Austin Williamson made a trip down to Columbia in early June to watch some college baseball and it just happened to be South Carolina’s regional game against Old Dominion.

It was ultimately a game the Gamecocks lost, but it still leaves an impression on Williamson over a month later and he’s excited to even talk about it now as South Carolina’s newest 2022 commitment.

“I was sitting right behind the third base dugout,” Williamson told GamecockCentral. “I was the sixth inning and I remember looking up, looking around the stadium and thinking, ‘Holy crap, this would be the craziest place to pitch in the country,’ with the atmosphere. That excites me the most.”

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Williamson, who originally committed to Alabama before backing off that pledge in early June, officially announced his decision to join South Carolina’s 2022 class July 4. He picked the Gamecocks over interest from North Carolina, Clemson, Vanderbilt and Tennessee.

The distance to campus from his North Carolina home along with family ties to Columbia made South Carolina Williamson’s “ideal spot to land” once his recruitment opened up, but his relationship with pitching coach Skylar Meade put things over the top.

“My relationship grew with him when I went on a visit. He took time out of his day—and it was a full day—to walk my family and around the campus and show us around the facility. He’s a relatable guy,” Williamson said.

“He has that vibe where you can talk about anything with him, not just pitching, and he’s not 60 years old. You can talk to him kind of like you talk to your older brother but in coaching form. I just liked the vibe. South Carolina was my ideal place.”

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The Gamecocks offered him, a moment Williamson said was “second to none,” and he didn’t wait long to pull the trigger and commit.

At No. 101 in PerfectGame’s 2022 player rankings, Williamson is currently the fifth-highest rated player in the class with a fastball touching the mid-90s but clocking in this summer at 92 miles per hour.

“Some people say you can be a pitcher or a thrower and people compliment my pitch-ability so I like to think of myself as a good pitcher. It’s a fastball, curve and a changeup I think I can throw in any count or any situation at any time,” Williamson said.

“I like to paint the corners, go inside or outside, up and down. Some people go in there and want to blow 95 smoke down your throat. At some point that ain’t going to work. I think the biggest strength is my pitch-ability.”

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Williamson is one of six pitchers the Gamecocks have committed in the 2022 class and he’s more than ready to get to Columbia and begin competing for starter innings on the mound.

“I got to be the best one coming in; I feel like I have to take the other spots that I’m competing for. If I work as hard as I work, people have to compete with me,” he said. “I feel like I’m coming in to South Carolina setting a tone. I feel like most people don’t work like we do, especially high-schoolers. I feel like setting a tone and competing for a starting spot.”

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