South Carolina baseball: Gamecocks’ recruiting class ranked 6th in the nation

The South Carolina baseball class ranks 6th in the nation.

Baseball America recently revealed updated recruiting rankings for the class of 2020, and South Carolina came in at No. 6 on the list. It ranks as the best Gamecock recruiting class since 2017, when the program finished fifth. It also rates as the best class of the Mark Kingston era.

The Gamecocks’ class currently has seven members that were considered to be top 400 draft prospects. Fortunately for South Carolina, the 2020 MLB draft was condensed amid the Coronavirus pandemic, which meant the majority of top talent would be coming to Columbia.

South Carolina saw just one defect, with left-handed pitcher Luke Little being selected in the fourth round by the Chicago Cubs. There was also a chance that class jewel Brandon Fields would garner some attention from professional scouts, but the outfielder pulled his name from draft consideration prior to June. He was rated as the 37th best player in the high school ranks.

The class also includes left-handed pitchers Magdiel Cotto and Jackson Phipps, right-handed pitcher Will Sanders, catcher Alex Boychuk, infielder Jalen Vasquez, and outfielder Josh Shuler. All six players were considered top 400 draft prospects.

This class addresses some of the program’s greatest needs, starting with pitching. The Gamecocks have lacked quality pitching over the last few years, particularly in the bullpen. The addition of talented arms should have an immediate impact, and we could see a couple of these freshmen on the bump next year.

Here’s how the top ten classes shaped out.

1. Miami (Fla.)

2. LSU

3. Vanderbilt

4. Arizona

5. Florida

6. South Carolina

7. Stanford

8. Texas

9. Arkansas

10. Georgia Tech

The Gamecocks are one of five SEC members in the top ten, though an ACC school sits atop the rankings. South Carolina was 12-4 before last year’s season was halted. They’ll use this class to build upon that, as Mark Kingston tries to get the Gamecocks back to national relevance on the diamond.