New England’s top Division 2 and 3 players in the NCAA Transfer Portal

Bates pitcher Nolan Collins, a 2019 All-NESCAC selection, will transfer to the University of Richmond. (Travis Larner/Elmira College)

NCAA Division 2 and 3 schools don't typically produce as many pro baseball players as Division 1 schools, so the switch to a five-round MLB Draft -- from 40 rounds -- shouldn't affect the rosters of D2 and D3 teams quite as much.

Nonetheless, the NCAA has extended the offer of an extra year of eligibility to any spring student-athlete whose season was cut short, so coaches at the D2 and D3 levels are met with the same challenge as their D1 counterparts -- squeezing five classes of players onto one roster. With many seniors looking to return for a fifth year and a class of incoming freshmen scheduled to arrive on campus in the fall, coaches need to decide how to proceed without players getting frustrated by a lack of playing time next spring.

For those players who do not foresee a roster spot or a road to playing time on their current teams next season, there is always the NCAA Transfer Portal. Players opting to go into the transfer portal are not required to transfer or guaranteeing they will transfer, but it leaves the door open — and allows other schools’ coaches to speak with them.

Yesterday, we wrote about the top Division 1 players with New England ties in the NCAA Transfer Portal. Here are the biggest names in Division 2 and 3.