Pandemic-caused backlog has college baseball on transfer portal roundabout

Aidan Maldonado, beginning this weekend, will get what he wished for: a chance to continue pitching in the Big Ten.

The Gophers pitcher emerged as one of head coach John Anderson's most reliable starters on a team that has taken some lumps and dealt with some growing pains, and is 8-15. And Maldonado will get the ball this weekend when the Gophers open conference play at Rutgers.

Those who follow Big Ten baseball might recognize Maldonado but still do a double take. He spent the first three seasons of his college career pitching for Illinois, where he appeared in 28 games, starting nine.

Maldonado was beginning to move onto some draft boards last season before forearm tendinitis limited him to an 0-2 record with an 11.37 ERA in 11 games after pitching much better in his previous two seasons. Also, he was given just one start after being a midweek starter as a freshman and starting some Sundays his second year.

One reason Maldonado went to Illinois was because his mother attended the school, but he wanted a fresh start — plus the chance to start again.

He arrived at a two-word conclusion that reflects the current rage in college sports: transfer portal. It's happening in baseball, too. It just doesn't carry the same weight as when someone like point guard Andre Curbelo, a preseason all-conference pick with Illinois, decided to leave the program earlier this week.

"The Gophers were mainly my only Division I look," Maldonado said.

"Ultimately, I wanted to prove I could pitch at this level," Maldonado said. "I wanted to go Division I and go with the Gophers."

Yup, Anderson checks out the transfer portal, a must these days. It's a way to plug holes and add some experience to a roster — and Anderson is running into plenty of experienced teams.

With the combination of extra eligibility available because of the pandemic, changes Major League Baseball has made to the minors, fewer rounds in the draft and the rise of the transfer portal, college teams have gotten older. Current upperclassmen have suffered from lack of development over the previous two seasons because of lack of games.

And remember, the Big Ten did not allow nonconference games last season, so young players couldn't get experience against smaller schools in the region. It led to a developmental gap. This had coaches grumbling as other Power-5 schools played full schedules.

"We have some seniors on this team who have had less than 20 at-bats in their careers," Anderson said. "So I'm still seeing the effects of the pandemic."

Maldonado is one of 15 newcomers to the Gophers program, and one of five transfers. The Gophers normally start sluggish and jell as the season progresses and working in Maldonado and other new players is part of this year's challenge. But the team is playing better, and Maldonado is settling in.

"He's learning, and Sunday was his best start of the year," Anderson said.

On Sunday, Maldonado threw five shutout innings against Western Illinois while giving up two hits and three walks with nine strikeouts. He spent the fall and winter working on a slider to go with his fastball and 12-to-6 curveball. He can also mix in a changeup. It's a repertoire he hopes will make him an effective starter and give the Gophers the innings they need.

The first part of the schedule was rough on the Gophers. Now, Maldonado said, they must raise their level of play for conference games.

That starts this weekend, as they face a Rutgers team with two grad transfers in the rotation.