Mizzou baseball grabs commitment from former Big 10 standout

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

Following a big wave of transfer portal departures after the 2026 season, Mizzou baseball coach Kerrick Jackson is continuing his work of replenishing that talent. The leader of the Tigers said he's put a big emphasis on grabbing some bats, this summer...and it shows with his most recent portal pickup.

On Tuesday, former Michigan State outfielder Khamaree Thomas announced that he is committing to Mizzou. That makes him the 11th player to pledge to Coach Jackson out of the portal.

Thomas, a Chicago, Ill. native, spent the last two seasons in East Lansing, where he saw a tremendous amount of growth from his freshman to sophomore campaign. In 2025, Thomas played in just five games with one start, hitting .167 on the year and going 1-for-6 at the dish. Then, in 2026, he made a massive leap, as he played in 51 games with 50 starts. He hit .319 on the season with 58 hits and 18 multi-hit games. He ranked second on the team in runs (40) and third in batting average, on-base percentage (.402) and doubles (12). Thomas drove in 31 runs, which ranked fourth on the team.

Defensively, Thomas was elite for the Spartans, as he finished the year with a .990 fielding percentage.

He impressed the Spartan coaching staff so much that he won a pair of team awards, following the 2026 season. Michigan State awarded him the Danny Litwhiler Defensive Player of the Year award and the Steve Garvey Most Improved Player award.

Thomas is joining a Tiger squad that is looking to take the next step in 2027, following a 6-24 finish in league play last season. You can find a full look at all of Coach Jackson's portal additions below.

• Outfielder Khamaree Thomas - Michigan State
• Outfielder Anthony Diaz - New Mexico
• Infielder Ethan Moore - Tennessee
• Infielder Cam Pruitt - Lipscomb
• Infielder Javier Gorostola - Florida Gulf Coast University
• Infielder Steve Solorzano - New Mexico State
• Infielder Wilfred Gonzalez - Florida Gulf Coast University
• Right-handed pitcher Jadyn Ferguson - Texas
• Right-handed pitcher Ryan Marton - University of Nevada, Las Vegas
• Right-handed pitcher Ty Waid - Weatherford College
• Left-handed pitcher Carter DeGondea - Georgia Southern