TJ Shook didn’t have to look very far when choosing a baseball program to commit to, roughly 17 miles.

Growing up in Irmo, South Carolina, he lived in Columbia’s thumbprint his entire life, watching South Carolina's baseball team flourish. Now the Dutch Fork alumni gets to be a part of it.

“I’ve always had dreams of going there since I was a kid,” he said. “So once I got the offer, it really wasn’t a hard decision for me. And the baseball program is outstanding.”

Shook, who plays both outfield and pitcher, says he hopes to be a two-way player in college. He also said that pitcher could become his primary position. The 6-foot-4 200-pounder was the Region 4A Player of the Year and was named to the All-state team the past two seasons.

Now he takes those high school accolades and tries to apply them at South Carolina, something he’s dreamt of doing since he was a kid.

“It’s going to be amazing; I can’t wait to get down there,” he said. “I’ve always grown up a Gamecock fan no matter what the sport was. It’s been pretty cool going to the games as a child and finally getting this opportunity.”

Shook’s fastball tops out around 90 miles per hour and he said his changeup’s been called above average. He’s also working on developing a good slider into his repertoire.

With a loaded pitching staff, Shook could also play in the outfield. He’s had success there in high school, hitting .398 his sophomore and junior seasons. With a young team, Shook will be able to compete for playing time—whether on the mound or in the outfield—which is something he’s excited for.

“I’ll go there and give it my best shot and hopefully get a starting spot,” he said. “I’m going there and I’m going to do my best.”

Shook enrolled in college with other incoming freshmen at the beginning of July, a few months before fall practice starts and the Gamecocks try and build on . Now, he gets to live his dream of playing for the Gamecocks and the university he grew up rooting for.

“Being in a top-10 program in the country, that’s pretty cool to think about,” he said. “I’m really excited to get there and be on the team.”