Mateo Serna (8) swings at the ball (copy)

Mateo Serna (8) swings during an April 23 game against Arkansas at Taylor Stadium in Columbia. Serna was among three Tigers who have announced plans to hit the transfer portal in recent days.

Shruti Ajay/Missourian
Wilfred Gonzalez mug

Wilfred Gonzalez

courtesy of Florida Gulf Coast Athletics

Mizzou catcher Mateo Serna has opted to enter the transfer portal, according to his post on X. Serna started 117 games over three seasons with the Tigers.

“I am forever grateful for the opportunities the University of Missouri has afforded me and will always appreciate the time I spent in Columbia,” Serna said in his post. He will have one year of eligibility remaining.

Serna was a consistent bat, hitting .240 last season and .237 with nine homers and 36 RBI in 2025. His greatest strengths were his defense and ability to lead the team. Serna was an influential piece in Mizzou’s first SEC Tournament win in nine years when it toppled Ole Miss last month.

In addition to his three hits in the contest, Serna initiated eight ABS challenges behind the plate, getting seven of those calls overturned, often in key spots when the team needed a strike.

Utility player Tyler Macon entered the portal May 28, per College Athlete Advantage on X, while infielder Gehrig Goldbeck announced his entrance to the portal May 28 on X.

Macon came in as a middle infielder and redshirted his 2024 freshman year at Mizzou. Over the past two seasons, he has played middle infield, both corner infield spots and outfield. He played in 71 games over those two seasons, starting in 56.

Macon hit .327 with an .870 OPS in the 2026 season and was a huge part of the early success of the team. In an early-season game against Mount St. Mary’s, Macon became the first player in team history to reach base in all eight of his plate appearances.

Goldbeck, who was limited by injuries and played in only four games last season, will also seek other opportunities. Goldbeck batted .222 with three RBI in 2026 after starting in 35 games for the Tigers in 2025.

Transfer additions

The Tigers have begun picking up players from the portal to fill in for their departures.

The most recent acquisition for the team is Carter DeGondea, who previously played at Georgia Southern. DeGondea, a left-handed pitcher, started 14 games last season and finished with an 8.69 ERA while striking out 57.

Another pickup is Wilfred Gonzalez from Florida Gulf Coast. He committed to Mizzou last Wednesday. He batted .323 and scored 36 runs last season for the Eagles and will have one year of eligibility remaining. He showed steady defense and led the team with 109 assists. He will look to help fill the void in the middle infield now that Macon and Blaize Ward, the latter of whom committed to Vanderbilt on Tuesday, have left.

Along with Serna’s departure, Jamal George, who started 15 games in 2026, has graduated, leaving Juliomar Campos as the presumed replacement at catcher. Campos appeared in 11 games as a freshman, going 8-for-28 with one homer.

Former MU coach on the move

Another move regarding a former Tiger took place June 2 when Steve Biesser signed to become the new coach at Grand Canyon. Bieser, a product of Cape Girardeau, was the Mizzou coach from 2017-2023.

Bieser led the team to four 30-win seasons (2017, 2018, 2019, 2023) before being fired and subsequently being hired as the head coach at Jacksonville State. In his third and final season with the Gamecocks, Bieser’s team went 48-15 and won the Conference USA Championship.

Now, Bieser will head to Phoenix to lead a team that finished 21-39, including an 11-13 record in Mountain West play.