South Carolina Baseball: Three Gamecock commits make national top-10 JuCo rankings

South Carolina baseball will have a new look in 2025. As fans know, the Gamecocks are in the middle of a coaching search after Mark Kingston was relieved of duties last week. His departure means that the coaching staff will look at least a little different next year, but the roster also will undergo some major turnover.

Thanks to departures due to graduation, MLB Draft, and the transfer portal, Carolina will be bringing in a bunch of new faces to fill the holes left on the team by those leaving the program.

A pretty strong class of 2024 recruiting class is coming in, and some big-time junior college talents will be joining them. Several junior college pitchers committed to the South Carolina baseball program are highly touted in the college baseball recruiting industry.

When Dream Big Athletics' Tad Slowik ranked his top-10 junior college pitchers, USC commits Brandon Stone, Brandon Clarke, and Jackson Soucie all found themselves inside the top-10 rankings. Slowik, a former MLB player and scout ranked the trio 1st, 7th, and 9th, respectively.

Stone, a big right-handed pitcher for Johnson County Community College, has a fastball that sits in the low 90s, a tight slider, a curveball, and a change-up that he can locate low in the zone. He was a top-300 high school prospect in the class of 2023 before heading off to junior college.

Clarke, a former to recruit and left-handed pitcher for the Alabama Crimson Tide, has massive velocity potential as a player who has been clocked in the upper 90s. He had a decent 2024 season statistically at the State College of Florida, but with his high upside, he could be a major contributor for the Gamecocks if things go well for him.

Soucie, a former Oregon commitment, pitched at Wabash Valley College the last two seasons. The lefty was a top-300 player in the class of 2022 and had a dominant second year for Wabash. His WHIP was just over 1.00, and his ERA was 2.18 as he struck out 98 batters in 70 1/3 innings.

Stone, Clarke, and Soucie all should be factors in next year's South Carolina baseball pitching staff.