COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina baseball team is getting some preseason recognition as a team that is expected to return to the NCAA regionals.
The Gamecocks are ranked No. 23 in the D1Baseball.com preseason poll, the publication announced Tuesday.
One of nine SEC teams ranked in the D1 preseason poll, Carolina returns 17 letterwinners, six position starters and nine pitchers from last year’s squad.
One of those returning starters is preseason All-American Will Sanders, who was 7-3 with a 3.43 ERA in 2022. The Gamecocks also returns three players – James Hicks, Braylen Wimmer and Noah Hall – who were drafted in the 2022 MLB First Year Player Draft.
South Carolina has added several players in the transfer portal plus former Clemson head coach Monte Lee who is in his first year on Mark Kingston’s staff. The Lugoff-Elgin grad is working as the team’s associate head coach and recruiting coordinator.
LSU tops the D1Baseball.com poll, with Tennessee, Stanford, Ole Miss and Texas A&M rounding out the top five.
The Gamecocks open the 2023 season on Friday, Feb. 17 against UMass Lowell with the first pitch is set for 4 p.m.