Top 5 incoming recruiting classes among New England’s D1 schools

Brunswick School senior captain Leo Socci is headed to UConn, along with five other New England natives. (Courtesy photo)

One of the more intriguing things to monitor this spring -- in the absence of baseball -- has been the shifting dynamics of a college baseball roster.

Many coaches are dealing with roster crunches for the 2021 season in the aftermath of the NCAA's decision to grant all spring sport athletes an additional year of eligibility. With many seniors interested in returning for another year, coaches have to consider how to make the puzzle pieces fit together with an incoming class of recruits scheduled to hit campus in the fall.

Through our look at the top New England players in the NCAA Transfer Portal, we got a sense of which college coaches are encouraging veteran players to explore other options for next season to make room for the incoming cast of freshmen.

For instance, UConn, University of Maine, UMass Lowell and UMass Amherst have all had at least three players enter the NCAA Transfer Portal since March 18. On the other hand, programs like Northeastern, Boston College, URI and Hartford seem to be welcoming returning seniors, as none of those schools had a player enter the NCAA Portal from March 15 to April 15.