The college baseball transfer portal has changed everything.

What used to be a relatively quiet offseason process with a few players changing schools has evolved into a high-stakes, fast-moving marketplace, one in which proven performance, power-conference opportunity and NIL money often outweigh player development or long-term fit. Programs with national title aspirations aren’t waiting for talent to mature; they’re buying experience and betting on immediate impact.

That dynamic has made it increasingly difficult for mid-major schools, even some Big Ten programs, to hold on to their best players. The portal is active. The incentives are obvious. And Minnesota is feeling the effects. Players with Minnesota ties are on the move.

Take Eagan’s Danny Lachenmayer, a lefthanded pitcher who, two summers ago, was throwing under the radar at Prep Baseball Minnesota’s State Games, the marquee midsummer showcase for high school players. Now, after a strong freshman season as North Dakota State’s bullpen ace (nine saves and 56 Ks in 38 innings), he’s off to LSU. Yes, that LSU. The Tigers needed arms. Lachenmayer had receipts.

He isn’t alone, not even on his own team. North Dakota State’s impressive postseason push — the Bison went 21-34 overall but finished strong, winning the Summit League tournament championship and a game in the NCAA tournament before being eliminated — came at a cost because players drew attention. Nolan Johnson, a lefthanded pitcher who played at Lakeville North in high school, packed his bags for TCU after leading the Bison in innings pitched last season and going 4-6 with a 4.52 ERA.

The transfer portal cuts both ways. The Bison reloaded, adding Anthony Pardo, a righthanded pitcher who played for Andover in high school and for Illinois State in 2025, and Matthew Totten, who is from Prior Lake and spent 2025 at Purdue. Just another Tuesday in the portal era.

St. Thomas, still finding its footing in NCAA Division I, lost Riane Ritter, a righthanded pitcher from Rogers who went 6-1 as a freshman at UST, to Kansas, but picked up Sam Stockman from Utah. Stockman is a lefthanded pitcher from Elk River who’s pitching this summer for the Mankato Moondogs in the Northwoods League.

Over in Dinkytown, the Gophers lost some program cornerstones. Drew Berkland (Wayzata) took his bat, which produced a .293 average and 14 home runs last season, to Notre Dame. Kristofer Hokenson, who was the Star Tribune’s Metro Player of the Year after his senior season at St. Louis Park in 2022, jumped to College World Series darling Murray State. But the U answered back, landing two live arms: Isaac Morton (Spring Lake Park via Texas A&M — with a Brewers draft pick pedigree) and Josh Kirchhoff (Concordia Academy of Roseville and Missouri). Both are high-upside, power-armed righthanded pitchers with plenty to prove.

The portal window is closed for now, but the churn continues. Coaching changes and late roster reshuffles keep things fluid. Minnesota names still searching for their next stop include catcher/outfielder Drew Charney (Hopkins), catcher/third baseman Mason McCurdy (Stillwater), and catcher/first baseman Will Smoot (Park of Cottage Grove).

The movement isn’t slowing. College baseball is no longer just about recruiting the next wave of high school prospects. It’s about building — and rebuilding — through the portal.

Stay updated on Minnesota’s player movement with our full Portal Tracker.

This article was published via a new partnership between Prep Baseball Minnesota and the Minnesota Star Tribune. Please read more about this partnership here.