South Carolina pitcher Roman Kimball announces he will undergo Tommy John Surgery

South Carolina baseball is going to be down one of its top newcomers this year. Notre Dame transfer Roman Kimball announced he’s undergoing Tommy John Surgery.

Kimball made the announcement in a YouTube video Thursday, confirming a tear in his UCL. He was one of five Notre Dame players to enter the transfer portal after Link Jarrett left to take the head coaching job at his alma mater, Florida State.

“This isn’t a complete tear of the UCL, but it’s bad enough to the point where I have to get full reconstructive surgery,” Kimball said. “I’m going to miss the full 2023 season, and I’m going to be getting full reconstructive Tommy John Surgery this coming Wednesday, on Nov. 16. I’m heading back out to Dallas to get that done from Dr. Meister. The cool things is he is one of the best, so I’m in really good hands, and the other things is I’m getting a specific surgery that only he does.”

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Kimball was a big piece for Notre Dame as the Fighting Irish rattled off a run to the College World Series. He finished the year with a 4-0 record, a 5.76 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 17 appearances as a freshman.

He announced his commitment via Instagram the same day Notre Dame hired Shawn Stiffler as its new coach. In his post, he expressed his gratitude to the university and made clear it wasn’t an easy decision to enter the portal.

“Notre Dame will always hold a special place in my heart for the rest of my life,” Kimball wrote, via BlueandGold’s Tyler Horka. “This decision was very hard for my family and I, and it is very hard to walk away from Notre Dame.”

South Carolina is coming off a 27-28 record in 2022, including a 13-17 mark in SEC play. The Gamecocks saw their season end in the SEC Tournament against Florida.