Freshman pitcher John Gilreath is eager to bring much needed answers to South Carolina’s preseason.
In the eyes of the 5-foot-11 Rock Hill native, committing to the Gamecocks was an opportunity that he could not pass up, even when he had to begin the journey sooner than anticipated. That meant him giving up his senior baseball season at Northwestern High School. The Northwestern Trojans are entering the 2018 season as state champions, but Gilreath felt ready to leave and officially become a Gamecock.
South Carolina is filled with new, fresh arms after losing two starters and some main bullpen players, so there was an evident need for someone to step up. Gilreath did just that.
“Gilreath is going to get the ball,” head coach Mark Kingston said about how much he plans to use his pitcher. “Gilreath has come in and done very well. His fastball has been up to 90. He’s got good command. He’s got good mound presence.”
Kingston acknowledges that adding Gilreath’s name to the roster was not a coincidence. Towards the end of spring scrimmages, he was able to prove himself. Not only is his ability to pitch hard competition to match, but his particulars give him an earned advantage.
Gilreath is one of six left-handed pitchers on the team, which will give him some an advantage when it comes to playing time and coming in to face certain batters. According to Kingston, the freshman should not be concerned about sitting on the bench.
“We're not going to be afraid to use him,” Kingston said. “He’s earned the right to get the ball for us with some very good outings.”
The announcement in October about his early enrollment was a shock to many because committing this early is not common in the sport. Gilreath is the second baseball player to enroll early to South Carolina.
This gave Gilreath more time to grow as a leader and to prove himself on this very new team. Seeing that playing time this spring and getting to jump-start his Gamecock career has been something he's looked forward to. He is beginning to feel the pressure of competing for a spot, but in the end he just wants to take South Carolina to a place it hasn’t seen in a while.
With anticipation for Gilreath high, it's clear why he's in Columbia a semester early.
“The reason why we allowed him to come early is because we thought he could help. He may be even a little better than we anticipated,” Kingston said as spring practices wrapped up.
Although handing the ball to a freshman in pressure situations could be a bit of a challenge, both Kingston and pitching coach Skylar Meade feel ready that Gilreath will step up when they need him to.