Gamecocks ranked seventh in Baseball America poll, No. 14 in 2 others
With baseball season just around the corner, the Gamecocks have received a number of preseason honors — both as a team and individually.
South Carolina landed in the top 15 in all three major NCAA baseball rankings, coming in at No. 13 in the National Collegiate Baseball Writers Association poll, No. 14 in the Collegiate Baseball poll and No. 7 in the Baseball America poll.
A testament to the uncertainty of college baseball, none of the three polls has the same No. 1 team in the nation.
How the Gamecocks stack up in the conference varies between the polls, too.
Collegiate Baseball and the writers association place them at No. 4 in the SEC and Baseball America at No. 1. Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, LSU, Mississippi State, Texas A&M and Vanderbilt were the other SEC teams to receive top-25 rankings.
The most highly touted member of South Carolina’s roster entering the season is junior catcher Grayson Greiner. He spent his summer playing for Team USA and received several nods in Baseball America’s preseason player rankings. The publication named Greiner the No. 24 college prospect in the 2014 MLB draft and the second-best prospect at the catcher position.
Greiner and junior third baseman Joey Pankake both garnered preseason all-American honors from various publications. Both players were named Louisville Slugger second team all-Americans, and Pankake earned second-team recognition from the writers association.
South Carolina’s roster of 18 returning letterwinners from last year’s campaign will be bolstered by a recruiting class ranked seventh in the nation by Baseball America.
After beginning spring practice over the weekend, the Gamecocks will get their season underway on Feb. 14 in a three-game home set against Bucknell.