Thomas Powell was two years old when he attended his first South Carolina sporting event, and this summer—just under 15 years later—found himself standing in the outfield at Founders Park.

“We went and played a tournament there a month or so ago. I was out there thinking I could play there but it’s crazy. I look back at pictures from when I was little with all the Carolina baseball gear and I’m like, ‘Dang, this is really about to be forreal.’ That’s crazy.”

Now, Powell will get the chance to patrol the outfield in a few short years as one of the Gamecocks’ most recent commitments in the 2023 class.

“I had been building a relationship with coach (Skylar) Meade and coach (Trip) Couch before they took those jobs probably a year before I committed,” he said. “Once coach (Mark) Kingston called me I was like, ‘This is where I want to be. South Carolina’s where I had been dreaming about since I was a kid.’ As soon as he offered me, I said I was coming. It was a no-brainer.”

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Powell admitted him and his entire family were “big time” South Carolina fans, something that helped the Gamecocks withstand pushes from Clemson and the College of Charleston in the recruitment process.

What was one of the biggest deciding factors was the relationship he built with Mark Kingston and the Gamecocks’ baseball facilities.

“I love their facilities,” he said. “What really sold me was talking to coach Kingston. I can tell he’s definitely a coach players like and like to learn from. He’s a players’ coach. He was really honest and straightforward with me in what he saw from me as a player now and what he thought I could do to help the team and what he liked about me.”

Powell, a left-handed hitter who plays at River Bluff, a few short minutes from campus, and thinks his offensive game will definitely help him once he arrives on campus.

“They said they liked I’m a left-handed hitter. Coach Kingston said they had a lot of righties and they wanted to add more lefties to the lineup. That’s one big way I can help. I hit for power,” he said. “That’s one of my strong suits, but I’m really good at getting the ball in play and hitting for average. Getting on base is probably my biggest strength. I worked deep into so many counts last season and the summer.”

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Powell, who committed over the summer, did it before both Chad Caillet and Justin Parker were hired as assistants.

Since taking the job, Caillet has reached out to Powell and the two are starting now to build a relationship.

“We were just getting to know each other,” he said. “He was telling me to keep in touch and don’t be a stranger.”