Erik Parker just started his freshman year of high school but already knows where he wants to go to play college baseball.
The shortstop out of Georgia made it official a few weeks ago, committing to Mark Kingston and the Gamecocks as the second pledge in the 2024 class.
“There were a lot of schools but I saw South Carolina and that environment and their history is pretty good. They have great coaches and I wanted to be part of a staff like that.”
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Parker committed to South Carolina over a few other SEC school in large part because of the program’s history and his relationship with the coaching staff.
He built a relationship with all three full-time staffers who can go out recruiting in Kingston, Trip Couch and Skylar Meade, saying it’s more than just a coach-to-player bond.
“They were just talking like I was their son,” he said. “It was basically a family bond. It wasn’t talking about just sports; it went beyond sports. It was family.”
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PerfectGame hasn’t updated its full class rankings for the 2024 class but does have Parker as the 15th-best shortstop in his class, which usually means he’ll be ranked fairly high once those rankings come out.
He said the Gamecocks like his offensive game and how he carries himself on the field.
“I’m more of a mental type of guy, I keep it classy,” Parker said. “I have a good swing and a stroke to the ball. The ball’s coming off me fast, high 80s. I’m just an all-around player on the field.”
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Parker just started his freshman year of college, which means he has four years before he gets to South Carolina, which is something he can’t wait for.
What that time does give him is the chance to continue to develop his game, as he gets deeper into his high school career.
“I want to get stronger and stronger. Right now I’m not as strong as I should be,” he said. “Right now I’m working on that in high school and coaches are really helping me prepare already. I’m trying to hit home runs, you know? I want to hit the ball harder.”