South Carolina Baseball: Gamecocks land third commitment in last 10 days

South Carolina baseball has had a good two weeks.

On the field, the Gamecocks have won their last two weekend series against the Kentucky Wildcats and Missouri Tigers and have picked up two mid-week wins over the East Tennessee State Buccaneers and Winthrop Eagles.

Off the field, Mark Kingston's program has secured three class of 2025 commitments. The first came from outfielder Cam Austin after USC beat Kentucky, the second was a pledge from right-handed pitcher Bradley Anderson following the Missouri series win, and the third came on Tuesday as fellow right-handed pitcher Brandon Stone announced a commitment to the South Carolina baseball program.

While Austin and Anderson were high school prospects, Stone comes from the junior college ranks. Stone is playing this season with Johnson County Community College in Kansas after finishing high school as a top-300 national prospect in the class of 2023. He ranks inside the top-25 in the country in strikeouts as he has logged 88 strikeouts in 78 innings.

Stone is a starting pitcher at JCCC, and he has a live arm and big frame (6'6" and 220+ pounds). He throws five pitches as he has two fastballs (a 4-seamer and a 2-seamer), two breaking pitches (a slider and a curve), and a change-up. He has touched the mid-90s with the fastball and has some big movement potential in those breaking pitches. His 3/4 release adds to the movement and creates a sharp angle for lefties trying to hit against his slider.

He isn't a project prospect, however; Stone is already productive. In addition to his strikeouts, the Kansas native boasts an ERA just over 3.00 and a WHIP of 1.01. He also has a 10-1 record in 14 starts, including a complete game victory.

Stone and Johnson County are currently ranked #1 in the national junior college rankings, and South Carolina baseball fans hope he can play a role in helping the Gamecocks recapture the top spot in Division-I college baseball.