Independence Day isn’t normally thought of as a day of gifts (other than the never-ending gift of freedom, right?!). However, the 2023 version of the July 4th came with a gift for South Carolina baseball, and though the Gamecocks have been very active in the transfer portal this summer, the gift was not from the portal.
On Tuesday, one of the nation’s top players in the class of 2024 made a public commitment to play for the Gamecocks. PJ Morlando, a native of Summerille, South Carolina, brought the fireworks for South Carolina baseball’s 4th of July celebration with his announcement. Morlando made his decision public with a picture from inside Founders Park, captioning it “I’m Staying Home!”
https://twitter.com/MorlandoPj/status/1676410951132741632?s=20
Morlando is the nation’s #3-ranked prospect according to Perfect Game, and could be the best overall bat in the entire class. At 6’3″ and 200 pounds, Morlando is primarily a corner outfielder and first baseman.
Given his high ranking, the sweet-swinging lefty will have lots of hype around next year’s Major League Baseball Amateur Draft. It is not unheard of for highly regarded players to go to school instead of head straight to the professional ranks.
Current Gamecock slugger Ethan Petry likely would have been selected in the 2022 MLB Draft had he not been pretty staunch about wanting to go to college. It would have taken a massive payday from a professional organization to sway Petry, and the Gamecocks are hoping that the same will be true of Morlando.
Early on in his recruitment, Morlando was committed to the Mississippi State Bulldogs.
The Gamecocks currently have four different players ranked inside of Perfect Game’s top-65 in the 2024 recruiting cycle, including Morlando’s teammate at Summerville Carson Messina.
If that name sounds familiar to South Carolina baseball fans, it should. Carson is the younger brother of Cole Messina, the Gamecocks’ All-American catcher. Like Morlando, Messina is also weighing whether to go to school or head to the pro game.