South Carolina Baseball: Gamecock first baseman hits transfer portal
By Kevin Miller
South Carolina baseball has been in transfer portal news a lot this offseason. A few players have left the program, and a longer list of guys have transferred to the Gamecocks.
Some of the most notable Gamecock-related transfer portal names have been infielder Michael Braswell (transferring from USC to LSU), outfielder Kennedy Jones (transferring to USC from UNC-Greensboro), outfielder Austin Brinling (transferring to USC from North Florida), and pitcher Ty Good (transferring to USC from College of Charleston).
On Tuesday, another South Carolina baseball player announced his intention to leave the Gamecock program when 1B/OF/DH Jacob Compton entered the transfer portal. Compton was a highly-touted bat who transferred to the Gamecocks from Memphis, but a back injury kept the left-handed power threat from playing the entire 2023 season.
Compton was impressive enough during fall camp for many to believe that he was in line to win the first base over eventual starter Gavin Casas. Casas, of course, went on to a good 2023 season in which he hit 19 home runs and was on the midseason watch list for the Golden Spikes Award given to college baseball’s top player.
Another transfer portal lefty could fill Compton’s role on the team. North Carolina defection Tyler Causey is another big lefty with power who can play corner outfield and first base, just like Compton. Another similarity to Compton, though, is that Causey has dealt with numerous injuries during his collegiate career.
Unlike Compton, Causey could also play third base if needed as he was a high school shortstop. Causey has one more year of eligibility remaining.
Some other important names for fans to know coming to Columbia via the transfer portal include left-handed pitcher Garrett Gainey (Liberty), right-handed pitcher Drake Quinn, right-handed pitcher Tyler Dean, infielder Zac Morris (VMI), outfielder Blake Jackson (UNC-Charlotte), and infielder Parker Noland (Vanderbilt).