Coming into the KnupSports Top 25 at #13 are the Gamecocks of South Carolina.
South Carolina baseball had its most successful season in years in 2023, reaching its first super regional since 2018 and winning 40-plus games for the first time since 2016. Let’s start with some of their incoming freshman.
RANK NAME POS. HIGH SCHOOL
No. 1 PJ Morlando OF/1B Summerville
No. 2 Carson Messina RHP Summerville
No. 3 Beau Hollins 1B River Bluff
No. 4 Brady Jones RHP P27 Academy
No. 6 EJ Grant OF Spartanburg
No. 9 Zach Russell INF/RHP West Ashley
In 2022, the Gamecocks finished under ,500 and they added players through the portal to show an improvement for 2023. Gavin Casas transferred from Vanderbilt and he smacked 19 home runs and So Miss transfer Will McGillis hit 14 homers and has a .313 batting average. Transfer from Oral Roberts, Caleb Denny and Clemson transfer Dylan Brewer each gained spots in the South Carolina lineup.
In 2024, they look to make a run to Omaha after attaining a 42-21 record in 2023 for head coach Mark Kingston.
Ethan Petry returns after a phenomenal freshman campaign with a .376 batting average with 75 runs batted in and 22 home runs. Casas, as mentioned. Is a senior first baseman and could add to his gaudy numbers. Talmadge LeCroy is back after batting .289 and 43 runs batted in. He is a junior third baseman. Catcher Cole Messina returns after being named First Team All-SEC and Second Team All-America honors. Sophomore Will Tippet and freshman Lee Ellis look to man the middle infield. Parker Noland, a Vanderbilt transfer looks to gain that spot at second base.
Along with Petry in the outfield, transfer from Charlotte is Blake Jackson who had five homers and 28 RBI’s last season.Kennedy Jones comes in from UNC Greensboro where he hit .357 and smacked 24 home runs. Returnees Dylan Brewer and Evan Stone will look to retain their ,positions or DH as they become very healthy positional fights look to emerge.
“We have an ‘Omaha-caliber’ offense. If we stay healthy, we could potentially be better than we were last year.”
MARK KINGSTON
Expectations will be high for the Gamecocks to be among the national elite again this year, and of course the hope is that they can play their best ball at the right time and make a run to the College World Series. The weakness may be in their rotation.
