The South Carolina baseball season ended just a week ago, but Mark Kingston and his coaching staff have been hard at work mining the transfer portal for talent.
Outfielder Austin Brinling announced his transfer to the Gamecocks before Carolina’s season officially ended, and left-handed pitcher Garrett Gainey made his decision to come to Columbia public this week.
Brinling will compete for an outfield position and is the early leader to serve as the Gamecocks’ leadoff hitter after hitting for an OPS over 1.000 last season with 20 stolen bases for the North Florida Ospreys. Gainey didn’t have a great year for the Liberty Flames in the Atlantic Sun Conference, but he has shown quality stuff from the left side, something the Gamecocks had very little of in 2023.
On Thursday, the Gamecocks added their third transfer portal player of the offseason. Outfielder Blake Jackson from Charlotte (UNC-Charlotte) has committed to the South Carolina baseball program. He made the announcement via his Twitter account.
Glory to God! Excited for the next chapter. Go Cocks🐔 pic.twitter.com/vJGOl84Z7v
— Blake Jackson (@BlakeJackson_8) June 15, 2023
Jackson played against the Gamecocks twice in 2023, going 5-11 with a home run, 3 RBI, and 3 runs scored.
On the 2023 season, Jackson hit .277 but logged a very-impressive .433 on-base percentage. He hit 5 home runs, drove in 28 runners (RBI), and scored 46 runs. He also went 10-14 on stolen base attempts.
Jackson will come to South Carolina as a player who will compete for a starting role. No outfield spot is secure for the 2024 season unless Ethan Petry remains in right field (he came to South Carolina as a third baseman). If Will Tippett remains in the infield as expected, Jackson, Brinling, Dylan Brewer, and Evan Stone will be the leading contenders for the jobs in left and center (and right if Petry moves).
Jackson seems to have the right mentality to play for the Gamecocks. Immediately after catching the final out of Charlotte’s regional victory over the Clemson Tigers (a win that knocked Clemson out of the NCAA Tournament), Jackson enthusiastically waved goodbye to the Tiger fans in the outfield that had been heckling him just moments prior.
The Gamecocks have also had two transfer portal defections in the last week, as well. Rising junior infielder Michael Braswell announced his intention to leave the program on Monday, and senior relief pitcher Brett Thomas put his name into the portal a few days later. Braswell has already found his new home as he will stay in the SEC to play for the LSU Tigers.