re: Baseball Recruiting Discussion

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Junior college players are supposed to make an immediate impact and two that South Carolina signed for next baseball season got a little taste of what next year should be like. Spartanburg Methodist standouts Elliott Caldwell and Cody Mincey played in an exhibition game on Tuesday night at Carolina Stadium and both showed off for their future coaches.

With the South Carolina coaching staff in the stands watching their every move, Caldwell and Mincey showed off in their potential roles for the 2014 season. They were wearing their Pioneers jerseys but, this time next year, they’ll trade their blue for garnet.

Caldwell started at third base and hit cleanup in the order for SMC, which begins the Region X tournament this weekend as the conference’s top seed. He was 1-for-3 with a pair of walks and an RBI in the game but he also made a couple of highlight reel defensive plays at the hot corner.

“I’ve been playing well, especially the last month or so,” Caldwell said. “I got off to a slow start but the last month has been awesome. I feel like I’ve been doing a good job of being aggressive. I’m attacking pitches early in the count and doing a good job of not missing pitches.”

With current third baseman Chase Vergason set to graduate this year, the spot will be open for the 2014 season. Current freshman George Iskenderian has eyes on the position and he’ll certainly be in a heated position battle with Caldwell, who comes to Carolina with two years of at-bats at the college level under his belt.

“I just want to keep working on my swing and being consistent,” Caldwell said. “I don’t want to have a slow start next year like I did this year. I want to keep consistent going into the summer and in the fall. Hopefully once the spring gets here, I’ll be rolling.”

Mincey, a relief pitcher by trade, is the potential closer of the future for the Gamecocks. That role will be wide open as well given that senior Tyler Webb will take his game to the professional level after the season.

“It’s real exciting coming somewhere like this next year,” Mincey said, still standing on the dirt at Carolina Stadium. “Playing here tonight, it has set in that this is where I’m going to be next year. It was exciting to get out there and pitch in this stadium and I can’t wait to be here in a few months.”

Pitching coach Jerry Meyers had a chance to speak with his future right-handed arm after Tuesday night’s win and the message for him was simple. Mincey said that Meyers said the expectations for next year were to, “Come in, throw strikes, get outs, and pound the zone.”

That’s what Mincey was able to do to close out the 12-0 win over USC Lancaster registering the final two outs of the game.

“I feel like I’ve done alright this season. I’ve been throwing my fastball well and trying to spot it up,” Mincey said. “When I can do that, it makes my offspeed a lot more effective. I’ve been working on my location and trying to get ground balls. I’m trying to be more smooth, let the ball go, and throw some strikes.”

Tuesday night’s game in a Pioneers jersey was just a taste of what Caldwell and Mincey will experience next year. They were under the lights at Carolina Stadium but the colors were off and the crowd was a bit light. This time next year, the field will be the same but the stage will be bigger.


Other recruiting nuggets


-- We highlighted several players who plan to visit this weekend for the Vanderbilt series in this recruiting feature but there are a few more who plan to come visit this weekend. Class of 2013 right-handed pitcher Canaan Cropper (Salisbury, Md./James M. Bennett) and 2014 left-handed pitcher Alex Destino (Weaverville, N.C./North Buncombe) also plan to visit.

-- Class of 2014 right-handed pitcher commitment Brandon Murray (Hobart, Ind./Hobart) threw a no-hitter last week and followed it up on Tuesday night allowing three hits in a complete game shutout. He struck out 12 in his 91-pitch outing.

-- Class of 2015 right-handed pitcher commit Kaleb Bowman (Purcellville, Va./Woodgrove) threw a complete game and allowed two runs on seven hits in his team’s win on Tuesday night. He struck out 12 in the game. Bowman visited South Carolina for the Texas A&M series earlier this year.

-- Class of 2015 outfielder commit Kep Brown (Mount Pleasant/Wando) was 2-for-4 with a single and a home run on Tuesday night against West Florence. He hit a home run off of right-handed pitcher Akeem Bostick, who is projected to be drafted in the top 15 rounds of the MLB Draft this June. He’s signed to play for Georgia Southern.

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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.”

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Over the last several weeks, Williams pondered whether he wanted to walk on at South Carolina, accept a hefty scholarship offer at Furman, or play for Spartanburg Methodist, a junior college powerhouse making its second straight JUCO World Series appearance, with the chance to transfer later.

Williams knew where he wanted to end up in his college baseball career, so he figured he might as well start there.

“Ultimately, I felt like I wanted to end up at Carolina in the long run,” Williams said. “I feel like my heart is at Carolina. I’m just a Gamecock. I’ve been around Carolina a good bit. When I went down for a game, the coaches were real nice. For my visit, they showed me around. They were all laid back. I feel like I fit well with the coaches.”

Williams played shortstop for his Belton-Honea Path High School team but he projects as a corner infielder at the next level. The 6-foot-2, 195-pounder is likely to start off at third base for the Gamecocks during fall practice but he’s versatile enough to play a number of positions.

During his time in Columbia, Williams could play either corner infield or corner outfield position. He could also see some time at short, which gives the South Carolina coaches plenty of options.

“I don’t mind playing anywhere, really,” Williams said. “I’ve been getting a lot of work this summer at third. Short is like home to me. Third is becoming like short is to me. I won’t say it’s easy, but I’m really improving there.”

Williams, who is a left-handed hitter, finished his high school season hitting .370 with 18 RBIs, 32 runs scored and 10 hits for extra bases. Over his five-year career, which included 10 games played as an eighth grader on the varsity team, Williams hit .411 with 102 RBIs.

“I like hitting gap-to-gap,” Williams said. “I’m a really good backside hitter. I’ve been working a lot on my top hand trying to get more pop on the ball pull side. I want to keep teams off balance, lay down a few bunts here and there, and just get on base.”

Coming in as a walk-on, Williams understands the challenges he will face. There are only eight walk-on spots on college rosters and there will be at least double that number trying out next year to make the squad.

Williams said that he’s going to come in and work hard to earn one of those eight spots but if it’s in his best interest to redshirt, that’s what he will do. Between now and the start of fall practice though, the AAA All-State selection has some areas of emphasis to work on.

With the high school season over and his senior year winding down, Williams has spent at least a portion of each day at TNT Sports, a facility in Williamston that has indoor batting tunnels and an outdoor turf field to take ground balls, along with a workout and recovery areas. He’s working with former South Carolina and Citadel baseball player Jay Reames, who also coaches his summer team.

“I’ve been hitting the weight room hard lately trying to get bigger and trying to get a little bit more pop,” Williams said. “Arm strength, foot work, quickness - I’ve been going to TNT a lot, which is where I’ve been working out., to develop those areas. Those guys are trying to get me ready for the next level.”

Williams is working every day to get ready for the next level. He wanted South Carolina to be his ultimate destination, so he figured that’s where he’d begin.

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-- Holbrook met with class of 2013 signee John Parke (Greenville/Greenville) and his family on Sunday afternoon to discuss the draft. The South Carolina coaching staff is busy educating the players expected to be drafted on the benefits of coming to college versus signing a professional contract. Holbrook has met with several of the signees so far and more are forthcoming. Parke is not a player who is expected to sign but he has top 10 round talent. If he’d sign for slot, he’d likely be taken somewhere between the fifth and eighth rounds. Slot money in that range of rounds is not nearly enough for Parke to sign, so he’s expected to be at South Carolina.

-- Along the same draft lines, optimism still remains high that right-handed pitcher signee Wil Crowe (Pigeon Forge, Tenn./Pigeon Forge) that he will enroll at South Carolina. Crowe could be a top four round type of pick but he wants first round type of money, which is something he’s unlikely to get this year.

As far as early impact players go in the 2013 class, there are more pitchers who should play an immediate role on next year’s team. Parke, Crowe, and right-hander Canaan Cropper (Dematha, Md./James M. Bennett) are the three who come to mind as far as freshman pitchers who are expected to enroll and should come in and be immediately ready to pitch. There aren’t many position players expected to make a big impact next year but there are definitely some pitchers who could throw big innings.

-- The staff found out this week that they have five spots to bring in players this summer. Baseball at South Carolina doesn’t work the same way as football as football can bring in everyone. The baseball program is limited in the amount of spots. Obviously, it’s not as big of a deal to bring in players early for baseball. The coaches have five spots to play with. Outfielder Brock Maxwell (Suwanee, Ga./Lambert) is certain to be one of them. The rest are pretty much set in stone but the staff is currently in the process of making those arrangements.

-- There’s not a whole lot going on in the world of recruiting right now as coaches are focused primarily on their team. Recruiting coordinator Sammy Esposito did spend Monday morning in Charleston catching a Diamond Devils game to see a few younger players. Summer ball gets started hot and heavy this upcoming weekend but South Carolina coaches will be involved in the Regional. Not a lot of recruiting information is expected until the season ends.

-- Class of 2014 left-handed pitcher target Devin Smeltzer committed to Florida Gulf Coast last week. He’s a player that South Carolina liked and offered but didn’t really push for late in the process.

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@johnmwhittle 3h
#Gamecocks get a nice little boost. LHP John Parke (@johnparke11) will honor his commitment and attend South Carolina skipping the MLB Draft

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@johnmwhittle 4h
Eight #Gamecocks, all recruits, are ranked in @BaseballAmerica's Top 500. Kinda surprised no Tyler Webb

List: Nick Ciuffo 22, Travis Demeritte, 56, Cory Thompson 121, Wil Crowe 141, Matt Vogel 374, John Parke 415, Widener 454, Canaan Cropper 492

Article here: Baseball America Top 500 Prospects

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C Nick Ciuffo: The first name with South Carolina ties off the board should be Ciuffo, who is probably a late teens or early 20s pick in the first round of the draft. He’s been invited and accepted a trip to New York for the draft, which is a pretty good indication of his intentions to sign. Area scouts, crosscheckers and scouting directors have come in droves to see Ciuffo, who has also done multiple pro workouts in leading up to the draft. St. Louis is a team that likes him a lot and they have picks at 19 and 28 in the first round. The Cardinals may not be ready to take him at 19 but he certainly won’t fall past 28. I feel like he’ll go to the Rays at pick No. 21 but Baltimore at 22 is another possibility. I expect him to get in the $2 million range and sign.

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RHP Canaan Cropper: With Cropper, he’s kind of hard to project at this point. He’s set a dollar amount that I think will keep him from being drafted early enough to sign. I don’t think there’s going to be a team that’s willing to give him the money he wants, which will probably cause him to fall way down the boards. He’s a player who is a top 10 round kind of talent but could easily not be selected at all.

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RHP Wil Crowe: Probably a fourth round pick if he’d sign for slot money, Crowe could easily fall towards the bottom of the draft or completely out of it altogether. Crowe’s signing bonus figure has done nothing but go up in recent weeks and he wants first round money to sign a professional contract. He won’t get that though and should be in school this fall.

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RHP/3B Travis Demeritte: Another player not to get too attached to is Demeritte, who could end up anywhere from late first round to the second round. He’s a tremendous athlete and one of few players who profile as a position player or pitcher who will probably wind up at a position. It shouldn’t take too long for Demeritte to get his deal worked out once he is drafted.

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OF Brock Maxwell: A lot of scouts have taken in Maxwell’s games this high school season as he does very little in the summer and fall because of high school football. Scouts view him as a currently a 7-10 round talent but he’s not going to consider signing at slot there. We’ll pass along if something changes but we expect Maxwell to be in school this summer.

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LHP John Parke: In late May, Parke said he will honor his commitment and attend South Carolina this fall. There’s no reason to believe that won’t stick. He probably a 5-8 rounder if he showed the willingness to sign, but he’ll come to school for a few years.

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RHP/SS Cory Thompson: Some like Thompson as a position player but almost everyone likes him as a pitcher. Thompson had a lot of draft “helium,” a scouting term used to describe a player moving up draft boards, in the spring. Scouts love his athleticism in the field and love his easy arm action and effortless 92-94 mph delivery on the mound. The teams that like him as a pitcher like him in rounds 4-6 while the teams that see him as a position player like him 6-8. He should come off the board as a pitcher.

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RHP Matt Vogel: The New Yorker may be the hardest player in this draft to project, not only where he will go but what he will do. Vogel has worked out for several teams and he’s still raw as a pitcher. It’s hard to tell just how much teams like him as a project and where he would be selected. He’s a player we don’t have a great feel for and will just have to keep tabs on as the summer wears on. For the record, he says he believes he will end up at South Carolina but he’s had at least some contact with every MLB team except for one. Vogel has had various workouts for scouts in the area in recent weeks and also flew to Arizona to work out for the Diamondbacks. Aside from the three of Ciuffo, Demeritte and Thompson, he’s the player most likely to sign, but that isn’t a projection I’m ready to make at this point.

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RHP/1B Taylor Widener: Scouts’ jaws dropped in January 2012 when Widener showed 91 mph on the radar gun at Diamond Prospects Pro Day and was as high as 93 as a junior. He was a player to watch this year but he never quite was able to hit those numbers again with much consistency. If Thompson had helium, some air was let out of Widener’s balloon. It doesn’t mean that he had a bad season or isn’t a good player, but he will not be drafted as high as initially expected. Unless he drops his bonus demand, he will be in school this fall.

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