Miami Hurricanes Baseball Offseason Roundup

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Miami, Florida – It may be the offseason for college baseball, but the Miami Hurricanes remain active with plenty going on in preparation for next year. The transfer portal market is highly active, with the program hitting the recruitment trail seeking to bolster its roster. While UM secures commitments, the 2026 MLB Draft also took place a couple of weeks ago. Four players were selected, and a fifth signed as an unrestricted free agent. Daniel Cuvet, Alex Sosa, Ryan Bilka, Rob Evans, and Jake Ogden begin the newest chapter in their lives. The dreams have become reality as they embark on their journey to the Big Show. Let’s get caught up on a busy offseason.

Canes Going Pro

Cuvet was the first Hurricanes player to get picked. The third baseman was chosen on day two of the draft during the fifth round (138th overall), proving that UM remained a pipeline of MLB talent. Danny Dingers is in great company, joining former Canes Carson Palmquist, Yohandy Morales, Max Romero Jr., and Carson Fischer, all of whom play for the Nationals organization. He officially signed on July 22nd, formally ending his college career. UM’s star player finished 2026 slashing .305/.437/.649, recording 12 home runs and 45 RBIs. Daniel’s season was cut short due to an injury in late April.

Daniel Cuvet is inevitable. pic.twitter.com/kOxQ5ojU7J

— Miami Hurricanes Baseball (@CanesBaseball) February 18, 2026

Next was Alex Sosa, who went in the sixth round (172nd overall) to the Athletics. The catcher was instrumental in the lineup, hitting .338, complemented by a 1.119 OPS. Notching 18 HRs and 71 RBIs, Sosa has raw power and improved defense behind the plate. Currently backup material, but can be an everyday starter.

Ryan Bilka was selected in the tenth round (303rd overall) by the Cleveland Guardians. The former Hurricanes closer couldn’t carry his success from Richmond, as his ERA ballooned to 5.10 over 25 appearances. Bilka struck out 36 but walked 24 in 30 innings of work. Although he has a good fastball complemented by the curveball, slider, and changeup, Ryan has command issues.

Pen to paper for these Hurricanes 🙌 pic.twitter.com/64Q7pI48t0

— Miami Hurricanes Baseball (@CanesBaseball) July 23, 2026

Lastly, left-handed pitcher Rob Evans was drafted by the San Diego Padres in the 12th round (365th overall). The southpaw had a stellar season, going 10-3, including a 3.29 ERA. Evans punched out 98 batters in 87.2 innings pitched and is regarded as a high-floor rotation anchor. Jake Ogden, meanwhile, signed with the New York Mets. Ogden is known for his contact hitting and plate discipline. He hit .336 last season and slashed .315/.388/.470 for 2026.

Reloading the bats

After finishing 39-20 with an NCAA Tournament appearance for the second straight year, the Hurricanes have brought in at least a dozen players from the transfer portal, leaning heavily on arms. They’ve also landed various commitments. Starting with one of their most recent acquisitions, Anthony Murphy, a 2026 LSU commit, was drafted in the 16th round (466th overall) by the Nationals. Murphy instead chose to enroll at UM. The four-star outfielder is the No. 39 overall prospect in the Class of 2026. Speaking of LSU, Miami also obtained Trent Caraway. The third baseman spent two seasons at Oregon State, taking part in the 2025 CWS run before spending a year at LSU. With Cuvet gone, Caraway will compete against Gabriel Milano. In addition to power (12 HR at LSU, 2 HR at Oregon State), he can also play shortstop.

Braeden Schnabel to the MOON! 🌙#PacificProud pic.twitter.com/RipbVitIF2

— Pacific Baseball (@PacificBaseball) March 22, 2026

Jacksonville State transfer Trey King could also feature at third base and DH. King recorded a .338 batting average for 2026, reinforced by 45 RBIs and a .916 OPS. A top get from the portal is Braeden Schnabel. The 6’7 outfielder tore it up at the University of the Pacific, hitting .378, which includes a West Coast Conference-leading 1.010 OPS. Dawson Harman and Jose Lopez III are other intriguing adds in addition to the highly anticipated commits Easton Kitura, Jon Mora, and Rookie Shepard.

Replenishing the arms

Enter Blake Morningstar. The right-handed pitcher is a transfer from Wake Forest and a former First Team All-ACC. Despite an undeniable down year (2-4, 8.61 ERA), Morningstar is considered UM’s top get, rated the No. 12 transfer available. The reason is that he has a fastball that can max out at 97.

Another interesting arm is JUCO commit Michal Kovala. Hailing from Chipola College (5-0, 3.64 ERA), Kovala was formerly at Georgia Tech and participated in the 2023 and 2026 editions of the World Baseball Classic representing the Czech Republic. Kovala has a four-pitch mix including a good fastball. Penn State transfer Mason Horwat (1-0, 5.49 ERA) is similar to Morningstar. His stats are not flashy, but his repertoire is impressive. Stephen F. Austin pitcher Dylan Mulcahy (3-6, 5.23 ERA) also has good stuff, racking up 122 strikeouts over 108.1 innings pitched during his three-year collegiate career.

Blake Morningstar will lead Wake's rotation in 2026, featuring a FB up to 97 and six different shapes.

After a rough freshman season, he had a massive '25 for the Deacs with a 2.71 ERA in the regular season.@RasmussenBase details the high-floor arm 👇pic.twitter.com/SFx2R8YR2b

— Over-Slot Baseball (@OverSlot_) January 13, 2026

For closer, Miami is probably looking at Jax State pitcher Skyler Hutto, who recorded 12 saves and a 2.20 ERA this season. Hutto held opposing hitters to a .164 batting average. Chase Swift (1-1, 3.63 ERA) spent two years at Virginia Tech, fanning 85 in 51.2 IP. Jack Ensell (3-4, 4.94 ERA) is a weekend rotation hopeful following his stint with Barry. Brandishing a five-pitch mix, he led the team with 69 strikeouts in just 58.1 IP across 12 starts.

BSB Update

Mid 5th
Concord 6
Wheeling 4

Kaden Varela-Payne up to nine strikeouts in the game as he strikes out the side in the fifth pic.twitter.com/Z9XT8TCCyj

— CUMountainlions (@cumountainlions) May 8, 2026

Kaden Varela-Payne hails from Concord University, where he led the Mountain East Conference (MEC) and broke the Concord single-season record with 106 strikeouts over 87.2 innings. Kansas transfer Daniel Lopez, a 12th-round pick of the Baltimore Orioles last year, has the high heat; however, his limited workload saw a disappointing sample size. Lastly, Miami landed local righty Ricky Hernandez, a Columbus player switching from Stetson to the Hurricanes in his commitment.

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