Transfer Portal Update Vol. 1: Louisville adds one of the best bats from DII in Luke Napleton

It is going to be a busy summer for Dan McDonnell and Co. as they continue to rebuild the roster after missing the tournament in 2023. Louisville has a total of 6 guys that were on the roster this season that will be playing baseball at a different school in 2024.

Here are the players currently in the portal with their 2023 stats:

— Alex Galvan (RHP) - 0-1, 6.35 ERA, 15 appearances, 11.7 innings, 9 K, 12 BB

— Ben Wiegman (RHP) - 1-1, 9.00 ERA, 11 appearances, 10 innings, 6 K, 7 BB

— Brantley Bamberg - did not see action in 2023 in his only season with the program.

— Noah Smith - .191, 47 at bats, 4 2B, 4 RBI, SB

— Tyeler Hawkins - .222, 54 at bats, 2 HR, 3 2B, 11 RBI, 5 SB

— Jameson Richmond - did not see action in 2023 in his only season with the program.

Of the 6, none of them have found a new home yet.

As far as the incoming transfers, Louisville made a big splash on June 7th when they received a commitment from Luke Napleton, a 6’1” 205 lbs catcher from Quincy University, a D2 school in Illinois. Napleton put up video game like numbers in his time with the Hawks, leading the nation in home runs (29), RBI (87), and total bases (187) in 2023. He also chipped in with 18 doubles, an impressive .352 batting average, and an OPS of 1.245.

Due to his efforts this season, Napleton was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Player of the Year.

Check out a video of a recent home run of his. Smooth swing with plenty of easy power.

This summer, he is participating in the MLB Draft League. Through 12 games (he’s played in 7 of them), Napleton is batting .300 with 5 RBI.

He was very clear when asked why he picked Louisville, adding “It is the best baseball opportunity in the country, and it is the next step for me to make it to the big leagues.” Napleton went on to add that the university is a good fit for him academically as well.

The second commit, so far, is Dylan Hoy (INF) from Marist College. His best season came in 2021 where he started 29 games with an eye-popping .410 batting average, chipping in with 3 doubles and 2 triples.

In 2023, his average dipped to .245 with 8 doubles, 4 home runs, 19 RBI, and 16 stolen bases. He started 40 games for the Red Wolves this season and will be an option in the middle of the infield opposite of Gavin Kilen. Defensively, he’s a guy that covers a ton of ground and would compliment Kilen very well.

Hoy is playing in the Cape Cod this summer against the best talent in college baseball. Through the five games he has participated in, he is batting .375 with with 7 walks and only two strikeouts. He is on the Brewster Whitecaps, the same team as fellow Cardinal Patrick Forbes.