With their program undergoing a coaching change, some University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff baseball players have begun announcing their entrance to the transfer portal.
The transfer portal opened to baseball players Monday and will remain open through July 2.
The first Golden Lion to announce his intentions to transfer was freshman Malachi Jeffries. He hit .329 this season and scored 24 runs with 8 RBIs. He announced May 24, four days before head coach Carlos James announced he was departing the program.
James told The Commercial during the season UAPB had pieced together academic scholarship money for the promising freshman but couldn’t offer him an athletic scholarship due to a lack of scholarship funding.
Two right-handed pitchers have announced their transfer intentions since the start of the month. Jacob Ehling, one of UAPB’s typical weekend starters, announced June 1 he is transferring. Reliever Brannon Bargsley announced his intentions early Monday morning.
Ehling started 10 games with two relief appearances this season with two complete games. He pitched 65.2 innings, second-most on the team. He struck out 43 hitters, which also ranks second. He had a 6.03 ERA and a 4-5 record. Ehling has been with UAPB since 2022.
Bargsley appeared in just three games this season after making nine appearances in 2023 as a freshman. He allowed 9 runs in 3.2 innings this season with five strikeouts.