South Carolina baseball lost two members of its roster to the transfer portal on Wednesday, a program spokesperson confirmed to GamecockScoop. Catcher Jonathan French hit the portal as a graduate transfer, Zander Buchan is no longer with the program after redshirting as a 2023 freshman and incoming freshman outfielder Thomas Powell did as well.

French joined the program prior to last season a a tranfser from in-state rival Clemson, serving primarily as the team's back-up catcher behind star Cole Messina. He started 18 games for the Gamecocks on their Super Regional team last season and appeared in 33, hitting two home runs and driving in 11 runs with a .218 batting average. His departure along with Buchan's leaves a questionable situation behind the plate in terms of who will spell Messina.

True freshman Ryan Bakes took reps at catcher and played well in the fall, and he figures to be in the mix along with incoming transfer Dalton Reeves, who played catcher at Presbyterian before joining the Gamecocks.

Infielder Talmadge LeCroy also played a little bit of catcher in the fall of 2022, but did not do it in live action last season.

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