Mark Kingston added two new transfers into the program since July 1. The first was power-hitting second baseman Will McGillis. The San Diego native had been with Southern Miss since 2018. He was redshirted that season and then gained an extra year in 2020. 2023 will be his sixth year in college baseball. McGillis hit .265 with 16 home runs, 12 doubles, and 51 RBIs in 2022. He fielded at a .952 clip, by comparison, Gamecocks' second baseman Braylen Wimmer fielded .959. McGillis was 7-32 against SEC pitching in 2022 with 1 home run. How McGillis will factor into Kingston's lineup next season will depend on what happens with Wimmer in the draft. If Wimmer is gone, McGillis likely slides into the second base spot. If Wimmer returns, McGillis could start the season at DH. He has too much pop in his bat not to be in the everyday lineup.

The Gamecocks missed on one of McGillis' teammates, starting pitcher Hurston Waldrep. Waldrep committed to Florida last week.

The Gamecocks also significantly upgraded their bullpen with the addition of Notre Dame transfer Roman Kimball. Kimball will be a Sophomore and have three seasons of eligibility left. The right-hander made 17 appearances out of the bullpen for the Irish. He had a 5.76 ERA and struck out 32 batters over 25 innings. Opponents only hit .207 off Kimball, but he will need to focus on not giving up the long ball after giving up seven last season. Kimball will be the only player on the roster next year with Omaha experience as he threw 0.2 innings against Oklahoma in this year's CWS. He walked two and struck out one and did not allow a run. Kimball did not pitch in the Super Regional upset wins over Tennessee. He did have one forgettable outing against Clemson, throwing 2.1 innings and getting tagged for three homers, two by projected top 5 round pick Max Wagner. Kimball was the 55th overall recruit in the country by Perfect Game for the 2021 class. He should only get better in Columbia and could be closing games by the end of next season if he cuts down on the home runs allowed.

The Gamecocks are likely done with recruiting position players in the transfer portal but they could still add an additional arm. Obviously, the draft will affect the rosters of most college programs. It could lead to situations where the Gamecocks do add another position player based on what enters the portal after the draft. How's that for straddling both sides of the fence?

Luckily, the draft is not expected to impact the Gamecocks too much. Among the current draft-eligible players Josiah Sightler, Kevin Madden, and Noah Hall are expected back next season. Braylen Wimmer is a little more up in the air at this point. Wimmer is ranked as the 206th best prospect in the draft by Baseball America, I've seen him lower in other publications. I'd currently put his chances of returning at 55%. If he is drafted in the first ten rounds it may be hard to keep him in Columbia.

There are three Gamecock signees/commits to keep an eye on the draft.

Jacob Zibin is currently committed to Mark Kingston but has not signed with Carolina. Zibin's status is unusual as he is only 17 years old. He will have the option of reclassifying and playing another year of high school ball in Canada, his native country. This would allow him to enter the draft next season as well. Zibin played at TNXL Academy in Florida this past season. I've seen Zibin rated as high as a top 75 draft prospect. I don't believe Zibin will ever wear the garnet and black.

Eli Jerzembeck is a right-handed pitcher out of Charlotte. I've seen him rated anywhere as a top 100-200 prospect this year. Jerzembeck's stock has significantly improved in the last 6-8 months. I believe that Jerzembeck signs a pro deal.

Ethan Petry is the highest-rated position player in this year's draft class. The Florida native is also rated consistently in the top 150-300 prospects in this year's draft. I feel good about Carolina's chances of getting Petry on campus next season.

The MLB Draft runs from July 17-19.

Several former Gamecocks have announced their transfer destinations for next season. Jalen Vasquez will play for Gamecock legend Landon Powell at North Greenville. Elijah Lambros will continue his career at Maryland. Summerville native Aidan Hunter is going home to play for the College of Charleston. Vytas Valincius appears to be taking the JUCO route, and finally, Colin Burgess is headed to Cincinnati for his final two seasons.