Point of pride for SC recruit: He’s first in-state commit for new coach Kevin Schnall
Kevin Schnall made it clear during his introductory press conference that as South Carolina baseball’s new head coach he will prioritize in-state recruiting.
“The connectivity in this state is unparalleled, and we’re going to build from inside out,” Schnall said June 12. “...Our number one priority would be dominating the state of South Carolina and making sure the best players in this state are Gamecocks.”
Less than a week later, Schnall delivered on that promise.
Braden Richardson became the first in-state commitment of Schnall’s tenure June 18 when he announced his pledge to the Gamecocks.
Richardson, who is from Tega Cay and attends Fort Mill High School, is ranked No. 9 in the Palmetto State for the Class of 2027 by Diamond Prospects. He was also named to the 5A Division 2 All-State Team by the S.C. Baseball Coaches Association in May.
Richardson wasted no time committing to South Carolina. He took an official visit with the program on June 18, his 18th birthday, and received an offer from Schnall and his staff. He chose to commit on the spot.
“Since a kid, it’s always been my dream to play Division-I baseball,” Richardson said. “To be able to do that in the best conference in college baseball in the SEC, and to play for an amazing coaching staff, and just play for the name South Carolina is really big to me. It’s been one of my dream schools to go to, and as soon as they offered, I pulled the trigger.”
Richardson is listed at 6-foot-1 and is a two-way player at Fort Mill. That being said, his talents will be used as just a right-handed pitcher at South Carolina, he said. Richardson’s fastball got up to 90 mph last year, per Perfect Game.
Richardson entered his official visit to USC with an open mind. The Gamecocks’ previous coaching staff led by Paul Mainieri had shown some interest in the past, but he wasn’t “heavily recruited” by the Gamecocks, he said.
On the other hand, Schnall and his staff at Coastal Carolina had been somewhat of a mainstay in Richardson’s early recruiting journey. He recalled his meeting Schnall at the Chanticleers’ Labor Day prospect camp a few years ago as a bit of a pivotal moment in his recruitment.
“At the time, I was a really skinny kid, not much muscle mass, nothing like that, but I go there, have a pretty good showing for my age,” Richardson said. “…They told my advisor they were like, ‘Hey, if this kid can consistently get in the low 90s we’re gonna get on him.’ They stayed true to their word, and I did that, and now look at everything. So, at the end of the day, it’s just really cool to have coaches that believe in you.”
Prior to his official visit, Richardson’s father (who played football at the D3 level) told his son he’d know South Carolina was right for him once he got a gut feeling.
That feeling hit soon after a tour of the Gamecocks’ “insane” baseball facilities, the greater USC campus, a pitching development meeting with Schnall’s staff, and even a chat with South Carolina football coach Shane Beamer.
“I just kind of got that feeling when I stepped on campus,” Richardson said. “At the end of the day, I was like, this is where I want to be. … Then we did the photo shoot and putting the uniform on for the first time was an unreal feeling. It was awesome.”
Richardson lauded Schnall and his staff for feeling “relatable” and having a players-first mentality. He also praised pitching coach Matt Williams and director of pitching development Dylan Eskew, a former USC pitcher himself, for the way they handled themselves during the visit.
Richardson is one of seven commitments South Carolina has from Class of 2027 recruits. The first to commit to Schnall was Brogan Witcher on June 14. Richardson is one of four in-state recruits committed to USC in the class. Gavin Henderson and Christian Spivey — ranked Nos. 5 and 6 in the state by Diamond Prospects, respectively — both committed before Schnall was hired. Joseph Rutledge II of Indian Land High School (ranked No. 7 in the state) committed one day after Richardson did, making him the second in-state recruit of the Schnall era.
The title of being the first in-state prospect to commit to South Carolina in the Schnall era comes with some extra pride for Richardson, he said. He hopes to be able to make an impact right away as a freshman in 2027 and help get the Gamecocks on the right track.
“It’s hard to beat an SEC school an hour from your home,” Richardson said. “Playing for my home state is a really big deal for me, so it’s really cool to be able to represent that.”
