South Carolina baseball has had a remarkable number of pitchers taken in the 2023 MLB Draft. On Day 2 of the draft, pitchers Jack Mahoney, Will Sanders, Matt Duffy, and Noah Hall were selected by the Rockies, Cubs, Red Sox, and Mets, respectively. Infielder Braylen Wimmer was also taken on Monday by the Rockies. James Hicks was the first Gamecock off the board on Day 3 when he was taken by the Houston Astros in the 13th round.
On Tuesday, Cade Austin joined his South Carolina baseball teammates. Austin was selected in the 19th round of the 2023 MLB Draft by the New York Yankees.
During his Gamecock career, Austin primarily pitched out of the bullpen as a reliever but was utilized as a starter three separate times over his two seasons in Columbia. Following his freshman year, Austin was selected as a Freshman All-American after being one of South Carolina baseball’s top relief options.
Austin, like most relievers, is a high swing-and-miss pitcher who racks up the strikeouts. During both of his years in garnet and black, Austin posted a K/9 ratio greater than 9 (meaning he strikes out more than one batter per inning on average). His freshman year was slightly better than his sophomore campaign, but he had better control in 2023 as he cut down on his walk total.
With two more years of eligibility remaining in his college career, it is unclear what Austin plans to do with his future. Some reports have surfaced that suggest Austin will sign a contract with the Yankees and pursue a professional career, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet.
There is not much of a financial obligation from teams who draft players late in the draft like the Yankees did with Austin, so some players elect to return to school in order to improve their stock.