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Wheeler talks Gamecocks commitment

When he was 12, Trey Wheeler wrote one of his goals on a white board in his room: play in the SEC.

It only took him a few years to seize the opportunity with the lefty pitcher committing to South Carolina last week as part of the 2022 class.

Photo by Katie Dugan
Photo by Katie Dugan
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“That SEC has the best baseball. I’m not the most talented guy. That’s always going to be guys more talented than me. But when I get in on the field I feel like I’m the best. That’s how you have to be to win. I said to be the best player I can be, I have to play in the SEC. that’s the best competition. I thought I could do that with coach (Mark) Kingston, coach (Trip) Couch and coach (Skylar) Meade.”

Wheeler, a top 500 prospect in the class, committed to South Carolina over schools like Texas Tech and North Carolina after the Gamecocks heard about him pitching in a showcase and over the course of a weekend went from getting offered by the Gamecocks to officially committing.

One of the reasons outside of wanting to play in the SEC was the relationship he built with the team’s coaches, including the one he’ll work closely with in pitching coach Skylar Meade.

Meade did a good job, Wheeler said, during the recruitment process that set him apart from the other coaches that were recruiting him.

“He was the one coach when he called me told me something I can improve on when he called. He was the one who was up front with me and said, ‘Look, you’re really good but if we get this adjusted with your front hip and add a little flexibility and get you more out front there’s velo to be gained,’” he said. “That up front honesty and forwardness I respected. I don’t want a coach that’s going to sugar coat it.”

PerfectGame considers Wheeler the No. 380 player in the 2022 class and the No. 41 overall lefty.

Last season at Melbourne (Fla.) High School he went 2-0 with a 2.55 ERA with 13 strikeouts and a .227 batting average against.

He throws a four-seamer and two-seam fastball that tops out in the upper-80s but said he’s incredibly confident in his changeup.

“My heart and composure are probably my strongest suits. When I get on the mound that guy off the field might be 10 times better than me and I know it, but when I get on the mound I know I’m better than him,” he said. “If I don’t think that, I leave that little bit of doubt in my mind that he can succeed and everything becomes so much more of a grind instead of just pitching with my heart and my mound presence. I throw two really good off speed pitches and can spot my fastballs. The pitch-ability is there.”

Wheeler is part of the Gamecocks’ 2022 recruiting class PerfectGame currently considers the No. 15 class in the country with 10 commitments, nine of which are top 500 prospects.

Along with Wheeler, the Gamecocks have four other pitchers but just one other lefty in the class with Blaise Grove.

“I really like competition and I’m an ultra-competitive person. Going out and playing against the best every weekend and competing. You can’t beat that. that's a once in a lifetime opportunity,” “in the SEC the fans are always really supportive. It’s going to be just as great getting to play in front of those fans."

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