We will be back.
That was the consensus among members of the South Carolina baseball team after being eliminated in the super regionals of the 2016 NCAA Tournament. Be it live at the press conference or on social media, many players made it clear that they had no doubt the Gamecocks can reach Omaha next season.
And why should they have doubt? The team had only three seniors, two of whom played key roles, and the MLB Draft didn't ravage the roster to the point of no return. Also, the draft didn't do much to affect what is expected to be an incredibly strong recruiting class, meaning South Carolina will bring in even more talent for 2017. It's no longer time to dwell on the end of the season; instead, it's time to get excited for next year's campaign as the Gamecocks look pretty darned good on paper.
Let's take a look at how South Carolina could fill out the lineup card in 2017.
Pitcher: After being selected in the third round by the Brewers, Braden Webb is as good as gone, and Taylor Widener has yet to make his decision after being chosen by the Yankees. However, the Gamecocks are in a good position to absorb both of those losses without skipping a beat. Clarke Schmidt and Adam Hill will return from the 2016 weekend rotation, and the back end of the bullpen will remain intact with Josh Reagan, Tyler Johnson and Reed Scott. Additionally, 2015's ace Wil Crowe returns from injury, as does Cody Morris, whom Perfect Game rated as the top prospect in Maryland in the 2015 class. Colie Bowers and Tyler Haswell could also see more playing time after success in small doses this season.
Catcher: The other end of the battery is loaded as well as the catcher spot could be the most hotly contested position on the diamond next spring. John Jones, Hunter Taylor and Chris Cullen all return, and while Jones could end up in the designated hitter spot, there will certainly be a battle behind the plate.
First base: The departures of Marcus Mooney and DC Arendas from the middle infield will likely mean Madison Stokes and LT Tolbert are needed elsewhere, making first base Alex Destino's territory. Matt Williams, who had three starts at first in 2016, could get some work if Destino is needed in the outfield, starts as the designated hitter or needs a day off.
Second base: Stokes and Tolbert won't be the only two battling for second base, though they will most likely be the starting middle infield duo when the season begins. Expect incoming freshman Carlos Cortes to be in the mix as well. Cortes, a state champion at Oviedo, Florida, this spring, can add some pop to the middle of the South Carolina lineup.
Shortstop: With Mooney's graduation, the Gamecocks lose their starting shortstop for 61 games of 2016. Tolbert's natural position is on the left side of the infield, so he seems to be the obvious choice, though Stokes could give him a push for it as well.
Third base: Not all of the spots on the diamond are up for debate. The hot corner at Founders Park belongs to Jonah Bride, and that should remain true in 2017. Bride started every game at third except for the regional contest where he was suspended, batting .283 while consistently hitting in the middle of the lineup.
Outfield: Neither Gene Cone nor Dom Thompson-Williams has officially moved on from Columbia, but both were picked early enough that it would make sense to move on to professional baseball. Without those two, rising sophomore TJ Hopkins will be the only returning starting outfielder from the team's postseason lineup. Hopkins is a safe bet to pencil in as the center fielder, but that will leave holes in the corners. Clark Scolamiero, who was ranked as the best outfielder in his class in the state of South Carolina, has the potential to blossom into a starter, and Danny Blair was highly rated last year. Gamecock fans might be most excited about is a player they were able to forget about until the coming football season: Brandon McIlwain. Before choosing to enroll at South Carolina, McIlwain was the No. 16 prospect for the 2016 MLB Draft, and he played well in the preseason scrimmages. The outfield might have the most uncertainty, but there is plenty of potential to fill out the lineup card.