Summerville standout, South Carolina signee earns state’s top baseball award
PJ Morlando earned the state’s top baseball honor on Monday.
The Summerville High School outfielder and South Carolina signee was named the 2024 S.C. Gatorade Player of the Year. Morlando is the first USC signee to win the award since Logan Chapman in 2017.
Morlando hit .392 with two homers despite being pitched around most of the season. He reached base more than 60 percent of time this year and was walked 44 times this year. He scored 44 runs and stole 12 bases.
Morlando committed to the Gamecocks in July and signed with them in November. He was originally committed to Mississippi State.
There is a good chance Morlando might not play a game for Gamecocks. He is expected to be a high-round pick in next month’s Major League Baseball Draft.
Perfect Game ranks Morlando as No.. 1 high school baseball prospect in country for Class of 2024. MLB Pipeline has Morlando as the 57th-best prospect in this year’s draft. He played in last year’s High-School All American Game and won the event’s home run derby.
Morlando also played with Team USA 18U squad last summer.
Off the field, Morlando had a 3.62 GPA and volunteered locally on behalf of the The Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, the Lowcountry Food Bank, the Summerville Miracle League and as part of an after-school youth literacy program at elementary schools.
This story was originally published June 3, 2024 at 8:07 AM.
