Former Clemson catcher Hideki Prather wasted no time in making an impact at Cal.

After spending two seasons with the Tigers, Prather made the decision to transfer following the 2025 campaign. Injuries played a part in him not seeing the field much during his two seasons at Clemson, but when he did have an opportunity, he produced. Prather was 3-for-4 in his career as a Tiger, with his last hit being a pinch-hit double against North Carolina during the 2025 ACC Tournament.

However, when Jacob Jarrell made the decision to come back for the 2026 season and the staff adding Nate Savoie from the transfer portal, Prather knew if he wanted an opportunity to get on the field this season, he was going to have to look elsewhere. Being from California, he decided to look out west.

Prather found a home at ACC foe Cal, and quickly became an anchor in the Bears lineup. He started 52 games, hitting .333 with 14 home runs and 44 RBI. Prather also had 17 doubles, a triple and five stolen bases. His final homer came in Cal’s first-round loss to Stanford in the ACC Tournament on Tuesday.

“This guy was our rock,” Cal head coach Mike Neu said. “Just unbelievable. We don’t do the things we did the last part of the season without Hideki. Guys rallied around him and it was fun to see.”

After an ice cold start in league play, the Bears finished the conference slate by winning 11 of the final 18 games in league play. And Prather was a big part of that success.

“I think it really just started with this coaching staff and this team,” Prather said. “We started 1-11 in conference play and just super proud of the way this team competed and had each other’s backs. This coaching staff supports their players, cares about their players better than anyone else. That kind of environment is just a great breeding ground for good performances.”

While the casual fan isn’t always the biggest supporter of the portal, sometimes transfers are best for both player and program. That is exactly what transpired here. Not to say Clemson could not have benefitted from Prather’s talent at some point, but the truth is, it likely would have been at least another year before he’d gotten a chance to really show what he can do.

That is a big part of why Prather decided to move on, and he’s quickly made himself at home with Cal. Both figuratively and literally.

“For me, it was all about opportunity,” Prather said. “I was born and raised in Oakland, so it is always nice to see my mom on the weekends. I know she loves it. The relationship I have with this coaching staff is really strong and I think the respect goes both ways. I think I made the right decision.”

Photo courtesy of Clemson Athlerics