When assistant coach Sammy Esposito offered John Gilreath a spot on the South Carolina baseball team, it didn't take long for the then-rising sophomore to make his decision. Gilreath committed that day, making his pledge to the Gamecocks three years ahead of when he'll step on campus.
Gilreath became South Carolina's second commit for the 2018 cycle, and he has a tendency to be ahead of the curve. Now a junior, the Rock Hill native throws as hard as 88 miles per hour, and he has developed a mature mindset and a strong work ethic as well.
The Evoshield Canes, Gilreath's travel team, provide the 6-foot, 164-pound lefty with a weekly workout regimen, which he follows to the letter. His workouts include dumbbell presses, weighted lunges and plenty of stretching.
"I stretch probably more than anything," Gilreath said.
He has a pretty good reason, too, considering a back injury kept him from participating in a pitchers and catchers camp with head coach Chad Holbrook and the rest of the staff in January. Since, Gilreath has committed to taking time to stretch and run on a regular basis.
"Ever since then, I'm really cautious about everything. Lifting, running and the techniques I use." the Northwestern High standout said. "Because I was so close to really messing up my back."
Compared to the arm injury he had a few years back however, his January back problem seems a bit insignificant.
The summer before starting seventh grade, Gilreath tore cartilage off his throwing elbow, prompting surgery. Even though the spring season was months away, his baseball future was in jeopardy.
"The doctors told me I would never play baseball again, and that I definitely wouldn't pitch again," the Columbia-born lefty said. "That was motivation for me to work my tail off and get back on the field."
By the spring, Gilreath was back on the mound again, good as new. The rehab process took about seven to eight months, but the reward was much greater. About three years after being told he would never pitch again, a then-15-year-old Gilreath was committed to an SEC baseball powerhouse.
Along with an SEC program comes a top-level fan base, which Gilreath points to as one of the major draws to playing for South Carolina.
"The love and passion the fans share for the athletic programs is unbelievable," he said. "That’s the thing that really attracted me."
Now that he's sold on the Gamecocks, Gilreath is trying to help bring more quality talent to Columbia. He made a visit to the campus with 2018 shortstop target Cameron Reeves on Aug. 21, but the majority of his influence comes on social media.
Gilreath has over 1,100 followers on Twitter and nearly 6,000 on Instagram. His Twitter feed is flooded with retweets of South Carolina athletic news and interactions with current commits and targets of several different sports.
"People will send me messages about being recruited by Carolina and asking about the school and what I can tell them about the program," Gilreath said.
The southpaw tries to sell recruits on the coaching staff, the facilities and Gamecock fan base. His efforts extend beyond baseball as well, as he's been in contact with multiple football players, including Florence's Xavier Thomas, the No. 2 prospect in the 2018 cycle.
"I talk to him pretty frequently trying to get him to come to Carolina and telling him what the school has to offer."
Gilreath has already enjoyed the benefits of his Gamecock connections, particularly his friendship with freshman Jake Wright, who just arrived in Columbia to begin his college baseball career. In late July, Wright gave Gilreath the offer of a lifetime.
"[Jake] texted me and asked 'What are you doing Aug. 2 through 9?'" Gilreath said.
Wright would then invite Gilreath to a week-long trip to the Dominican Republic, where some players from the Rock Hill area would play games against local teams and do mission work in local schools and orphanages.
"It was mainly a mission trip, but we used baseball as part of our ministry," the junior said.
Baseball was certainly prevalent on the trip, as Gilreath said the boys orphanage he visited had a great baseball field, where the boys played baseball and kickball.
Gilreath's peers weren't quite as lucky when it came to facilities.
"The baseball field we played on had no fences, and there were cows in the outfield. No bases either," he said. "There were no fences, no foul lines. There's nothing."
Gilreath was impressed with the attitude of his Dominican opponents, especially considering the field conditions.
"In America, you’ll often have players blaming their performance on the field conditions, or the umpires, or their bat wasn’t working," Gilreath said. "We had one umpire for all our games. The fields were terrible. Those kids never blamed it on anything."
It may be a way off, but Gilreath gives Gamecock fans something to be excited about. His changeup, which he considers to be his best pitch, has received loads of praise from pitching coach Jerry Meyers, and his work ethic and attitude speak for themselves. Fans and coaches alike are anticipating Gilreath's arrival, but likely no one is more excited than he is.
"It's definitely approaching much quicker than I expected," Gilreath said of the long wait after committing before his sophomore season. "Next fall, I'll be signing, so hopefully it'll go by quickly."