Several South Carolina Gamecock baseball players selected in 2026 MLB Draft

The South Carolina Gamecock baseball program is entering a new era, as the school hired Kevin Schnall from Coastal Carolina last month. But over the weekend, Major League Baseball held its annual draft, and several current and former South Carolina Gamecocks heard their names called. 

Former Gamecock right-handed pitcher Amp Phillips was selected first of the bunch, going in the 15th round, picked by the Tampa Bay Rays. He spent one season with the Gamecocks in 2026, making 14 starts with a 4.39 ERA, including three wins with 71 strikeouts across 67.2 innings. 

Prior to arriving in Columbia, Phillips started his career at South Carolina Upstate. 

Several incoming South Carolina Gamecock players that Kevin Schnall landed in the transfer portal were selected as well. Pitcher Will Whelan, who spent 2024-2026 with Minnesota, transferred to South Carolina last week. He was selected in the 13th round by the Texas Rangers. 

Whelan compiled a 6.38 ERA across his three seasons with the Golden Gophers, and is currently pitching in the Cape Cod Summer League. So far in four games there, he's compiled a 0.50 ERA and 20 strikeouts.   

Former USF pitcher Ethan Sutton also transferred to South Carolina last month. He was drafted in the 16th round by the Los Angeles Dodgers, going 493rd overall:  

Sutton was used as a reliever this past season at USF, where he had one of the best seasons of his career. He led the Bulls with nine saves this past season, posting a 3-3 win-loss record in addition to an impressive 4.31 ERA. He struck out 56 batters, and held opposing sluggers to just a .223 batting average. 

Mercer transfer Miguel Hugas, who also was added to the Gamecocks' transfer portal class last month, was selected, as well. The Baltimore Orioles drafted him in the 14th round with their 410th pick: 

Hugas finished with a 9-2 win-loss record at Mercer last season, posting a 6.17 ERA. He also had 15 saves and another 52 strikeouts across his 77.1 innings pitched. Prior to Mercer, he played for Chipola College in Marianna, Fla. He is originally from Caracas, Venezuela. 

And Texas Tech transfer Connor Shouse was drafted in the 20th round by the Texas Rangers with the 610th overall pick: 

Shouse transferred to South Carolina earlier this month. He spent the 2026 season with the Red Raiders, during which he batted .353, including another 10 home runs with 66 RBIs. In total, he had 76 total hits including 18 doubles. He also finished 6-for-6 in stolen bases as a sophomore. He started his career at Georgia Tech. 

And last but certainly no least, outgoing transfer Jake McCoy, who recently transferred to Tennessee from South Carolina was also drafted. The left-handed pitcher was selected in the 18th round by the Toronto Blue Jays:

As a sophomore in 2025, he started 14 games for South Carolina, and had four wins with 77 strikeouts across his 60 innings pitched. He finished with a 6.90 ERA. As a true freshman, he appeared in 12 games with one start, finishing 1-0 with 20 strikeouts. 

Congrats to all the Gamecocks on getting drafted!

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