Lexington baseball star dreamed of playing for Gamecocks. That dream is on hold
To the casual observer, the scene in the outfield at a late-season Lexington High School baseball game might have appeared chaotic.
When Lexington centerfielder Brandon Cromer fielded a ball, the Wildcats’ two other outfielders sprinted into action. Instead of making the throw toward the infield himself, Cromer flipped the ball to either the left or right fielder and they made the longer toss.
It wasn’t a game of hot potato. Cromer genuinely could not throw the ball.
He and the Wildcats were making the most of a delicate situation: Cromer played the final 24 games of the 2025 season with one fully-functioning arm.
On March 18, the Lexington senior pitcher and South Carolina baseball signee tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow while on the mound against Irmo — but he played out the season and contributed in ways other than pitching. He had Tommy John surgery on June 5 to repair the torn ligament in his arm. And he moved in at the University of South Carolina on June 15 facing at least a year of rehabilitation before he can play baseball at a high level again.
“I will see the field again next summer,” Cromer told The State a week after surgery. “It is a hard time right now but I know (God) gives his toughest battles to his toughest soldiers. I just have to be patient, but I’ve got a lot of great people around me.”
The injury changed the course of how his high school playing days ended and how his college career will begin. This behind-the-scenes look at his journey offers a glimpse of how he had success at Lexington even after the injury, plus the beginning of his transition to fulfilling a dream: becoming a player for the South Carolina Gamecocks.
Baseball runs in the Cromer family
The Cromer name is synonymous with baseball in the Midlands. Roy Cromer, Brandon’s late grandfather who was known as “Old Dad,” was a former coach at USC when they had a freshman team, and he played five years in the St. Louis Cardinals’ organization. His uncles Tripp, DT and Burke Cromer played with the Gamecocks. Tripp and DT went on to play professionally. Brandon’s cousin David played at USC from 2021-24.
His father, Brandon Sr., committed to play with the Gamecocks but went pro instead. He was a first-round draft pick by the Toronto Blue Jays in 1992 and played nine seasons in the minor leagues.
With that bloodline, it’s not surprising that Brandon, too, fell in love with baseball. His mother, Murray, has video of her son with a Gamecock bat and glove as a 1-year-old still holding a pacifier.
She said her son was “the most responsible kid ever when it comes to baseball,” recalling how he meticulously laid out his uniform the night before a game. Brandon used to get butterflies in his stomach on school days, thinking about his particular game that night.
“I was very in love with the game,” Cromer said.
Cromer’s baseball career continued to rise. He made the Lexington varsity team as a freshman. During his junior season, he helped the Wildcats to their first state championship since 2013.
The left-hander pitched the final two innings of the series-clinching game and worked his way out of the bases-loaded jam in the seventh against Ashley Ridge. Cromer hit. 308 with a homer, 27 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in the 2024 season. On the mound, he was 9-1 with a 2.78 ERA and 53 strikeouts in 55 innings.
Injury, then a decision to keep playing
Cromer had a strong start to his senior season and was in the middle of a shutout against Irmo at home when he threw what would be his final pitch of his high school career in the fifth inning against the Yellow Jackets.
“On my 79th pitch, I threw it and heard a big pop and felt like an explosion in my arm,” Cromer said. “.. I almost threw another pitch, but I knew I messed something up.”
Watching from the stands, Murray thought her son might be dealing with a muscle strain. Brandon Sr. feared it was much worse and went down to the dugout.
Doctors later confirmed that Cromer needed Tommy John surgery and that his senior season, which began with so much promise, might be over.
Cromer accompanied his team to the next game against Irmo, his mother’s alma mater, on March 20. As Murray watched her son sit in the dugout during the game that night, many thoughts ran through her mind.
“It was miserable. I had to start the grieving process. I knew it was at least a year (of rehab),” Murray said. “As a mother, you are only as happy as your saddest child. I knew my kid was devastated, so it was tough.”
Team morale was down after the Wildcats’ 3-2 loss to the Yellow Jackets. It was in those moments that Brandon made an important decision. He texted his father, telling him of his intentions to try and play the rest of the season.
“We’ll talk,” Brandon Sr., wrote back.
The Cromers sat down and discussed the possibility of him trying to play — hitting only — for the Wildcats. His parents didn’t think it was a good idea, but they eventually changed their minds. The plan was approved by South Carolina baseball coach Paul Mainieri, who told Cromer after the injury that he would sit out the 2026 season so he could fully heal from the injury.
Cromer returned to the Lexington lineup on March 25, a week after the injury, and went 1 for 3 against Chapin. At first, he was used as a designated hitter before moving into his normal position in centerfield. He struggled in his first few games before heating up and helping the Wildcats to a region title and first-round bye in the 5A Division I Upper State Playoffs.
In the postseason, Cromer shined even more. He went 5 for 5 with three home runs and eight RBIs in a two-game sweep of Blythewood to send the Wildcats to their second-straight championship series.
Cromer credited his success in part because he was able to focus just on hitting.
He still flashed his speed and ability to play defense, making a leaping catch near the wall of a game at the Forest Acres Classic in April. He relied on his outfield teammates to get the ball from him and make the longer throws. And there were times Cromer was pulled from the game in centerfield because of those throwing limitations.
Cromer finished the season hitting .427 with five home runs, 24 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. All five of Cromer’s home runs came after the injury.
“He made the right decision because, like I said, you can’t get back your senior year,” Brandon Sr. said.
“... I can’t put into words my feelings about what he did this season. It was a struggle. He wasn’t his strongest at first. He turned it on. Once he got his strength back, it was night and day. To excel like he did was impressive.”
The Wildcats came just short of winning back-to-back titles, losing 6-5 to James Island in extra innings in the deciding game of the three-game championship series. After the game, Cromer and his teammates were emotional as they left Riley Park in Sumter.
“We had a great run. It was a crazy run. We just kept fighting and wanted to get better everyday,” Brandon Jr. said. “We were proud of what we came as a team. The emotions were high and we were sad but glad that it happened.”
Surgery, then a long road ahead
Cromer didn’t think too much about Tommy John surgery during the season. But that reality started to come into focus with his season finally over.
The day after the title series ended, a Sunday, the family went away on a quick vacation that had been planned months before the season. They returned that Wednesday, with outpatient surgery scheduled for early Thursday morning at Prisma Health’s Parkridge hospital.
Dr. Christopher Mazoue handled the surgery, which has become more common in younger athletes in recent years. The surgery was first performed more than 40 years ago on the former New York Yankees pitcher for whom the procedure is named. Tommy John surgery includes UCL reconstruction inside the elbow by replacing it with a tendon from elsewhere in the body.
“When it first started in 1974, it was surgery for professional players, now a shift toward college players,” Mazoue told The State. “It is almost epidemic with high school athletes. No one wants to see it, but it is a part of baseball right now.
“The increased number is because of baseball’s obsession with velocity. When you throw a ball harder and faster, it puts more stress on the ligament, and as a result we’re seeing more ligament injuries.”
According to a report by USA Today, studies revealed “36% of all active Major League pitchers have undergone Tommy John surgery, and the rate continues to increase every year. Mazoue said the success rate of players coming back from Tommy John is pretty high, with 90% of college players returning to the sport, and 80% to 85% of high school players doing so.
“We have seen success with the surgery ... but it is a long and challenging, rehab process,” Mazoue said.
The biggest challenge of rehabilitation, which could be anywhere from 12 to 16 months, an obvious shift from the normal routine for players such as Cromer. It will be several months before can throw or hit a baseball again.
The surgery lasted one hour and involved taking a tendon from the forearm to a build a new ligament and “restore the integrity of” Cromer’s elbow, Mazoue said.
The early days after the June 5 surgery were tough. With the arm in a brace, it was hard to eat. Showering was anything but easy.
On June 18, the brace was gone. Cromer, his arm in a sling, drove himself to his first rehab appointment at Prisma Health Apex Athletic Performance to work with physical therapist Jon Leonard.
Leonard, himself a former college baseball player, talked with Cromer about the rehabilitation process. Cromer removed his sling — the stitches visible from the surgery. During that first rehab session, they worked some on his range of motion with a variety of short exercises. Cromer went home with a list of exercises he could do on his own in his USC dorm room.
He moved in at South Carolina on June 15 for summer courses and will start the fall semester this week. He is rooming with TL Hanna grad Will Craddock.
As of mid-August, Cromer was doing some light lifting with his left arm but still restricted.
There are other milestones ahead for Cromer to cross off his checklist. He could do some hitting and tossing by early September. The first stages of pitching could come in early December. Live pitching in an actual game isn’t believed to be possible until perhaps the first week of June.
“It will be tough,” Cromer said. “I could learn a lot of lessons and see what college is about. So when I come back for my redshirt freshman year, I will have an advantage over other freshmen.”
And it’s all part of the first steps to one day suiting up for the Gamecocks and playing at Founders Park.
“Cant wait to play for the Gamecocks. I’ve been going to games since I was very little with my grandpa who had season tickets,” Cromer said. “Can’t wait to get out there and live a part of my dream.”
— The State visual journalist Tracy Glantz contributed to this story
This story was originally published August 13, 2025 at 9:10 AM.
