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Oregon baseball loses starting catcher to transfer portal Published 11:08 am Thursday, June 18, 2026 Ducks sophomore Burke-Lee Mabeus to transfer, per reports Oregon Ducks catcher Burke-Lee Mabeus is entering his name to the transfer portal, according to D1Baseball.coms Kendall Rogers.
Rogers reported the news Thursday morning that Mabeus, who just completed his sophomore season with the Ducks, is transferring.
Mabeus is a draft-eligible sophomore, having turned 21 two weeks ago, and will have opportunities to sign professionally if he choses to.
Should he stay in the collegiate ranks, Mabeus will have two seasons of eligibility remaining.
Mabeus started 76 of the 96 games he appeared in for the Ducks, including 46 starts as a sophomore in 2026.
He hit .286 with an .890 OPS in 175 at-bats this season, hitting eight home runs and 13 doubles.
Mabeus drove in 31 runners and worked 23 walks; he struck out 35 times (20% K-rate).
Mabeus had a breakout year in 2026 at the plate, but his calling card is behind it.
He was a semifinalist for the Buster Posey Award, presented to the nations top catcher.
The sophomore is an incredibly advanced backstop who threw out 13 of the 29 base-runners (44.8%) who tried to steal against him.
During the 2026 postseason the Eugene Regional and Austin Super Regional against Texas he threw out three of the six runners who tested him.
He pairs a howitzer of a right arm with savvy framing instincts in the squat.
During the 2026 season, Ducks ace Will Sanford, who set Oregons program record for strikeouts looking (37), joked that most were a credit to Mabeus ability to frame pitches and steal strikes.
Mabeus is listed on Oregons roster as a switch hitter, though hes taken no more than a handful of swings from the right-handed batters box during his Ducks career.
Mabeus is, for all intents and purposes, a left-handed bat.
Hes also started games at first base and right field, though his defensive prowess will keep him in the squat for the foreseeable future.
Mabeus is a draft-eligible sophomore, though he is not ranked on either MLB Pipelines or Baseball Americas top draft-prospect lists.
Hes the fourth Oregon player to transfer in the last week, joining freshmen Naulivou Lauaki Jr.
and Angel Laya, as well as starting pitcher Collin Clarke..