USC baseball adds intriguing portal pickup from ACC shortstop transfer
South Carolina baseball has picked up a big-time transfer portal commitment.
Wake Forest shortstop JD Stein announced his pledge to new head coach Kevin Schnall and the Gamecocks on social media Wednesday afternoon.
Stein kept the announcement short and to the point, simply saying “Go Cocks.”
Stein comes to South Carolina after a strong freshman campaign with the Demon Deacons in 2026. He played in 58 games for Wake and touted a .266 batting average. Stein tallied 50 hits, 41 RBIs and an on-base percentage of .384. Stein also stole 13 bases and scored 38 runs. Stein had a .934 fielding percentage and 12 errors this past season.
The 5-foot-8 Carmel, Indiana native projects as someone who could slide into the starting shortstop position right away for Schnall and the Gamecocks. Stein visited South Carolina on Tuesday, per Gamecock 247. The rising sophomore entered his freshman year with the Demon Deacons as the No. 5 overall prospect and No. 1 shortstop prospect from the state of Indiana, per Perfect Game.
Stein’s commitment is the latest from a former Wake Forest player. Catcher Andrew Costello announced his intentions to transfer from Wake to the Gamecocks on June 19. Both Stein and Costello are following Bill Cilento, who Schnall tabbed as South Carolina’s new hitting coach after a decades-long tenure with the Demon Deacons.
This story was originally published June 24, 2026 at 3:01 PM.
