Chapin pitcher fulfills ‘a lifelong dream’ as he signs with Gamecocks
Cade Austin got thrown into the fire during his high school baseball career at Chapin High School.
Chapin coach Scott McLeod was short on pitching in a spring break tournament, so he asked his son — the middle school coach — if he had pitchers he could use. His son recommended Austin, who was just an eighth-grader at the time.
Austin threw in relief that game and ended up being the winning pitcher as Chapin defeated Lugoff-Elgin to win the tournament. He stuck on the varsity that year and has been a fixture in the Eagles rotation ever since.
“We threw Cade out there and Cade pitched his rear-end off. And we won the tournament,” McLeod said.
On Monday, Austin made it official as he signed to play baseball at South Carolina. He committed to the Gamecocks in 2017. Austin was a part of big baseball signing class from Chapin that included William Privette (College of Charleston), Tyler Teal and Chris Veach (both Presbyterian), and Drew Calhoun (Furman).
“It has been a lifelong dream for me to be a Gamecock,” Austin said. “I’m really excited. I believe they have one of the best facilities in the nation and great coaches.”
Austin grew up a Gamecock fan and has ties to South Carolina athletics. His father, Darrell, was a former offensive linemen for the Gamecocks and played six seasons in the NFL for the New York Jets (1975-78) and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (1979-80), making 20 starts during that span.
Darrell, who is now a physical therapist, and the rest of the Austin family were in attendance Monday during the signing ceremony at Chapin.
“It doesn’t get any better than this,” Darrell Austin said. “To have your son, even though it is a different sport, represent your family at the school that I represented — it is special.”
Cade played linebacker and running back up until his freshman season when baseball took his full attention. He was a big part during Chapin’s Class 4A state championship team in 2018 and was the team’s No. 1 starter last year.
As a junior, Austin was 6-1 with a 1.61 ERA with 59 strikeouts in 43⅓ innings. He has a fastball in the low 90s but complements that with a strong slider and changeup, McLeod said.
“Cade has the movement, the location, the velocity. He has it all,” McLeod said. “I think he is going to get better and better. He is finally starting to work really hard, so he has a chance to be great.”
South Carolina baseball signees
Cade Austin (P, Chapin)
Alek Boychuk (C, Mill Creek HS, Hoschton, Ga.)
Lukas Cook (SS/Hardin Valley Academy, Knoxville Tenn.)
Magdiel Cotto (P/Nation Ford)
David Cromer (INF, Lexington HS)
Brandon Fields (OF/Dr. Phillips, Orlando, Fla.)
Luke Little (P/San Jacinto College, Pasadena, Texas)
Travis Luensmann (P/Bellwood-Antis HS, Bellwood, Pa.)
Jake Madden (P/East Pennsboro HS, Enola, Pa.)
Jack Mahoney (P/St. Viator, Arlington Heights, Ill)
David Mendham (C/Connors State College, Warner, Okla.
Jackson Phipps (P/East Paulding HS, Dallas, Ga.)
Will Sanders (P/Woodward Academy, Atlanta, Ga.)
Josh Shuler (OF/North Gwinnett HS, Suwanee, Ga.)
Sam Swygert (P/South Aiken)
Sawyre Thornhill (SS/Angelina College, Lufkin, Texas)
CJ Weins (P/Wabash Valley College, Mount Carmel, Ill.)
Jalen Vasquez (SS, Fort Dorchester)
