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Baseball Recruiting Discussion
Posted on 4/5/13 at 1:36 pm
Posted on 4/5/13 at 1:36 pm
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This post was edited on 2/17/17 at 8:04 pm
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Posted on 4/5/13 at 1:38 pm to CayceCock13
Write Ups from the Top Baseball Insider for TheBigSpur John Whittle:
This post was edited on 11/14/14 at 12:25 pm
Posted on 4/5/13 at 1:56 pm to CayceCock13
Nice recruiting thread for baseball! Thanks for posting.
Posted on 4/28/13 at 9:39 pm to CayceCock13
Excellent thread Cayce Cock! Thank you!
Posted on 5/7/13 at 8:51 am to CayceCock13
Article on 2013 Commitment Relief Pitcher Canaan Cropper per TBS
quote:
South Carolina has brought in a lot of players over the years that come from some of the top programs nationally. The tradition continues with 2013 right-handed pitcher Canaan Cropper (Salisbury, Md./James M. Bennett) as he has led his high school team to the Maryland state record winning streak, which capped at 56 games a couple of weeks back.
Cropper, who has been on James M. Bennett High School’s varsity team since his freshman season, was on the mound when the team broke the state record of 54 straight wins. Even though the team lost a couple of games later, the mark is one that Cropper is proud of.
Even with a loss in the column, the Clippers are set for a deep playoff run. One of the biggest reasons the team has been on top is because of Cropper, who does it all for his team. When he’s not on the mound, he’s playing centerfield or third base and hitting in the middle of the order.
“We’ve been pretty successful this year,” Cropper said. “Things have been going really well as far as pitching for me. I wanted to see a good jump on my velocity and I think that’s come to pass. I’ve been working really hard on my changeup from the fall until now. I’ve been working on getting it in the zone and getting it to be a three strike pitch. Everything has kind of fallen into place and every outing I’ve been getting a little bit better, so I’m happy with my performance this year.”
Cropper is 6-0 on the mound and hitting above .500 so far this year at the plate. The 6-foot righty will strictly be a pitcher for the Gamecocks and he brings a much-needed power arm to the staff.
The Salisbury, Md. native made the trek south to Columbia over the weekend to take in both of the games against Vanderbilt. Cropper and his father, Bill, left on Sunday morning impressed with the atmosphere at Carolina Stadium.
“It’s been pretty incredible,” Cropper said. “The fan base is there and the atmosphere is incredible. They’ve battled both games against great pitching and a great team. I can see the heart out there every inning and the drive. I’ve had a great time watching them play this weekend and hope I can come in and contribute next year.”
Cropper had the chance to spend a lot of time with the entire coaching staff, including head coach Chad Holbrook, pitching coach Jerry Meyers, and recruiting coordinator Sammy Esposito.
Following his time in Columbia, Cropper said that the visit only intensified his drive to become a better pitcher. Over the course of the next few weeks of the regular season and into the summer, Cropper will work on continuing to perfect his pitches but also add some strength in the weight room before coming back to school in August.
“Working out hard, hitting the weight room hard and gaining some good weight,” Cropper said of his goals before enrolling in school. “I want to keep my arm healthy and my stamina up as well as increase my velocity. All around, I can get better and hope for big things in the fall.”
The plan right now for Cropper is to enroll in the fall but he is also a player who could be selected early in the MLB Draft this June. If he makes it to campus, the chances are high that he will play a big role on next year’s team.
Cropper already provides something that the Gamecocks lack on the mound - a power arm from the right side - but there are also a lot of innings to go around with the departure of several key seniors from the roster.
“They expect me to come in and be an elite guy, step in and throw as a freshman,” Cropper said. “Nothing is set in stone but they want me to come in and play a serious role. They want me to throw hard, get guys out, and get a good amount of innings as a freshman. They want me to come in and make a huge impact.”
Posted on 5/15/13 at 9:08 pm to CayceCock13
Saw both Lex/Blythewood games this week so far, good to see 4 commits out there on the field.
Reagen dealed on Monday, was solid only gave up 2, 1 unearned. Once he got in a groove he wasn't going to be stopped.
McMillan has yet to pitch b/c of his injury to his face earlier in the playoffs I'm interested to see if he'll get the ball in G3 or will Hucks give it back to Reagen.
Ciuffo has a cannon & is a really good defender behind the plate, he's had limited appearance due to walks, but has had 2 hits which came w/ 2 RBI's.
Blythewood has a 2015 Commit @ 3rd that's a C/1B, big guy decent arm, has some pop to the bat. He raked in tonights game had some clutch hits along with 3 RBI's.
Reagen dealed on Monday, was solid only gave up 2, 1 unearned. Once he got in a groove he wasn't going to be stopped.
McMillan has yet to pitch b/c of his injury to his face earlier in the playoffs I'm interested to see if he'll get the ball in G3 or will Hucks give it back to Reagen.
Ciuffo has a cannon & is a really good defender behind the plate, he's had limited appearance due to walks, but has had 2 hits which came w/ 2 RBI's.
Blythewood has a 2015 Commit @ 3rd that's a C/1B, big guy decent arm, has some pop to the bat. He raked in tonights game had some clutch hits along with 3 RBI's.
Posted on 5/20/13 at 12:21 pm to CayceCock13
South Carolina just recieved another commitment for the 2013 Class in Walk-On Matt Williams from BHP 3rd Baseman.
Some stats from his HS career:
Insider Notes from JW on TheBigSpur:
Some stats from his HS career:
quote:
Williams played in 10 games as an eighth grader at B-HP and started all four years in high school. He finished his career hitting .411 in 120 games played. He scored 106 runs, drove in 102, had 28 doubles, and struck out 17 times in five years vs. 66 walks. On the mound, he was 25-5 in 38 games started. He threw 179 innings, struck out 175 and walked 50.
Insider Notes from JW on TheBigSpur:
quote:
We've written about Matt Williams a few times before in the VIP Room detailing him as a player who wanted to walk on at South Carolina. About the time we posted that, other schools started showing him great interest. Furman and Winthrop were the main two schools with USC Upstate getting in the mix as well. Spartanburg Methodist was also a school that was very high on Williams and tried to get him to come to their program on scholarship. At the end of the day, Williams weighed a scholarship offer from Furman, one at SMC, and a walk-on chance at South Carolina. He had three very different decisions and decided to go to the school he wanted to attend - South Carolina.
The thing about Matt is he was a three-sport athlete at B-HP as the starting quarterback in football, guard on the basketball team, and shortstop/pitcher for baseball. Even though he's the son of the head baseball coach at B-HP, Williams always devoted a lot of time to football in the summer, which limited his exposure and growth as a baseball player. If he focused on baseball year around, I think he's going on scholarship to a bigger school - potentially South Carolina. But he wanted to play three sports and flew under the radar at bit.
I think he has a chance to flourish into a very good baseball player in time. Tools wise, I think he profiles as a corner infielder, which is why I have him listed as third base in his profile. I don't think first base is out of the question for him. I think as he gets baseball strong, he's going to develop into a very good hitter. He throws right-handed but hits from the left side. He likes to work using the opposite side of the field. Very good plate discipline and good awareness on the field. You can tell he's the son of a coach. His bat speed needs to improve some but I think he gets there as he does baseball workouts.
It's very hard for freshmen to walk-on and make the team their first year. It's going to be just as difficult for Williams as it would be for any other freshman. He's a tough kid, good team guy, very well-liked in the dugout, and also has some very good attributes as a player. He's going to be one of those guys to develop over the course of the next year or two. I look for him to redshirt next year but be a valuable piece going forward.
Posted on 5/28/13 at 11:34 am to CayceCock13
2013 Commitments Ciuffo & Crowe both earned Gatorade POY honors for their states South Carolina & Tennessee respectively.
This post was edited on 5/28/13 at 11:37 am
Posted on 5/30/13 at 1:18 am to CayceCock13
A funny quote I saw tonight from 2014 Catcher Commitment Hunter Taylor:
Taylor chose us over both North Carolina & Virginia.
quote:
At North Carolina, it’s pretty much a basketball school, Baseball has like 500 people at a game and South Carolina has like 5,000. The fans at South Carolina are awesome.
Taylor chose us over both North Carolina & Virginia.
This post was edited on 5/30/13 at 1:19 am
Posted on 6/6/13 at 9:38 am to CayceCock13
Ciuffo, Demeritte, & Thompson are all likely to sign straight out of HS.
Posted on 6/8/13 at 4:44 pm to CayceCock13
Wil Crowe selected by the Cleveland Indians No. 921 Overall in the 31st Round
Posted on 6/8/13 at 6:31 pm to CayceCock13
Matt Vogel just got picked in the 36th Round by the Dbacks.
Posted on 6/30/13 at 3:33 pm to CayceCock13
quote:
@PerfectGameUSA
2014 RHP Dylan Cease (GA) up to 96 mph in his 1st inning. Big time arm! #PGTourney
Posted on 7/8/13 at 10:33 am to CayceCock13
Ryder Ryan a top target for the class of 2014 committed to UNC yesterday.
Posted on 9/27/13 at 10:19 am to CayceCock13
2014 Commit KJ Bryant decommits from SC to committing to Clemson.
Posted on 2/17/14 at 7:50 pm to CayceCock13
Recruiting
-- South Carolina had several unofficial visitors over the weekend and the majority of them were commitments. There were a couple of intriguing uncommitted prospects and one is Bailey Meeks (Kannapolis, N.C./Home schooled). The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder plays his travel baseball with the South Charlotte Panthers. He’s a 2016 prospect who is viewed by some as a catcher but South Carolina is interested in him as a pitcher. The right-hander has been clocked at 85 mph on his fastball and is still developing on the mound. He’s a name to keep an eye on for the future.
-- Class of 2015 uncommitted outfielder T.J. Hopkins (Summerville/Summerville) made his second trip to Columbia in recent weeks to take in the games on Saturday. Hopkins is a player that South Carolina is going to see a couple of times during this high school season.
-- One of the players in town for the weekend was 2014 right-handed pitcher Tyler Johnson (Richmond, Va./Trinity Episcopal). He’s actually hit a little growth spurt and is standing close to 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds. He’s adding a little bit of velocity to his fastball and we’d expect he will sit right around 90 to 91. Johnson is starting to look the part physically.
-- Another committed visitor was 2015 right-handed pitcher Cody Morris (Laurel, Md./Reservoir), who made the trip for the weekend with his family. Morris is a potential top two round draft pick but he’s also a player who is going to put a high value on school and a college education. The early feeling is that the Gamecocks are going to have a very good shot to get him, although his draft is still 16 months away. Morris, who will keep his fastball in the 92 mph range already, has put on about 15 pounds since the summer and is up to around 205.
-- South Carolina had several unofficial visitors over the weekend and the majority of them were commitments. There were a couple of intriguing uncommitted prospects and one is Bailey Meeks (Kannapolis, N.C./Home schooled). The 6-foot-1, 180-pounder plays his travel baseball with the South Charlotte Panthers. He’s a 2016 prospect who is viewed by some as a catcher but South Carolina is interested in him as a pitcher. The right-hander has been clocked at 85 mph on his fastball and is still developing on the mound. He’s a name to keep an eye on for the future.
-- Class of 2015 uncommitted outfielder T.J. Hopkins (Summerville/Summerville) made his second trip to Columbia in recent weeks to take in the games on Saturday. Hopkins is a player that South Carolina is going to see a couple of times during this high school season.
-- One of the players in town for the weekend was 2014 right-handed pitcher Tyler Johnson (Richmond, Va./Trinity Episcopal). He’s actually hit a little growth spurt and is standing close to 6-foot-4 and 195 pounds. He’s adding a little bit of velocity to his fastball and we’d expect he will sit right around 90 to 91. Johnson is starting to look the part physically.
-- Another committed visitor was 2015 right-handed pitcher Cody Morris (Laurel, Md./Reservoir), who made the trip for the weekend with his family. Morris is a potential top two round draft pick but he’s also a player who is going to put a high value on school and a college education. The early feeling is that the Gamecocks are going to have a very good shot to get him, although his draft is still 16 months away. Morris, who will keep his fastball in the 92 mph range already, has put on about 15 pounds since the summer and is up to around 205.
Posted on 3/17/14 at 1:42 pm to CayceCock13
-- Class of 2017 infielder Noah Campbell (Raleigh, N.C./Cardinal Gibbons) visited South Carolina the weekend of the Brown series and left very impressed with the program. The recruiting process happens earlier for some than others and it’s obviously coming along very quickly for Campbell, a high school freshman. The son of former UNC baseball player Darin Campbell, Noah already has interest from North Carolina, N.C. State, Vanderbilt and others. Early returns are the Gamecocks and Commodores are out in front for the infielder, who attends the same high school as current Gamecock Max Schrock.
-- One of the key recruits in the 2014 class is junior college catcher signee Jared Martin (Dunwoody, Ga./Chattahoochee Valley), who is in the midst of his spring season. Martin is known more for his defense right now than he is offensively. That being said, he’s hitting .304 so far this year with a .429 on-base percentage. He had eight doubles, two home runs and 13 RBIs while having more walks (10) than strikeouts (7).
-- Class of 2015 commitment Sam Finnerty (Pelham, Ala./Pelham) is off to a very good start this season for his high school team. In his most recent game, he went 3-for-4 and also pitched three innings with five strikeouts. So far this season, he has four home runs. Finnerty has added some weight and is up to 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds but one of his best attributes has always been his speed, which he’s maintained with the new weight. It’s up in the air whether Finnerty will be more of a pitcher or a hitter at the college level but the staff likes his arm and his athleticism in the outfield. He’s built a lot like current Gamecock Joey Pankake.
-- Class of 2016 LHP target Ryne Huggins (Newberry/Newberry) visited Clemson last week and had a great trip but did not commit. It was also a good sign for the Gamecocks that Huggins came down to Columbia on Saturday for the game against Ole Miss on an unofficial visit. It will probably be a back and forth battle between the Gamecocks and Tigers with a decision coming, he says, in the summer. In a start on Friday night, Huggins allowed one earned run over seven innings and struck out 14.
-- Class of 2014 RHP signee Braden Webb (Owasso, Okla./Owasso) threw his second no-hitter of the season on Friday and struck out 15.
-- One of the key recruits in the 2014 class is junior college catcher signee Jared Martin (Dunwoody, Ga./Chattahoochee Valley), who is in the midst of his spring season. Martin is known more for his defense right now than he is offensively. That being said, he’s hitting .304 so far this year with a .429 on-base percentage. He had eight doubles, two home runs and 13 RBIs while having more walks (10) than strikeouts (7).
-- Class of 2015 commitment Sam Finnerty (Pelham, Ala./Pelham) is off to a very good start this season for his high school team. In his most recent game, he went 3-for-4 and also pitched three innings with five strikeouts. So far this season, he has four home runs. Finnerty has added some weight and is up to 6-foot-1 and 200 pounds but one of his best attributes has always been his speed, which he’s maintained with the new weight. It’s up in the air whether Finnerty will be more of a pitcher or a hitter at the college level but the staff likes his arm and his athleticism in the outfield. He’s built a lot like current Gamecock Joey Pankake.
-- Class of 2016 LHP target Ryne Huggins (Newberry/Newberry) visited Clemson last week and had a great trip but did not commit. It was also a good sign for the Gamecocks that Huggins came down to Columbia on Saturday for the game against Ole Miss on an unofficial visit. It will probably be a back and forth battle between the Gamecocks and Tigers with a decision coming, he says, in the summer. In a start on Friday night, Huggins allowed one earned run over seven innings and struck out 14.
-- Class of 2014 RHP signee Braden Webb (Owasso, Okla./Owasso) threw his second no-hitter of the season on Friday and struck out 15.
Posted on 4/14/14 at 2:49 pm to CayceCock13
-- Class of 2016 uncommitted right-handed pitcher Tyler Mondile visited South Carolina with his coach and his father for two days over the weekend. He had a great visit getting to spend a lot of time with the coaching staff. He took a tour of the campus and was impressed with the facilities and the campus. Ranked as the No. 17 player in the country by Perfect Game, he’s a prospect who is going to be able to write his own ticket to any school. He’s in the middle of visits now but Virginia is one of the main programs to watch.
---
Conway headed to SMC: Class of 2014 baseball commitment O'Kevius Conway (Clinton/Clinton) will attend Spartanburg Methodist next season instead of South Carolina Carolina. Conway will be able to play right away for the Pioneers and the door is open for him in the future with the Gamecocks.
Conway had an ACL injury in December 2012. He is not to the point where he could come in and play immediately for South Carolina and it's in his best interest to go to a junior college where he can play early and get at-bats. Conway met with Gamecocks head coach Chad Holbrook on Thursday to make the decision.
---
Conway headed to SMC: Class of 2014 baseball commitment O'Kevius Conway (Clinton/Clinton) will attend Spartanburg Methodist next season instead of South Carolina Carolina. Conway will be able to play right away for the Pioneers and the door is open for him in the future with the Gamecocks.
Conway had an ACL injury in December 2012. He is not to the point where he could come in and play immediately for South Carolina and it's in his best interest to go to a junior college where he can play early and get at-bats. Conway met with Gamecocks head coach Chad Holbrook on Thursday to make the decision.
This post was edited on 4/14/14 at 2:53 pm
Posted on 6/4/14 at 12:10 pm to CayceCock13
MLB Draft Bible: Will the recruits become drafted or go to school?
quote:
LHP/OF Alex Destino: For quite a while, it looked like Destino was trending towards the professional ranks. He had a great summer with Team USA flashing some fastballs in the low 90s from the left side. Some scouts saw him as a potential Carlos Rodon, N.C. State’s lefty who will go in the top five picks overall this year. Destino was unable to replicate those summer numbers with any amount of consistency this high school season. He’s fallen off the radar for a lot of teams since then as a pitcher. He, however, is unlikely to get the kind of money he wants. Confidence level he comes to school: High
quote:
RHP Junior Harding: One of the first players to commit in the 2014 class, Harding is one of the least likely to come to school and has been for a long time. The hard-throwing righty who will get his fastball up to 97 mph on the radar gun should find himself in the seventh round range. That slot should be good enough for him to skip school. Confidence level he comes to school: Very low
quote:
RHP Brandon Murray: One person in the South Carolina program told me the Gamecocks got one victory in the SEC Tournament. While the team was in Hoover, the coaches and Murray had several conversations and the belief is now the right-hander is going to come to school. Murray, like Harding, can run his fastball into the 97 mph range but he sits pretty comfortably around 92-93. Confidence level he comes to school: Moderate
quote:
OF Clark Scolamiero: Scouts love his athleticism and makeup, his arm and defensive abilities. But he also has a desire to come to school for three years. Teams like the Cardinals, Red Sox, Blue Jays, Mariners and Pirates have all been after Scolamiero hard but he’s just not going to get enough money for his liking to skip school. Confidence level he comes to school: High
quote:
INF Madison Stokes: When Stokes flipped his commitment from The Citadel to South Carolina, we wrote he likely wouldn’t see campus. Since then, Stokes has gone back and forth between school and professional baseball. Right now, he’s trending towards skipping school. Confidence level he comes to school: Low
quote:
C Hunter Taylor: The scouts have started to turn up the heat a little bit on Taylor lately but the belief is he will still end up at South Carolina. He’s OK to admit publicly that his price tag is a half million dollars and a team that meets that demand will get him to skip school. Confidence level he comes to school: High
quote:
RHP Braden Webb: A power arm from the right side, Webb was getting some major heat before having season-ending Tommy John surgery in April. A team may still pick him late in the draft as a courtesy. Confidence level he comes to school: Very high
Posted on 6/6/14 at 3:06 pm to CayceCock13
247 bolt
quote:
South Carolina signee Alex Destino (Weaverville, N.C./North Buncombe), one of the top-ranked players in the 2014 recruiting class, says he's coming to play for the Gamecocks. Destino delivered his message on Twitter but also confirmed via text message he plans to attend college.
"No draft for this guy," Destino wrote. "I'm coming to South Carolina!"
quote:
@Destino_15
Columbia, I'm coming.
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