18 sign with USC for Holbrook's first year
USC landed 18 players, including 11 from the Palmetto State. The Gamecocks brought in eight pitchers, six infielders and four outfielders as they look to return to the College World Series for the fourth straight season.
South Carolina had eight commitments taken in this year's Major League Baseball draft and saw five of them sign contracts with pro teams, including their four highest-drafted commits. The Gamecocks did land the signatures of Kwinton Smith, Ryan Ripken and Max Schrock, who were taken in the 14th, 20th and 28th rounds respectively.
Smith, a wide receiver out of Dillon High School, has signed to play football for the Gamecocks and will also try to make the baseball team as an outfielder. There is also a possibility he could be used as a relief pitcher. Smith will be the third football player to attempt to make the baseball team. Ahmad Christian failed to make the roster last season and Shon Carson was unable to try out due to a knee injury sustained during football season.
Ripken, a first baseman from Maryland and the son of Cal Ripken, Jr., was taken by the Baltimore Orioles, the same organization that his father played for. Schrock was intent on playing college baseball and asked major league teams to take his name out of the draft during the second round.
The Gamecocks graduated three seniors off the 2012 baseball team, Adam Matthews, Logan Munson and Michael Roth, as well as losing underclassmen Evan Marzilli and Matt Price to the MLB draft.