The next Gamecocks star? Freshman Braswell does it all for USC on Opening Weekend
Whether he’s firing an imaginary bow and arrow into the air after a base hit or yelling as he struts off the pitcher’s mound, South Carolina freshman Michael Braswell has the kind of energy that can be mistaken for arrogance.
When his new Gamecocks teammates first met him in the fall, a few of them thought they might have to rein the freshman in.
“Honestly, at the beginning we were like, ‘Woah,’ ” said fifth-year senior Andrew Eyster, laughing. “It was like we might have to bring this guy down a little bit.”
It’s a good thing they didn’t. Three games into the college baseball season, and the electric freshman already looks like a star in the making.
The top-rated recruit in this year’s USC freshman class, Braswell contributed in all facets of the game in the Gamecocks’ nail-biting series win over UNC Greensboro. He played a smooth defensive shortstop all weekend long, showcasing his athleticism and arm strength. In Game 1, he singled and hit his first career home run over the right-field fence. The next day, he hit a two-run single in the ninth inning to set up a comeback attempt that fell just short.
But the true spectacle of the weekend was Braswell’s Sunday encore.
After Eyster and the Gamecocks defied the odds with a two-out, game-tying grand slam in the bottom of the ninth inning, USC turned to Braswell on the pitcher’s mound.
Making his collegiate pitching debut in the 10th inning of a series-deciding game, Braswell pitched with the guts of a three-year veteran. Touching 90 mph on the stadium radar gun and mixing in a big sweeping breaking ball, Braswell struck out the side in the 10th, growing more animated and energized with every swing and miss.
Then, in the bottom half of the frame with runners on the corners and one out, Braswell hit a grounder to deep third base to score the winning run in walk-off fashion
“Honestly, it’d be hard to top what I did this weekend,” Braswell said after the game, smiling. “Two wins, I played relatively well, and we came together as a team for the first weekend, and it was great.”
A native of Mabelton, Georgia, Braswell first established himself in the prep baseball circuit as a pitcher, but his development as a shortstop and a hitter in recent years gives him a chance to be a legitimate two-way player at the college level. He batted in the No. 2 hole all weekend, showing just how much confidence head coach Mark Kingston has in him.
Compared to his fiery on-field persona, Braswell speaks with poise and maturity for his age. He said he didn’t find warming up in the bullpen Sunday to be as nerve-wracking as he expected it to be.
“I’ll be honest: I’m always nervous,” Braswell said. “My dad always says, ‘If you’re not nervous, then you don’t care.’ My confidence has come from me just putting in the work. I know what kind of work I’m putting in. I know what I can do for a team and I know what I can do personally. And I think that I’ve proven that in the past. And if I keep having that mindset, I’m gonna keep proving it in the future.
“That, and I just love to play baseball. It’s just fun out there.”
Since those early days of the fall when Braswell’s self-assured energy might’ve rubbed teammates the wrong way, the Gamecocks have grown to appreciate Braswell’s swagger. It’s contagious. Eyster said he’s never met a freshman who carries himself so confidently.
That mindset is part of what attracted Kingston and the Gamecocks to Braswell in the first place.
“Michael just plays with a joy for the game that you love to watch,” Kingston said. “I think he’ll be a fan favorite very quickly.
“He loves to play. He’s very talented. He doesn’t back down. He’s not scared. So he’s a guy that will just keep getting better and better. ... He has confidence. It’s not a fake confidence. He has a belief in himself, and he’s fun to watch.”
This story was originally published February 21, 2022 at 10:31 AM.
