Gamecocks’ Landon Powell earns spot on all-time CWS dream team

Former South Carolina catcher Landon Powell is among the top 10 players ever at the College World Series, according to a report released this week on NCAA.com.

Powell played at USC from 2001 to 2004 and was named to the all-tournament team for three straight seasons (2002, 2003, 2004) at the College World Series.

“The sturdy backstop was the Gamecocks’ backbone during their run that was remarkable yet failed to produce a national title,” according to the dream team article.

As the best catcher in USC history, Powell played in 251 games and had 265 hits, 44 home runs, 61 doubles, and 193 RBIs, which place him in the school’s top five on those all-time lists.

“To select a dream team of nine position players and a designated hitter, we focused on those who had the best combination of a strong CWS appearance backed up by a lengthy MLB career,” according to the report.

Powell was selected in the first round of the MLB draft by the Oakland A’s in 2004, which began a 10-year professional career that included three seasons spent in the big leagues.

He is now the baseball coach at North Greenville University.

View the full list of the CWS dream team here.