South Carolina Baseball: Gamecocks receive more good news with late-night commitment

South Carolina baseball is rolling in recruiting. Over the last month, the Gamecocks have picked up a handful of commitments across multiple recruiting classes (2024, 2025, and 2026), but the biggest day of recruiting news came on Monday.

In the morning, the Gamecocks received a public commitment from Cameron Appenzeller, a left-handed pitcher from Springfield, Illinois. Shortly after that announcement went public, South Carolina native Peter Mershon also pledged his services to the South Carolina baseball program.

That would have already been a big day on the recruiting front, but Mark Kingston and company weren’t done just yet. Later into the night, another left-handed pitcher joined the South Carolina baseball fold as Ryan Brennecke followed Appenzeller and Mershon with Monday commitments to the Gamecocks.

Brennecke announced his decision on his personal Twitter (X) account.

Brennecke is a left-handed pitcher who throws in the mid-upper 80s with two more years of high school baseball remaining. He also plays some first base, but he is expected to be a pitcher at the college level. At 6’2″ and nearing 200 pounds, Brennecke likely can unlock some more velocity as he continues to grow and fill out physically.

Brennecke’s commitment to USC continues new pitching coach Matt Williams’ emphasis on adding left-handed pitching. One of the biggest pitching issues for the Gamecocks under previous pitching coach Justin Parker was his team’s lack of lefties who could contribute. Coach Williams appears committed to making that reality a thing of the past.

Just in the last two weeks, the Gamecocks have added four left-handed pitchers to future rosters in Columbia, picking up two commitments from the junior college ranks and two more from the ’25 high school class.

After losing five hurlers in the 2023 MLB Draft (plus one incoming transfer pitcher), pitching is a big question mark for the garnet and black over the next two seasons. Only left-handed pitcher Matthew Becker and right-handed pitcher Eli Jones return as experienced and fully healthy arms.

Opportunities for young contributors on the mound will be plentiful over the next two or three seasons as many on the roster are new faces or coming off of injuries.