BEAUMONT, Texas — On Thursday, the Lamar University baseball program announced that added 20 new players from the transfer portal.

The transfer portal class ranks 23rd in the nation, according to 64 Analytics. 

A.J. Kostic | 6-3, 215 | RHP / UTL | Wadell, Ariz. | Northwest Christian (Central Michigan)

Kostic made nine starts out of 10 appearances on the mound at Central Michigan in 2025 as he threw 46.1 innings with 36 strikeouts.

He batted .344 with four home runs and 26 RBIs in 44 starts at Wharton County Junior College in 2022.

On the mound he posted a 5-3 record in 15 games.

During the 2021 season, Kostic tallied one home run and 11 RBIs in 30 games at Dawson Community College.

A.J. Taylor | 5-11, 180 | INF | Downers Grove, Ill. | Downers Grove South (University of Illinois Chicago)

Taylor made 42 starts at UIC in 2025 with 42 hits, 35 runs scored, seven doubles, one triple, eight home runs and 28 RBIs.

In 2024, he played in 46 games and made 42 starts as he compiled 42 hits, seven doubles, one triple, three home runs and 23 RBIs while stealing 10 of 12 bases.

Taylor was named a second team NJCAA All-American in 2023 at the College of DuPage after he hit .413 in all 51 games with a team-leading nine home runs, 24 doubles, 70 runs and 83 hits.

He also earned Region IV Player of the Year and Gold Glove honors.

As a freshman he was an All-Region IV selection after playing in 36 games with a .393 average, 10 doubles, one triple, five home runs, 35 RBIs and 53 runs.

Balin Valentine | 5-10, 190 | OF | Abilene, Texas | Wylie HS (Northwestern State)

Valentine hit .292 in 54 starts with 40 runs, 63 hits, eight doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 38 RBIs during the 2025 season.

He led the team by stealing 20 bases out of 26 attempts.

Valentine was named Southland Conference Hitter of the Week twice.

In 2024 he made 48 starts and played in 53 games leading the team with 10 home runs, four triples and a .568 slugging percentage while he was second with 46 RBIs.

Before attending Northwestern State, Valentine was a two-time All-Dallas Area Conference selection at Dallas College Brookhaven.

He batted .323 with 16 doubles, four triples, two home runs and 18 RBIs in 2023.

Beau Durbin | 5-11, 180 | INF | Morton, Ill. | Morton HS (Bradley University)

Durbin made 47 starts in 2025 with 30 runs, 47 hits, 11 doubles, four triples, four home runs and 26 RBIs.

In 2024 he led the team with a .358 average while he tallied 67 hits and a .415 on base percentage.

Durbin attended Illinois Central College during the 2022-23 season where he was named first team All-Conference and All-Region.

Blayne Fritcher | 6-5, 207 | RHP | Lexington, Texas | Giddings HS (McNeese)

Fritcher went 2-0 in 21 appearances and 17.2 innings pitched in 2025. He tossed one shutout while also striking out 19 batters.

Prior to McNeese, Fritcher attended Shorter University where he made 20 appearances and pitched 43 innings with 27 strikeouts.

In 2023 he compiled a 5-2 record in 15 appearances and 31.2 innings pitched with 34 strikeouts at Cloud County Community College.

Braden Benton | 5-10, 205 | 1B | Lubbock, Texas | Monterey HS (Northwestern State)

Benton batted .297 in 2025 with 32 runs, 43 hits, 10 doubles, 10 home runs and 42 RBIs in 41 starts.

He led the offense with a .572 slugging percentage and .473 on base percentage.

In 2024, Benton played in 25 games while making 12 starts with 52 at-bats, 14 hits, two home runs and 11 RBIs.

Prior to his time in Natchitoches, La., he played at New Mexico Junior College and Paris Junior College.

Benton had seven home runs in 39 games played with a .333 average and 26 RBIs in 2023 at Paris Junior College.

Cade Pregeant | 5-8, 175 | INF/OF | Laplace, La. | St. Charles Catholic HS (Northwestern State)

Pregeant started in three games and played in 10 in 2025 while he tallied 11 at-bats and two runs scored.

He redshirted in 2024 at Northwestern State.

Pregeant played two seasons at Delgado Community College where he earned All-Region honors as a sophomore after hitting .373 with 47 RBIs.

In high school he was the district's most valuable player while also earning all-state, all-metro and all-region honors during his senior campaign.

Cam Diaz | 6-4, 210 | RHP | Lamesa, Texas | Lamesa HS (Sam Houston State)

Diaz pitched in 17 games in 2025 while he started seven as he tallied 45 innings with 46 strikeouts.

He attended Howard College in 2024 where he went 4-1 in 13 appearances with 86 strikeouts in 65 innings pitched.

Colby Christian | 6-3, 205 | 1B/OF | Porter, Texas | Porter HS (Concordia University)

Christian earned first team D3Baseball.com All-Region 10 and American Baseball Coaches Association first team All-Region 10 honors in 2025.

He batted .317 in 46 starts with 54 runs, 59 hits, 17 doubles, 16 home runs, 66 RBIs and a .677 slugging percentage.

In 2024 during his sophomore campaign, he tallied a .323 average in 42 starts with 51 hits, 10 doubles, 11 home runs, 31 runs and 44 RBIs.

Prior to his time at Concordia, Christian attended Temple College where he batted a career .293 with 10 home runs, 70 hits, 46 runs, eight doubles, six triples, 56 RBIs and a .502 slugging percentage.

Cooper Carigren | 6-3, 205 | RHP | Topeka, Kan. | Washburn Rural (Washburn University)

Carigren made 13 starts in 2025 with one complete game in 72.2 innings pitched and a team-high 68 strikeouts, earning him All-Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletics Association honorable mention honors.

As a junior in 2024 he was named All-MIAA honorable mention after making 15 starts with 72.2 innings pitched and 66 strikeouts.

Carigren played his first two seasons at Kansas City Kansas Community College.

Diego Alana | 5-11, 170 | INF | Cabimas, Venezuela | TNXL Academy (Eastern Kentucky University)

Alana batted .288 in 50 starts in 2025 while he tallied 51 hits, nine doubles, one home run, 14 RBIs, a .360 on base percentage, three stolen bases and 22 runs.

He made 36 starts at shortstop, eight at third base, five at second base and one as a designated hitter.

Prior to Eastern Kentucky, Alana attended Indian River State College for two seasons.

In 2024 he helped lead the team to a 40-14 record and Citrus Conference Championship after he batted .357 with eight doubles and 26 RBIs.

He earned first team all-conference honors in 2023 after compiling a .331 average with 30 RBIs.

Gage Burdick | 5-11, 173 | LHP | Dixon, Ill. | Dixon HS (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi)

Burdick made five starts in 18 appearances in 2025 with a 4-3 record and 40 strikeouts in 42 innings pitched.

He went a season-long five innings against New Orleans on May 9 as he struck out five batters while allowing two hits.

Before his time in Corpus Christi, Burdick attended Illinois Central College.

Jake Wagoner | 5-11, 180 | C | Cedar Park, Texas | Vista Ridge HS (Seattle University)

Wagoner started in 45 games in 2025 with a .289 average, 48 hits, 10 doubles, two triples, four home runs, 23 RBIs, 22 runs and a .446 slugging percentage.

Defensively, he threw out nine runners. He ranked fifth all-time in career fielding percentage.

In 2024 during his freshman season he played in 30 games making 28 starts with one double, 19 hits, one home run and eight RBIs.

Jan Avila | 6-3, 200 | INF | Bayamon, Puerto Rico | Puerto Rico Baseball Academy (Rutgers)

Avila saw limited playing time this past spring at Rutgers, making his debut as a pinch-hitter against Grand Canyon on Feb. 22.

Prior to his time with the Scarlet Knights, he was a two-year starter at Amarillo College where he played in 51 games as a sophomore batting .336 with nine home runs, 13 doubles, six triples and 45 RBIs, earning him honorable mention All-Western Junior College Athletic Conference honors.

He hit for the cycle against Wayland Baptist as he belted two home runs in the game.

As a freshman he hit four home runs to go along with 12 doubles, 37 RBIs and a .376 average.

Julius Carpio | 6-1, 165 | RHP | Dimmitt, Texas | Dimmitt HS (West Texas A&M)

Carpio posted a 6-1 record in 2025 in 13 appearances and five starts with 41.1 innings pitched and 35 strikeouts.

He redshirted at West Texas A&M during the 2024 season.

Carpio spent one season at Amarillo College where he appeared in 14 games, making nine starts with 39 strikeouts in 53.2 innings pitched.

During the 2022 season he played at Odessa College.

Kevin Duran | 5-7, 190 | INF | Cleburne, Texas | Cleburne HS (Stephen F. Austin)

In 40 games played and 38 starts, Duran hit .304 in 2025 with 24 runs, seven doubles, three home runs, 21 RBIs and eight stolen bases.

Prior to SFA he spent two seasons at Weatherford College where he tallied 34 hits, five doubles, two home runs and 20 RBIs in 50 games played as a sophomore.

Duran appeared in 54 games as a freshman as he tallied a .280 average with 42 hits, seven doubles, eight home runs and 45 RBIs.

Landon Grigg | 6-1, 180 | RHP | Bentonville, Ark. | Bentonville West (University of Louisiana Monroe)

Grigg led the ULM pitching staff in 2025 with 49 strikeouts in 57.1 innings pitched and 11 starts.

He also tallied one save in 17 appearances.

Grigg attended Crowder College prior to his stint at ULM. He started seven games as a sophomore while posting a 7-0 record with 48 strikeouts in 51.2 innings.

As a freshman he went 4-0 with 32 strikeouts in 35.2 innings pitched.

Nathan Darden | 6-0, 190 | RHP | Rowlett, Texas | Sasche HS (Texas A&M-Corpus Christi)

Darden made nine appearances in 2025 while logging 12.1 innings with 13 strikeouts.

He attended Murray State College during the 2024 and 2023 seasons as he compiled a combined record of 6-4 with 10 saves and 77 strikeouts in 72.3 innings.

In 2022, Darden pitched in seven games at Oklahoma Wesleyan while he had one save and seven strikeouts in 6.1 innings.

Theo Kummer | 5-11, 190 | C | Dallas, Texas | John Paul II HS (Texas State)

Kummer played in 24 games and made 16 starts in 2025 as he posted 14 hits, 10 runs scored, two doubles, one home run and 11 RBIs.

Defensively, he caught six runners stealing.

Kummer attended Navarro College in 2024 where he appeared in 42 games while recording a .304 average with seven doubles, three home runs, 27 runs scored, 30 RBIs, .404 on base percentage and a .420 slugging percentage.

He earned All-Heart of America Conference first team honors in 2023 at Benedictine College after he batted .324 with 11 doubles, seven home runs, one triple, 33 RBIs, 18 runs scored and a .559 slugging percentage.

Travis Lutz | 6-4, 230 | RHP | Bartonville, Ill. | Limestone HS (Bradley University)

Lutz made nine starts in nine appearances in 2025 with a team-high 45 strikeouts in 41.1 innings pitched.

He kept opponent hitters to a .276 average, the lowest on the staff.

In 2024, Lutz also saw action as a designated hitter as he made 54 plate appearances.

One notable offensive highlight came against Illinois State on March 22 where he went 3 for 5 with a double, home run and two RBIs.

On the mound he tallied 71 strikeouts in 15 appearances.

During the 2023 season, Lutz pitched in 18 games as a sophomore recording 45 strikeouts in 53.1 innings.

Before his time at Bradley, he attended Illinois Central College where he posted a 4-3 record in 12 games with one save and 57 strikeouts in 65 innings of work.

Offensively, Lutz hit .313 with six home runs, four doubles and 16 RBIs.