USC baseball transfer to play for Gamecock great at surging DII program
Infielder Jalen Vasquez is transferring from South Carolina to go play for a Gamecock great.
Vasquez announced on social media Wednesday that he will play for Landon Powell’s North Greenville University team next season. Powell and the Crusaders are in the semifinals of the Division II College World Series in Cary, North Carolina and competing for a national championship.
“Thank you to the University of South Carolina for a memorable 2 years,” Vasquez tweeted Wednesday. “I have learned and grown a lot! This was a hard and long thought process but very proud and excited to announce that I will be continuing my education and baseball career at North Greenville University!”
A product of Fort Dorchester High, Vasquez will remain in his home state for his next college stop. The sophomore entered the transfer portal shortly after USC’s season ended in the SEC tournament.
A seldom-used player, Vasquez registered just 37 at-bats between two seasons with the Gamecocks but has been valuable as a backup infielder at third, shortstop or second base. Though his playing time was limited, Vasquez delivered a walk-off sacrifice fly against Ole Miss this season and drew starts at third base down the stretch. He hit his first collegiate home run on May 13 in a win over Kentucky.
His playing time figures to increase as he drops from the ultra-competitive SEC to Division II.
Powell has tapped into the transfer portal quite often in constructing his roster. Former Gamecocks Jax Cash and Jordan Holladay also play for the Crusaders.
This story was originally published June 8, 2022 at 5:14 PM.
