Whit Merrifield repping South Carolina’s national title on his feet in the MLB

Eight years later, the 2010 national championship captured by South Carolina baseball still remains a fundamental part of the players on the team, including current MLB player Whit Merrifield.

Merrifield, a popular starter for the Kansas City Royals, will represent USC and that NCAA title this weekend as part of the league’s annual Players’ Weekend, when teams wear alternate uniforms with players’ nicknames on the back and customized cleats.

In an Instagram post, Merrifield showed off his spikes, one painted orange to represent his high school, Davie County, and other in garnet to show his Gamecocks pride.

Merrifield isn’t the only one injecting some South Carolina flavor into Players’ Weekend — USC alum Grayson Greiner’s nickname on his jersey dates back to his time in Columbia, he told the Detroit Tigers’ official website.

“My freshman year in college, some of my teammates started calling me ‘Gary’ for some reason,” Greiner told the site. “It started making me mad, so they started calling me that more until it stuck.”

‘Gary’ followed Greiner into the pros thanks to another former Gamecock — outfielder Joey Pankake, who was also drafted by the Tigers.

MLB GAMECOCKS PLAYERS’ WEEKEND NICKNAMES

Jackie Bradley Jr., OF, Boston — “JBJ”

Sam Dyson, RHP, San Francisco — “PSSST”

Grayson Greiner, C, Detroit — “GARY”

Whit Merrifield, INF, Kansas City — “WHITLEY”

Jordan Montgomery, LHP, New York Yankees — “MONTY”

Steve Pearce, OF/1B, Boston — “LATE LIGHTNING”

Justin Smoak, 1B, Toronto — “MOAKEY”