Gamecocks add 21 new faces to 2012 roster
South Carolina’s reign atop the world of college baseball continues.
Three months after claiming their second straight national championship, the Gamecocks’ incoming recruiting class has been ranked No. 1 in the country by Collegiate Baseball.
The latest batch of recruits includes 16 high school prospects and five transfer players. Seven of the newcomers were drafted and 10 were recruited out of the Palmetto State.
“We are ecstatic with this group of newcomers that have entered our program,” said associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Chad Holbrook in a release. “This is a class we are excited about because of its depth, athleticism and versatility.”
Standing out among incoming position players is Murrells Inlet native Tanner English. An outfielder from St. James High School, English hit .412 as a senior with seven home runs, 23 RBIs and 28 stolen bases.
He was named the No. 3 high school recruit in the state by Baseball America and led his high school to the Class AAA state championship before being drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays in the 13th round of the 2011 MLB Draft.
Also coming in on the in-state list is Easley native and shortstop Joey Pankake. Named the No. 4 overall recruit in the state by Baseball America, Pankake joined English at the S.C./N.C. All-Star game in 2011 and was also drafted in the 42nd round by the Texas Rangers.
Another noteworthy newcomer is Blythewood catcher Grayson Greiner, who was considered the No. 5 recruit in the state by Perfect Game USA. A member of the Class AAAA All-State team the past three seasons, Greiner was also named the No. 1 catcher in the state by Diamond Prospects.
“We have a talented group of young, athletic infielders ... as well as outfielders,” Holbrook said in the release. “We also feel Grayson Greiner was one of the best high school catchers in the country and only because of signability issues was he not drafted in the first 10 rounds.”
Holbrook also spoke highly of Shon Carson, who is also a running back on the football team that was recently out for the season with a knee injury. Carson was named to the Class AA All-State team as a senior at Lake City High School and was later drafted by the Cincinnati Reds in the 44th round.
“English and Carson were labeled as two of the best available athletes in the 2011 MLB draft,” Holbrook said.
The list of incoming pitchers includes Virginia native Evan Beal. Considered the No. 2 high school recruit in the state of Virginia by Baseball America, the right-hander went 8-0 as a senior with a 2.41 earned run average and 89 strikeouts in 65 innings of work. He went on to be drafted in the eighth round by the Kansas City Royals.
Joining the Gamecocks from Sumter is left-hander Jordan Montgomery. A back-to-back Class AAAA All-State selection, Montgomery went 11-0 as a senior with a 0.38 ERA and 114 strikeouts while leading Sumter High School to a state championship in 2011.
“We think that our pitching signees will contribute immediately,” Holbrook said in the release.
Among those joining Carolina as a transfer is former Pitt Community College infielder Tanner Lovick. In two seasons with the Bulldogs, Lovick was a part of two Region X championship teams and hit .306 with two home runs and 31 RBIs in 2011.
“Our [junior college] signees have had great success at the college level, and they add maturity and experience to our 2012 team,” Holbrook said in the release. “We felt it was important to have some balance with high school and junior college recruits to help replace some of the experience we lost in 2011. Collectively, we believe it’s a talented class that will hopefully continue to put us in a position to compete for SEC championships and trips to the College World Series.”