Kyle Martin undecided on return to Gamecocks
Everybody and their mother knows the history. Back-to-back national champions in 2010 and 2011. Making it back to the title game in 2012, but falling to Arizona. 2013 saw Holbrook’s first season as head coach and North Carolina ending any dreams of Omaha. Losing twice to Maryland in the Regional this past season, failing to advance to the Super Regionals for the first time since 2009.
Now, with seven Gamecock players taken in the 2014 MLB Draft — many of whom witnessed the program’s historic progression — South Carolina now has more holes than Mr. Sir’s Camp Green Lake.
The Draft
Juniors Grayson Greiner, Jordan Montgomery, Joey Pankake, Tanner English and Joel Seddon were as good as gone once Patrick Harrington struck out to end the 2014 season.
Kyle Martin, however, the team’s leader in hits and batting average, was taken in the 20th round of the draft, but is the only one out of the seven drafted Gamecocks who has not made clear his departure for the MLB.
Martin’s return for his senior season would be huge from an offensive standpoint, but also in the field. Kyle Martin and the since-graduated Brison Celek are the only ones listed on South Carolina’s 2014 active roster who had first base listed as their primary position.
Certainly the Gamecocks have others who can play first base, but 82 hits and 38 RBIs coming back would make a return to Omaha much more likely. Let’s not forget about Martin’s .995 fielding percentage, too.
Recruiting Class
If Martin does decide to sign with the Angels, the Gamecocks need to look no farther than down the road for optimism. A.C. Flora product Madison Stokes resisted the call to the majors and $600,000 to become a Gamecock and will enroll as a freshman this fall. Along with Stokes, fellow incoming freshman RHP Brandon Murray will honor his commitment to play for coach Holbrook and the Gamecocks.
Stokes is one of three South Carolina commits who played on A.C. Flora’s SCHSL AAA back-to-back-to-back state championship teams spanning from 2012 to 2014. Second baseman Everett Eynon and LHP Banks Cromer also played with Stokes for the Falcons this season.
Of the 15 players who round off South Carolina’s 2014 recruiting class, eight are pitchers, while six are infielders and one mans the outfield.
The Gamecocks will receive two transfer students from Spartanburg Methodist next season — RHP Dylan Rogers and first baseman Collin Steagall.
Projected Lineup
Replacing Greiner behind the dish will undoubtedly be a daunting task for Holbrook. South Carolina signed Jared Martin, a rising junior who caught for Chattahoochee Valley Community College last season. Martin was second on the team in hits with 70, and hit .359, which was good enough for sixth highest. Returner Logan Koch will likely get every opportunity to start, though, as he was the top-ranked catcher in North Carolina his senior year, according to Perfect Game USA. Koch pulled in eight hits in 28 at-bats last season in backup duty.
If Kyle Martin decides to come back, he will return to his domain at first base. If not, South Carolina could do much worse than Steagall, who hit .341 last season, while leading Spartanburg Methodist in home runs with 11.
A healthy Max Schrock would help the Gamecocks enormously, as Holbrook has said, when healthy, Schrock could be an All-American. With Schrock at second base, Marcus Mooney returning at shortstop and DC Arendas taking over at third base, the Gamecocks’ infield is in good shape. Connor Bright, Gene Cone and Elliott Caldwell could round off the outfield barring a very good fall by a young prospect.
After his four-hit complete game shutout against Campbell in the Regionals, Wil Crowe may slip into the Friday starter role abandoned by Jordan Montgomery. Jack Wynkoop will likely vie with Crowe for that role, however.
South Carolina will also get RHP Canaan Cropper back from Tommy John surgery next season. Cropper was rated the top RHP in Maryland his senior year, posting a 6-0 record with an obscene 0.64 ERA to go along with 102 strikeouts in 43.1 innings. Senior Cody Mincey is a good candidate to replace Joel Seddon in the closer position. Mincey was the only other Gamecock to record a save last season besides Seddon. He made 29 appearances — the most of any reliever — picking up a 5-0 record to go with a 1.04 ERA.