In-state prospect announces decommitment from South Carolina baseball program

South Carolina baseball coach Paul Mainieri and his staff have some work to do to get the Gamecocks' roster ready for the 2025 season, though, that work might not be the type most expect.

Sure, USC needs to make some improvements and work to get the new members of the team ready to contribute, but Mainieri and his staff have to make some hard decisions, too. Based on new roster rules that allow more scholarships but fewer roster spots, the South Carolina baseball roster is too full, and the players and coaches have to come together to make the numbers work out before this fall.

Because of that, teams from all over the country are expecting additional transfers and for some class of 2024 signees to never actually join their intended programs. Even future recruiting classes are affected as players want the chance to earn full scholarships but teams have fewer open slots on available. Over the last month or so, the Gamecocks have had several players back off of their pledges to the program and some in the '24 cycle sign with other schools.

On Wednesday, in-state class of 2025 pledge Emory Horton announced that he also was decommitting from the South Carolina baseball program with a social media message that said he was "excited to announce that [he us] reopening his recruitment." Whether Horton's decommitment was related to the new roster rules, the coaching change from Mark Kingston to Paul Mainieri, or something else is not known, but his departure from the 2025 class leaves the Gamecocks with just 15 commitments in the '25 cycle.

A pitcher and first baseman, Horton originally pledged his services to the garnet and black last fall but appears set to join a different program after finishing his senior year of high school.