UConn baseball players transferring out of program

[dbmill]

D1baseball.com is tracking college baseball transfers. So far, they list three players transferring out of the UConn baseball program. It does not mention where they are going. The players are:

Leif Bigelow - RHP
Tyler Griggs - Inf
Max Nielsen - LHP

2019-2020 D1Baseball Transfer Tracker • D1Baseball

It's an interesting time in college baseball with some seniors getting a year back and others not. Keep track of all the transfers in one spot!

d1baseball.com

 

[huskymedic]

Going to be interesting to follow:

>> As of Sunday, April 5, 199 Division I players have made it known they want to transfer this summer, 104 of those being graduate transfers. Those figures are since the season was cancelled in early March, and does not include transfers from before that time. It’s also worth noting that many transfers are players from the Ivy League, which does not allow graduate transfers to return, while many others hail from programs that will not give returning seniors aid.<<

 

[gtcam]

No matter which way the NCAA decides on handling all the issues, it's going to be messy and rife with lawsuits - no matter what the sport is - stay tuned

 

[hardcorehusky]

These 3 guys in the portal were part of the future. Max and Leif had lots of room to grow and potential. Tyler came from a good program. I hope they land in a good spot for them.

 

[scotty0330]

Damn. We got to hardly got to know or see these kids play. best Of luck in the future baseball careers.

 

[dbmill]

These 3 guys in the portal were part of the future. Max and Leif had lots of room to grow and potential. Tyler came from a good program. I hope they land in a good spot for them.

Perhaps part of the reason they are leaving is the quality of the players coming in future seasons, plus what is already here.

 

[JeannoCT]

I met Max Nielsen's dad at the tournament in Arizona. He's a really nice guy and we spent some time talking about Max, UConn and baseball in general. Sorry to see Max and the other players leaving.

 

[scotty0330]

Perhaps part of the reason they are leaving is the quality of the players coming in future seasons, plus what is already here.

I have spoken to a couple recruits parents who ultimately chose another school and this is true. The quality and number of kids penders and staff bring in is much more than many other northeast programs meaning kids are fighting for positions to both make team and travel regularly.

 

[dbmill]

Last summer was a very unusual one for UConn baseball. Everyone who was on 2019 spring roster who had eligibility remaining (aside from those players who went pro after being taken in the MLB draft), including the four player taxi squad, stayed with the UConn baseball program for the start of the fall ball season. That is a very rare and unusual event in college baseball. Fall ball rosters at UConn usually number around 45 players, so a number of players are going to leave or be shown their walking papers at some point during the fall and winter in order to get down to the NCAA mandated 35 man spring roster. Together with the 35 player spring roster limit, only 11.7 scholarships to be spread around to at most 27 players, and a bunch of walk ons filling up the rest of the roster, it is close to being a miracle when no players. While it is certain that players will leave the program during and after the fall ball season, often there are players leaving and transferring after the end of the college baseball season into the summer for a variety of reasons, including playing time and scholarship money. Three players leaving the UConn baseball at the end of the season (truncated as it is) is nothing unusual, it wouldn’t surprise me if a few more UConn players get added to this list.

 

[huskymedic]

D1baseball.com is tracking college baseball transfers. So far, they list three players transferring out of the UConn baseball program. It does not mention where they are going. The players are:

Leif Bigelow - RHP
Tyler Griggs - Inf
Max Nielsen - LHP

2019-2020 D1Baseball Transfer Tracker • D1Baseball

It's an interesting time in college baseball with some seniors getting a year back and others not. Keep track of all the transfers in one spot!

d1baseball.com

Add RHP Tim Pfaffenbichler to the list...

 

[dbmill]

Add RHP Tim Pfaffenbichler to the list...

Hardly a surprise, at least to me. The only one so far that was close to a surprise for me was Max Nielsen, but I'm sure he had a much better idea of where he stood in the UConn baseball program than I did.

 

[huskymedic]

 

[huskymedic]

C Paul Gozzo added to list as grad student.

So @ this point we have:
RHPLeif Bigelow
INF Tyler Griggs
C Paul Gozzo
LHP Max Nielsen
RHP Tim Pfaffenbichler

 

[scotty0330]

Gozzo was a hell of a leader and contributor to the team. He’s also well liked amongst teammates. Catching regularly isn’t gonna be in cards with Pat winkel coming back. Don’t blame him for leaving. I wish him well but this one hurts.

 

[huskymedic]

Gozzo was a hell of a leader and contributor to the team. He’s also well liked amongst teammates. Catching regularly isn’t gonna be in cards with Pat winkel coming back. Don’t blame him for leaving. I wish him well but this one hurts.

He could be just looking to see if he gets a better “offer” financially/playing time as well. I would tend to think the door is open for him as opposed to maybe a few of the others. We have Brodnansky but I don’t think we have a C coming in for 2020 (yet?). Garbowski is 2021.

 

[dbmill]

He could be just looking to see if he gets a better “offer” financially/playing time as well. I would tend to think the door is open for him as opposed to maybe a few of the others. We have Brodnansky but I don’t think we have a C coming in for 2020 (yet?). Garbowski is 2021.

No question, Paul Gozzo would be a significant loss. UConn baseball has been able to avoid losing significant contributors due to transfers for a number of years now, losing Gozzo is a change to that patternwould. I don't know if Brodnansky was getting any scholarship money, so that could influence his decision to come back. I don't know if a fifth year senior would come back if he wasn't getting any money.

David Christoforo is an incoming recruit, the recruiting services list his secondary position as catcher. I'm inclined to think that catching listing is a bit of a stretch, considering his height and power potential. I would think UConn baseball will be hitting the JUCO's for backup catching material, even if Brodnansky does come back.

 

[businesslawyer]

I'd be shocked if Brodnansky came back. To come back for a 5th year to be a part time player without pro potential, and have to pay for at least part of your tuition to boot, doesn't make a lot of sense to me.

Gozzo was looking at a 5th year where he's the everyday DH and backup catcher. I'm not surprised if he concludes that any chance of a pro career requires him to catch every day, and he needs to find a place to do so, but he could have been a valuable piece as a leader/DH/backup catcher.

 

[scotty0330]

Agreed. I would be surprised about anyone outside of Wink returning...he is in state so tuition is much less, playing with his brother one more year has to be an incentive and likely will be extended some sort of scholly money for what is a 4 year starter and captain.

 

[huskymedic]

>>“It’s no secret there are going to be fewer professional baseball teams over the next decade,” Penders said, “and that puts more onus on the college game to develop those pros.”

Several of UConn’s seniors, including center fielder Chris Winkel, have expressed interest in returning for a fifth year. Penders expected to lose a number of juniors to pro baseball in a normal year, several pitchers and slugging second baseman Christian Fedko among them.<<

>>With seniors and more juniors returning to college to play next season, there will be a backlog that will make it difficult for freshmen to crack starting lineups, perhaps sending them to junior colleges, or into the NCAA’s transfer portal. Coaches will have difficult decisions and conversations with their younger players.

“It may squeeze some freshmen out from competing,” Penders said. “Some guys who expected to get at-bats next year, and they were going to be the heir apparent, now that junior center fielder is going to be back. So they may have to wait a little longer. … The byproduct is going to be some very well-played college baseball next year and in successive years.”<<

 

[huskymedic]

C Paul Gozzo added to list as grad student.

So @ this point we have:
RHPLeif Bigelow
INF Tyler Griggs
C Paul Gozzo
LHP Max Nielsen
RHP Tim Pfaffenbichler

David Langer has entered the portal as Grad Transfer.

So we have:
RHPLeif Bigelow
INF Tyler Griggs
C Paul Gozzo (Grad)
INF David Langer (Grad)
LHP Max Nielsen
RHP Tim Pfaffenbichler

 

[uconnbaseball]

Cannot blame Gozzo - he was a great husky for us and deserves a chance to start somewhere next year. Hoping he takes a look at Rice (he would be an upgrade for them IMO) but I bet he doesn't go that far south again.

 

[dbmill]

David Langer has entered the portal as Grad Transfer.

So we have:
RHPLeif Bigelow
INF Tyler Griggs
C Paul Gozzo (Grad)
INF David Langer (Grad)
LHP Max Nielsen
RHP Tim Pfaffenbichler

I doubt David Langer was getting much in the way of scholarship money, so I'm not surprised that he is not returning for another year of UConn baseball. I'm wondering if he might end up playing at a school closer to home in California.

 

[hardcorehusky]

So in the way way too early look one need will be for a back up catcher or a freshman to develop into the back up and take over. What do we have in terms of young catching talent coming in now that both Gozzo and Brodnansky (per Penders) are gone?

 

[Tmill15]

I also can’t imagine Conor Moriarty coming back, wasn’t getting many ABs in the first place. How about guys like Polonia or Haus?

 

[businesslawyer]

I don't know if Polonia thinks he's good enough where he needs one more year and then has a chance to go pro. But if he thinks he is, he may want more of a role than he can count on here.

Other than Winkel, Haus is the wildcard. He couldn't have been on pro scouts lists coming into this season, but showed results -- if not potential -- in a short season. I could see him wanting a 5th year to make a name for himself, and if he wants to stay here I can't see us telling him we don't want him.