollett would be able to transfer to a junior college or another four-year school.