Yardbarker
Yardbarker
x
Report: Texas Longhorns Star Enters Transfer Portal
Texas Longhorns outfielder Will Gasparino (8) bats during the Longhorns' game against Houston Christian, April 8, 2025 at UFCU Disch-Falk Field in Austin. Mikala Compton/American-Statesman / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

AUSTIN -- The Texas Longhorns baseball team and coach Jim Schlossnagle have reportedly lost another notable name to the transfer portal.

Per reports from Chip Brown of Horns247, Texas outfielder Will Gasparino plans to enter the transfer portal after spending the past two seasons with the Longhorns.

A Los Angeles native, Gasparino started 113 of 117 games with Texas while hitting .247 for 104 hits, 96 RBI and 25 home runs. He was a Big 12 All-Freshman Team selection and All-Big 12 Honorable Mention during the 2024 season.

With the departure of Gasparino, the Longhorns have now lost outfielder Tommy Farmer IV, freshman third baseman and outfielder Sam Richardson, outfielder Matt Scott, outfielder Donovan Jordan and left-handed pitcher Chance Covert.

On the flip side, Texas has added Mississippi State pitcher Luke Dotson, Wichita State first baseman Josh Livingston, Butler outfielder Jack Moroknek, Georgia State outfielder Kaleb Freeman, Seton Hall outfielder Aiden Robbins and Western Kentucky pitcher Cal Higgins.

This past season, Gasparino credited Texas assistant coach and former MLB star Troy Tulowitzki for helping in his development.

"[Tulowitzki] was a pretty big factor for sure," Gasparino said. "He played 10 plus years in the big leagues, really good hitter, one of the best shortstops in the game, he just knows a lot about baseball," Gasparino said. "He knows a lot, he's going to develop you, and he's been through the game, he knows the ins-and-outs."

Texas ended its 44-14 season without even making it to the super regionals after losing twice to UTSA at the Austin Regional.

"I was proud. Proud of the way our guys competed, pretty banged up, which every team is," Schlossnagle said. "But, really proud of our team...no disrespect to the teams in the past, but this is the first team at Texas that's ever had to play through the SEC. ... To be the SEC champion and to host a regional, we all understand Omaha is where we all want to end up. But when you go 44-14 in our league it doesn't make it a bad season, just not the right ending."


This article first appeared on Texas Longhorns on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads:

TODAY'S BEST

Oregon suspends former five-star WR recruit indefinitely
College Football

Oregon suspends former five-star WR recruit indefinitely

Oregon wide receiver Jurrion Dickey has struggled to live up to expectations in his first two seasons with the Ducks, and he is now in a terrible position heading into 2025 as well. Dickey has been suspended indefinitely by Oregon, head coach Dan Lanning announced on Tuesday. Lanning also suggested that Dickey may not play for the Ducks again. "We have two team rules; that’s respectful, be on time,” Lanning said, via James Crepea of The Oregonian. “There’s some pieces of that where I felt like he needed a break from us and we needed a break from that so we could focus on what’s in front of us right now. "Wishing him nothing but the best, as far as success and want to see him get back to where he can be a contributor somewhere; that might be here that might be somewhere else.” Dickey was a five-star recruit and rated as one of the top wide receivers in the country when he came out of Menlo-Atherton High School in Atherton, California, in 2023. He suffered an injury in his senior year in high school and redshirted as a freshman at Oregon. Dickey has two catches for 14 years during his time with the Ducks. Oregon went 13-1 in Lanning's third season with the program last season. The Ducks lost to eventual national champion Ohio State in the College Football Playoff quarterfinals.

Vikings WR gets brutal injury news for second straight season
NFL

Vikings WR gets brutal injury news for second straight season

A Minnesota Vikings wide receiver's season is already over. The Minnesota Vikings announced on Tuesday that wide receiver Rondale Moore is being placed on season-ending injured reserve due to a leg injury that he suffered in the team's first preseason game against the Houston Texans this past weekend. It is a devastating blow for Moore, who is now being sidelined for an entire season, before it even begins, for the second year in a row. Moore signed a one-year, $2 million contract in free agency with the Vikings this offseason in the hopes he could return from a different injury that cost him the entirety of the 2024 season. Moore was a member of the Atlanta Falcons in 2024 after being acquired in a trade with the Arizona Cardinals for backup quarterback Desmond Ridder. This is now two different teams that Moore has been a part of, but will never play a game for them due to injuries. Moore was injured while returning a punt. He began his career with the Arizona Cardinals, catching 135 passes for 1,201 yards over three seasons before being traded. He was never going to be counted on to be a key contributor for the Vikings offense this season, especially given the superstars they already have at wide receiver in Justin Jefferson and Jordan Addison, but he still had a chance to be an interesting depth player. Now it is fair to wonder what the rest of his career might even look like. Missing two full seasons due to two different leg injuries is going to be a brutal thing to try to come back from. Missing two seasons for any reason is difficult, but when you add the leg injuries to the equation, it makes the obstacle even steeper.

4 Maple Leafs Wild Card Players Heading Into 2025-26
NHL

4 Maple Leafs Wild Card Players Heading Into 2025-26

Assuming they don’t fall off the rails, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be a strong team again in 2025-26. This is nothing new, as they’ve been one of the best teams in the NHL for several seasons and should be for years to come. While the Maple Leafs will continue to be competitive thanks to players like Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and even John Tavares, that doesn’t mean there aren’t any questions about the lineup. It’s uncertain what we can expect from several players on the roster, in terms of production and effectiveness, but especially these four Maple Leafs. Max Domi Max Domi’s tenure with the team has been up and down. He had a relatively productive 2023-24 season with 47 points, but only nine were goals. This past season, his production dipped to eight goals and 33 points, which is underwhelming for a player who has proven in the past that he can provide more offence. What makes Domi so important this season is that the Maple Leafs will need others to step up now that Mitch Marner is with the Vegas Golden Knights. It has also created new and better opportunities for players like Domi, who could be in for a big season if he is given more responsibility. Matias Maccelli Perhaps the most exciting Maple Leaf heading into the season is Matias Maccelli. The 24-year-old could be one of the best pickups of the offseason, after he was he was acquired from the Utah Mammoth in June for a draft pick and has a ton of offensive upside. The Finnish winger is just one season removed from a career-high 57 points (scored with the Arizona Coyotes). The Maple Leafs acquired Maccelli just days before moving on from Marner, a sign that he was added to help make up for the lost offence. Assuming he gets a legitimate top-six role and time on the power play, he could be better than expected this season. Dakota Joshua There aren’t many players with more to prove than Dakota Joshua. The 29-year-old fell out of favour with the Vancouver Canucks after signing a four-year extension months before the 2024-25 campaign began. He was limited to just 57 games last season, with a disappointing seven goals and 14 points. Joshua is capable of better numbers, as indicated by his 18-goal, 32-point campaign through 63 games in 2023-24. More importantly, however, is the physical edge and intimidating presence he adds to the Maple Leafs’ lineup. That said, Toronto will need him to rediscover his form to be effective this season. Easton Cowan Easton Cowan has a great shot at cracking the Maple Leafs’ lineup this season. The 2023 first-round pick is preparing to make the jump to the professional ranks after dominating in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) with the London Knights for the last three seasons. Assuming Cowan does crack the roster, he will likely be used in a top-six role given his offensive upside. His numbers in junior rankings prove his talent, and he could be a difference-maker as soon as this season. That said, his small stature could result in a bit of a learning curve for the 20-year-old winger. Exciting Times Ahead for the Maple Leafs Despite all the recent frustration, it’s easy to be excited for the Maple Leafs’ future. They have finally made some big and necessary changes after years of failure, and were able to bring in several pieces that could prove to be the solution. At the very least, they will be an exciting team to watch in 2025-26.

Bills agree to multiyear extension with Pro Bowl RB
NFL

Bills agree to multiyear extension with Pro Bowl RB

The Buffalo Bills have reached an agreement with running back James Cook on a four-year contract extension, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter. The deal has a base value of $48M with $30M in guaranteed money, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero. Cook’s $12M APY is the sixth-highest among NFL running backs, and his guarantees trail only Saquon Barkley and Ashton Jeanty. He will now be under contract in Buffalo through the 2029 season. The Bills had been trying to extend Cook for most of the offseason. He publicly demanded $15M per year, and negotiations stalled in the spring. The two sides appeared to be making progress on several occasions, including when Cook showed up for mandatory minicamp and took the field at the start of training camp. However, Cook stopped practicing in early August, citing “business” as the reason and raising doubt that a deal would get done before Week 1. He returned to the field on Tuesday, a clear signal that he and the team were close to an agreement. Indeed, Bills general manager Brandon Beane confirmed that Cook ending his ‘hold-in’ was a show of good faith that helped get both sides back to the negotiating table. “Once we got him back on the practice field, we really worked hard,” added Beane (via ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg). Cook, who turns 26 years old in late September, was drafted by the Bills with the 63rd overall pick in the 2022 draft. He spent his rookie year playing second fiddle to veteran Devin Singletary, but took over the starting job in 2023 with his first thousand-yard season, plus another 445 yards through the air to reach 1,567 yards from scrimmage on the year. Last year, he saw a slight downtick in both rushing attempts and receiving targets as part of an overall reduction in playing time. Beane said that the Bills still believe that Cook is “a three-down type player” despite playing just 48% of the team’s offensive snaps last year, down from 55% the year prior. “We think he could take more, but we also want to use our other weapons and keep him as fresh as possible,” continued Beane. “We think that’s the best utilization of him.” Keeping Cook fresh in 2024 allowed him to rank sixth among running backs in yards per carry last season. He also tied Barkley and Jahmyr Gibbs for the league lead with 16 rushing touchdowns. Cook’s agent, Zac Hiller of LAA Sports Entertainment, released a statement on his client’s behalf: “James could only envision himself as a Buffalo Bill. We are extremely thankful to the entire Bills organization and glad we could make that happen.” Cook is now the sixth Bills player to sign a multiyear extension this offseason, capping off an impressive string of signings for Beane and his front office. They made several tough decisions by cutting long-tenured veterans last offseason to free up cash and cap space to get their young core under contract. With that mission accomplished, the Bills will spend the next few seasons trying to get over the hump and finally bring a Super Bowl to Buffalo.

Customize Your Newsletter

Yardbarker +

Get the latest news and rumors, customized to your favorite sports and teams. Emailed daily. Always free!