Virginia UTL, LHP Chris Arroyo enters NCAA Transfer Portal

Virginia utility player and left-handed pitcher Chris Arroyo has entered the NCAA Transfer Portal. Last offseason, Arroyo transferred to Virginia from Pasco-Hernando State, where he was a NJCAA Division II First Team All-American.

In his lone campaign with the Cavaliers, Arroyo amassed 49 appearances. He boasted a .291/.361/.519 slash line. Additionally, Arroyo tallied 55 hits, including eight doubles and 11 home runs, for 42 RBIs.

In the field, Arroyo notched 221 putouts compared to just two errors for a .992 fielding percentage. He was also stellar on the mound, finishing the season with a 4.97 ERA and nine strikeouts in 12.2 innings pitched.

In the 2024 season at Pasco-Hernando State, Arroyo batted .403 with 60 runs scored, 10 doubles, 19 home runs, 52 RBIs and nine stolen bases. Arroyo struck out 63 batters in 62.2 innings of work, posting a 3.53 ERA.

Arroyo began his collegiate career at Florida. He saw limited action with the Gators, pitching 5.1 total innings in the 2023 season before ultimately entering the transfer portal.

Chris Arroyo played high school baseball at Marjory Stoneman Douglas (FL), where he won back-to-back FHSAA 7A State Championships. Arroyo was the No. 121 overall player and No. 28 outfielder in the 2022 recruiting cycle, according to Perfect Game.

Arroyo will be far from the last Virginia player to enter the transfer portal this offseason. After the Cavaliers didn’t receive an NCAA Tournament bid, longtime head coach Brian O’Connor accepted an offer to take over at Mississippi State.

O’Connor had been the head coach at Virginia since 2004. In his 22 seasons at the helm, O’Connor amassed a stunning 913-392-2 record. He led the Cavaliers to two regular season conference championships, two ACC Tournament titles and a College World Series championship in 2015, the program’s only national title.

O’Connor also led Virginia to seven appearances in the CWS (2009, 2011, 2014, 2015, 2021, 2023, 2024). For his efforts, he’s been named the ACC Coach of the Year five times and reeled in multiple national coach of the year awards.

Despite reaching the CWS in the previous two seasons, Virginia failed to reach the NCAA Tournament this season after posting a 31-25 overall record and a 12-18 mark in conference play. Several Virginia staff members are following O’Connor to Mississippi State, including associate head coach Kevin McMullan.