Kentucky spent about two weeks with one transfer portal commitment, but the Wildcats added two new members to their portal class on Tuesday.
Wright State UTIL player JP Peltier committed on Tuesday evening, joining Akron outfielder Brody Chrisman in the transfer class. But around midnight Eastern time, Seattle University left-hander Kale Hammer called the coaching staff and informed them that he'd be a Wildcat next season.
"I went into the portal hoping for a Power-4 school," Hammer told Bat Cats Central. "I wasn't set on a certain school or anything. I had some good interest in the portal, and (Tuesday) morning, I got a text from (Kentucky recruiting coordinator) Austin Cousino. It's the SEC, it's the University of Kentucky, so it blew me out of the water and got me super excited. I had a great phone call with him, and I had a great phone call with the head coach, had a great phone call with the pitching coach.
"The biggest thing that sold me was how they talked about the Kentucky baseball culture. Honestly, I just felt like I connected with the coaching staff really well."
Hammer, a native of Snohomish, Washington, went 2-4 this season with a 5.79 ERA in 70 innings pitched. Hammer struck out 61 batters and limited his walks to 20 on the season. Opponents hit .279 against him this season, and he started all 13 games he appeared in.
A redshirt sophomore, Hammer signed with Gonzaga out of high school. He redshirted his first season after having elbow surgery. He was still having issues with his elbow the following season, which limited him to three appearances and 1.1 innings pitched with the Bulldogs. Following that season, he transferred to Seattle University.
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"I think this year was a stepping stone," Hammer said. "It was my first year back, having a full, real healthy season. I think I have a bunch more in the tank to bring out. Overall, I'm not mad at this year. I definitely wish it could've been better, but I think getting back into the habit of staying healthy through a season was really good for me this year."
His best outing came on March 21 against Pacific. Hammer struck out eight batters and held the Tigers to three hits and two unearned runs over seven innings. He was named the West Coast Conference Pitcher of the Week for his effort against Pacific.
Hammer is not pitching anywhere this summer. While a visit to Kentucky isn't officially locked in yet, there's a chance he could be on campus this weekend. It will be his first visit to the state, though he has relatives who live in Nashville, Tennessee.
Hammer joins Peltier and Chrisman in the portal class, but Kentucky is trending for right-handed pitcher Logan Hastings from Maryland. Bat Cats Central reported on Tuesday that Hastings had completed a visit to Kentucky, and it appears the Wildcats are in the driver's seat with a decision expected soon.
Thankful for this year and thank you Seattle U.❤️ pic.twitter.com/BELCsYPIso
— Kale Hammer (@HammerKale) June 1, 2026
Incoming transfer portal commitments (3)
- OF Brody Chrisman* (Akron)
- UTIL JP Peltier (Wright State)
- LHP Kale Hammer (Seattle University)
