Gamecocks in summer leagues: July 3
South Carolina's baseball offseason is in full swing and while the coaching staff is recruiting, building the roster for next year and managing the draft a handful of players are out playing summer baseball.
The Gamecocks have a few current players and signees up in the Cape Cod League and more playing locally in the Coastal Plains League and elsewhere across the country.
With summer leagues churning, here's a look at how the guys playing are doing.
Braylen Wimmer is hitting .207/.281/.483 with the Bourne Braves in the Cape Cod League with two home runs and eight RBI already this summer. He picked up a walk-off hit earlier this week and has two stolen bases this year with 12 strikeouts and two walks.
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Daniel Lloyd has tossed three shutout relief innings so far this summer with the Hyannis Harbor Hawks in the Cape, giving up two hits and a walk with six strikeouts. Hitters are batting just .182 off of him.
Also with the Harbor Hawks, 2021 signee Andrew Baker made his first official start of the season, giving up three earned runs in 1.1 innings with six walks and a hit while striking out three. He has a 5.25 WHIP and a .200 batting average against this summer in official games. Baker also started a game earlier this summer that was rained out (the stats didn't count) where he gave up a run and looked better with a fastball in the mid-90s.
Michael Esposito, another 2021 signee, has given up an earned run in three one-inning appearances but hasn't allowed a hit yet this summer for the Falmouth Commodores. He's walked five with four strikeouts and has a 1.67 WHIP.
Jackson Phipps has allowed six hits and three walks in five innings (four appearances) with a 5.40 ERA for the Commodores. All three of his earned runs (and three of his hits) came in one outing and he responded after that, giving up one hit in a shutout inning while striking out a batter. Phipps has a batting average against of .286 with a 1.80 WHIP.
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Also with Falmouth, Wesley Sweatt has allowed two earned runs in 4.1 innings with five strikeouts. He's allowed six hits but hasn't walked a batter with a 1.38 WHP and a 4.15 ERA as he gets further removed from Tommy John surgery last year.
App State transfer Noah Hall hasn't reported yet to the Hyannis Harbor Hawks.
Parker Coyne has made two appearances for the Lexington County Blowfish. After giving up five earned runs in three innings with three hits, three walks and three strikeouts in his first, Coyne tossed 0.2 scoreless Friday night with three walks and a strikeout.
After a rough first outing, Cade Austin is down to a 4.90 ERA for the Blowfish and has given up one earned run in his last 10.2 innings with just two walks and 16 strikeouts. He has a 1.45 WHIP this summer.
Jalen Vasquez is slashing .217/.323/.301 in 100 plate appearances for the Blowfish with 14 walks and 26 strikeouts. He's stolen three bases and has driven in seven runs.
David Cromer is hitting .160/.222/.180 also with the Blowfish in 55 plate appearances with 33 strikeouts and two walks with three RBI.
The best summer by a hitter so far is Connor Cino, who in 48 at-bats is slashing .333/.385/.521 with two homers, 14 runs driven in and four walks to 12 strikeouts. He's also stolen four bases.
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Signee Wilson Galvan is hitting .288/.380/.500 with four homers and 17 RBI this summer for the Tri-City Chili Peppers. He's walked 11 times to 24 strikeouts in 92 plate appearances.
In his first extended experience (33 plate appearances) against collegiate arms, Elijah Lambros is slashing .241/.333/.241 for the Peninsula Pilots with three RBI and three walks with five strikeouts.
CJ Weins has made two appearances for the Joliet Dirtbags, giving up three earned runs in 5.2 innings on just one hit and six walks. He's struck out 12 with a 1.24 WHIP this summer.
