Although the team’s season ended in June, Clemson baseball’s head coach Erik Bakich has remained active. While his team prepares and trains for fall ball, he has been busy in the transfer portal to replenish the 2025 roster following the loss of several key players.

Infielder Nolan Nawrocki and righty pitcher Billy Barlow are departing the Tigers for other teams in the portal. Outfielder Nathan Hall and infielder Cooper Blauser are also exiting, leaving Clemson looking for more depth in these positions.

Bakich secured former Purdue catcher/infielder Luke Gaffney, who posted a .349 batting average with 64 RBIs and 13 home runs last season. He won the Big Ten Freshman of the Year award while simultaneously setting an array of Purdue freshman records. Gaffney will likely slide into the lineup at first base to provide an offensive spark.

Clemson also added Dominic Listi, an outfielder from Indiana State. While Listi only has one year of eligibility remaining, his former statistics show he could be an important player for the Tigers in 2025. In 59 games last season, the lefty hit .324 with 31 RBIs.

The Tigers acquired a pair of infielders to replenish their depth, with Josh Paino from Cal Baptist and Collin Priest from Michigan. Priest has been successful getting on base, highlighted by his .441 on-base percentage last season. The left-handed hitter still has four years of eligibility remaining, meaning he has time to continue developing his skills. Paino hit .296 last season while also clubbing 11 homers, a number which has consistently increased each of the last three seasons.

Clemson also added three pitchers: Michael Gillen from Seton Hall, Luke Kissenberth from the Citadel and Hudson Lee from Wake Forest.

Gillen and Kissenberth are both right-handed, posting a 2.31 and 5.97 ERA last season, respectively. Although Lee, a lefty, only appeared in eight games last season, he managed a 9.39 ERA in 7.2 innings of work.

All three could be an important piece out of the bullpen in the 2025 season.