Georgia pitcher Ryker Chavis withdraws from NCAA transfer portal

Georgia Bulldogs left-handed pitcher Ryker Chavis has withdrawn his name from the NCAA Transfer Portal. He initially entered the portal in late June, shortly after the college baseball season came to an end.

Ryker Chavis just ended his first year with the Bulldogs. However, he did not see any action during Georgia’s 2024 season.

That 2024 season was the first for head coach Wes Johnson in Athens. He led the team to a 43-17 record in 2024, making it as deep in the NCAA Tournament as the Super Regional after earning the seven-seed. It was a massive step forward for the program, which was coming off a 29-27 season in 2023 and hadn’t been to a Super Regional at all under the previous coaching staff.

Ryker Chavis played his high school baseball at Warner Robbins (Ga.) Houston County HS. There, he went 10-1 as a senior with one save and a 1.45 ERA. He had 92 strikeouts over the course of 77 innings. He was also selected as First Team All-Region, Region Pitcher of the Year, and First Team All-State as a senior in high school.

According to Perfect Game, Ryker Chavis is the 500th-ranked player nationally and the 104th-ranked left-handed pitcher overall. He’s also listed as the eighth-ranked left-handed pitcher in the state of Georgia. Perfect Game also lists his fastball speed in the mid-80s for mph.

This summer, Chavis is playing in the Valley League for the Front Royal Cardinals in Virginia. There, he has pitched 18.2 innings and has a 4.34 ERA.

Wes Johnson reflects on Georgia’s accomplishments in his first season

Georgia had an excellent first season under Wes Johnson, which is something that he reflected upon following the Bulldogs’ elimination from the NCAA Tournament.

“You just got a bunch of guys together who started believing in themselves and then believing in each other,” Johnson said.

“And when you do that, as I’ve said for years in this league, there’s talent in this league. And if you can get the right group together, and get them to believe in themselves, and have confidence, and go out there and take the training we put them through daily that you have a chance. What this group of men did was something I’ll obviously never forget.”

Following the season, Johnson was given a lucrative contract extension through the 2030 season. That signals an expectation to win under him in the coming years.