Kingston: Gamecocks in 'a good place' with 2021 draft
Last summer, the Gamecocks were one of the biggest winners of a shortened MLB Draft, able to bring in all but one of their signees after the five-round event.
This year they, and the rest of college baseball world, won’t be as fortunate with the draft expanding to 20 rounds but Mark Kingston thinks the Gamecocks will be able to keep most of their recruiting class intact before the July draft.
“I mean you just never know until the draft happens. We’re in a good place. We have a lot of guys on our team who can go either way and our share of recruits who can go either way,” Kingston said. “All we can do is try to present what we think are the benefits of coming to college an guys have to make the decisions they feel are best f or them and their families.”
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South Carolina’s recruiting class—ranked No. 14 nationally by PerfectGame, without taking into account some of the team’s junior college signees—has three top 100 prep prospects and six signees in Baseball America’s top 500 draft board.
Infielder Cooper Kinney is the headliner at No. 70 on Baseball America’s board, moving up 124 spots in the latest update.
Shortstop and right-handed pitcher Michael Braswell is the second-highest rated player at No. 112 with prep outfielder Thad Ector at 327 and junior college pitchers Andrew Baker (388) and Hunter Parks (434) making the list as well.
Vytas Valincius, Kinney’s high school teammate, sits at No. 482.
In reality, with the way the draft works and college players being more likely to be taken, all six of those guys won’t sign professional contracts but there is a chance multiple could hear their names called in July.
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“We support our guys whichever way they go. Often times the best option, if you’re getting seven figures you need to head off to pro baseball,” Kingston said. “Often times if you don’t get that, the education, environment, the experience and the growth is better at this level.”
The Gamecocks could, though, lose quite a bit from this year’s regional team. The starting rotation by the end of the year—Thomas Farr, Brannon Jordan and Brett Kerry—could all be drafted along with key bullpen pieces like Julian Bosnic, Andrew Peters and Daniel Lloyd.
If all six were to be drafted and leave school, it would mean having to replace over 60 percent of the innings last season.
Offensively Brady Allen and Wes Clarke are the two highest-rated offensive prospects by Baseball America while Josiah Sightler, Andrew Eyster and David Mendham are all draft eligible.
More clarity about South Carolina’s roster next season will be settled after the three-day draft, but Kingston right now thinks the Gamecocks are positioned well.
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“Each guy is different,” he said. “When the dust settles we’ll be in a good spot.”
The draft is scheduled to start Sunday, July 11 and run through July 13 and will be 20 rounds.
Click here to see South Carolina’s full 2021 recruiting class.
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