The South Carolina Gamecock baseball program landed several talented players via the transfer portal this offseason. As new head coach Kevin Schnall has started to build his roster, several pitchers he landed that were drafted by Major League Baseball teams earlier this month have decided to sign with their respective teams. The deadline for players to sign was Monday evening on July 27.
That means that several pitchers initially expected to join the Gamecock roster in 2027 will be pursuing their professional careers instead. South Carolina pitcher Amp Phillips, who was drafted by the Tampa Bay Rays, signed his contract. Fellow right-handed pitcher Miguel Hugas, who transferred from Mercer last month, also signed his contract with the Baltimore Orioles.Â
Will Whelan, who transferred earlier this month from Minnesota, signed his contract with the Texas Rangers. According to Gamecock Central, all three players signed deals worth $150,000.Â
Guys with South Carolina ties who got drafted and signed:
— John Whittle (@johnmwhittle) July 24, 2026
Amp Phillips: $150K (Tampa Bay)
Alex Philpott: $5K (Tampa Bay)
Miguel Hugas: $150K (Baltimore)
Will Whelan: $150K (Texas)
I'd expect the others set to be on the roster - Connor Shouse & Ethan Sutton - to be at school.
Former Gamecock pitcher Tyler Pitzer announced he was returning to South Carolina after spending this past season with Mississippi State. But he signed an undrafted free agent deal with the San Diego Padres, so he will not be in Columbia in 2027 as expected.Â
The San Diego Padres signed Mississippi State RHP Tyler Pitzer to an UDFA deal. The reliever had a 3.90 ERA in 30 IP with 38K/16BB
— College Baseball News (@bsbportal) July 23, 2026
Fastball is mid 90's as well as a high-spin slider. Also has an upper 80's changeup. Was ranked as a top 350 draft prospect.pic.twitter.com/cOMmgMiZeE
Another arm that Coach Schnall lost to the MLB is South Florida transfer Ethan Sutton. The highly-touted transfer from the Bulls was expected to be a big part of South Carolina's rotations in 2027. But on Saturday, Sutton signed a contract with the Los Angeles Dodgers. L.A. drafted him in the 16th round, and he signed a $175,000 deal with the team.Â
Three over-slot @MLBDraft signings for the @Dodgers:
— Jim Callis (@jimcallisMLB) July 26, 2026
8th-rd LHP Miles Gosztola: $247,500 ($29k over)
15th-rd OF Aemed Nasser: $175k ($25k over)
16th-rd RHP Ethan Sutton: $175k ($25k over)
Although the loss of four talented arms certainly hurts, the Gamecocks still have 16 pitchers on the roster for 2026, including Coastal Carolina transfers Hayden Johnson, Colby Richardson and Daniel Parker. You also can't blame the pitchers for pursuing their dreams of playing in the MLB, where they likely will make more money upfront with their respective contracts.Â
Congrats to all the guys on signing, and best of luck with the next step of your careers!Â
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