How a hurt Brandon Cromer is navigating his 1st baseball season with the Gamecocks
Brandon Cromer emerged from the tunnel at Founders Park and headed to the shelf where the batting helmets are kept.
Cromer grabbed the helmet with his No. 2 on it and put on his elbow guard and knee guard before getting his batting gloves and bat. He jogged near the plate and waited his turn to take his swings.
“Good swing, Cromer,” South Carolina hitting coach Monte Lee said during Cromer’s hitting session. “Look at that man. Look at that. Good job, B.”
Getting to take swings and stepping on the field is the latest step in Cromer’s rehabilitation process. The Gamecock freshman and former Lexington High standout is just over six months removed from having Tommy John surgery that will sideline him for the 2026 season.
Cromer had the surgery days after Lexington’s final game in the Class 5A Division I championship game.
“It feels great out there,” Cromer told The State. “It has been a while since I was able to get out here and be able to play. It was hard in some of the months, you know, I got lonely a little bit. But, you know, God got me and I just kind of stuck with that and pushed through, and it’s just been a wonderful experience so far.”
Balancing college, baseball and healing
Cromer said it has been an adjustment getting used to college life and baseball all while trying to come back from a major surgery.
Cromer will redshirt this season. He will still have four years to play for the Gamecocks, his favorite team growing up and where his three uncles and cousin played and his late grandfather was coach for the Gamecocks freshman team when they had one.
Cromer was able to play some in USC’s intrasquad scrimmages leading up to the season, although his throwing was limited. But Gamecock second-year coach Paul Mainieri thought it was important to see where Cromer, who was recruited as an outfielder and a pitcher, was during his rehab process.
“I wanted him to play in the intrasquad scrimmages so that he could get some taste of college baseball, and it was an important time for him, for us to evaluate him,” Mainieri said. “There were times when he showed good and there were times when he looked a little overmatched. So we’re just going to have to kind of see how things go with him as he develops.”
Rehabbing after Tommy John surgery
Cromer credits the USC athletic training staff, the staff at Prisma Health, his family and friends for guiding him through the rehabilitation process, which began shortly after his surgery on June 5. He said it definitely got lonely at times, doing the same thing day after day, but he tried to keep looking at the big picture in mind which is to return to play in a college game next year.
Cromer didn’t keep a journal during this process but did keep notes and reminders for milestones to give him encouragement throughout the rehab process.
Cromer said he was able to pick up a bat in September and start taking some swings. In his senior year at Lexington, he hit .427 with five home runs, 24 RBIs and 19 stolen bases. All five of Cromer’s home runs came after the injury in March, but he played the rest of season before the surgery.
“I have just been trying to get my feel back and trying to get back to my old swing and just trying to figure these things out,” Cromer said.
Supporting his South Carolina teammates
The next step in Cromer’s rehab process will be to throw bullpen sessions, which were set to happen in late February. At the time of this interview, he was up to throwing 120 feet and 50 throws per session.
Cromer’s workload will continue to increase throughout the rest of the season and the goal is for him to be able to take the field with the Lexington County Blowfish, a wooden bat summer league team, in June.
In the meantime, Cromer will give support and encouragement to his Gamecock teammates as they go through the rigors of a 56-game season and tough Southeastern Conference schedule.
“I gotta keep things the way they’re going and just keep doing the little things and we’ll see what happens when June comes. But I’m excited for it,” Cromer said. “I also can’t wait for next year and this year I’m going to be as supportive as I can to the guys and I’m gonna have their backs no matter what.
“I’m gonna be the first person to greet them when they come to the dugout and because I, I love these guys.”
