South Carolina baseball busy in transfer portal. Who’s staying, leaving for 2025?
One of South Carolina’s top relievers has entered the transfer portal while the Gamecocks added a productive infielder from the Big Ten.
Sophomore right-hander Connor McCreery has entered the portal, a school official confirmed Tuesday afternoon. The Big Spur’s John Whittle was the first to report the news. McCreery is draft eligible so there is a chance he can be taken in the MLB Draft to be held July 14-16. He also can sign as a free agent.
Tuesday was the last day that college baseball players had to declare their intentions to enter the portal under NCAA rules.
A few hours later, the Gamecocks got a commitment from Ohio State infielder Henry Kaczmar.
“Let’s do it in the Garnet and Black,” Kaczmar posted on his Instagram.
Kaczmar, who entered the transfer portal on June 18, will have two years of eligibility left. He was a Big Ten all-freshman team selection during his first year with the Buckeyes.
As a freshman, Kaczmar hit .293 with seven homers and a team-high 46 RBIs. This season, he had a .320 batting average, seven home runs and 36 RBIs.
Kaczmar is the ninth player the Gamecocks have added from the transfer portal over the past month.
McCreery went 3-1 with a 4.37 ERA and appeared in 19 games this season for the Gamecocks, all out of the bullpen. He also had one save and struck out 25 in 22.2 innings. As a freshman, McCreery appeared in four games.
McCreery is the eighth USC player to enter the transfer portal but the only one to have a significant role from this year’s team. The New York native finished his high school career at P-27 Academy in Lexington.
South Carolina went 37-25 last season and fired Mark Kingston after the season. Former LSU coach Paul Maineri replaced Kingston and his staff has been busy trying to fill out the roster for next year’s squad.
South Carolina transfer portal
A list of players USC baseball has added and lost in the transfer portal
Additions
Caleb Jones, RHP, Winthrop — June 3
Cayden Gaskin, INF/OF, Northwest Florida State — June 12
Dalton Mashore, OF, St. Mary’s — June 14
Wyatt Evans, LHP, Tennessee — June 21
Ashton Crowther, LHP, Miami — June 24
Nathan Hall, OF, Clemson — June 24
Jarvis Evans, LHP, Georgia — June 26
Charlie Meglio, INF, Campbell — June 26
Henry Kaczmar, INF, Ohio State — July 2
Leaving
Connor McCreery, RHP
Carson Hornung, OF
Jackson Phipps, LHP (Jacksonville State)
Jevarra Martin, LHP
Drake Quinn, RHP
Tristan Salinas, UTIL
Austin Williamson, RHP
Tyler Zedalis, INF (Old Dominion)
This story was originally published July 2, 2024 at 2:43 PM.
