A look into how current Gamecocks are performing in summer baseball league action
At the end of every season, many college baseball players don’t stop playing — they continue into the heat of the summer.
So far this year, there have been many players from South Carolina partaking in summer ball to improve their game before the fall and 2025 season. Let’s take a look at how each Gamecock has been doing this summer.
Lee Ellis
Ellis has been playing with the Bristol State Liners in the Appalachian League. He didn’t play a ton for South Carolina this season, only amassing 22 at-bats. But even with more reps, the numbers haven’t been great. He’s hitting .202/.313/.357 with three homers and 12 RBI. Though, he does have eight stolen bases in 10 attempts.
Evan Stone
Much like Ellis, Stone didn’t see the field much with a fairly crowded outfield this year. But in a small two-game sample size with the Lexington County Blowfish, he’s hitting .400 with four hits in 10 at-bats with an RBI.
[GamecockCentral for $1: In-depth coverage and a great community]
Will Tippett
One of the final memories of South Carolina’s season was Tippett’s walk-off sacrifice fly in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Looking to carry some of that momentum into summer ball, it’s been much of the usual for him so far. Playing with the Yarmouth-Dennis Red Sox in the Cape Cod League, Tippett is batting .211/.286/.263 with four hits in 19 at-bats.
Ethan Petry
Also playing for the Red Sox in the Cape Cod, Petry has been putting up solid numbers through 12 games. He’s hitting .381/.449/.619 with two homers and RBI. He also owns a 1.068 OPS and four doubles. It seems like his hand that he injured at the end of the season isn’t causing any problems.
Ryan Bakes
After sitting behind Cole Messina for most of the season, Bakes has been with the Rockford Rivets in the Northwoods League. In 19 games, he’s batting .246/.451/.523 with four homers and 13 RBI. He also has four doubles and a triple. But the surprising statistic is that he has a nearly 1.000 OPS, right at .974. He’ll be competing for starting catcher duties next season.
Xavier Pelzer
If you’re not familiar with Pelzer, it’s because he didn’t pitch at all for the Gamecocks in 2024. But so far with the Upper Valley Nighthawks in the New England Collegiate Baseball League, he’s 0-1 with a 7.36 ERA in 7.1 innings. His command has seemingly been an issue as he’s walked nine and only struck out three.
Wyatt Evans
Getting into the transfers, Evans notably hasn’t pitched at the college level since 2022 with Tennessee. But injuries and other factors played a part in why that is. He’s spent the summer with the Frederick Keys in the MLB Draft League. He’s pitching to a 2.45 ERA in 11 innings with 11 strikeouts and five walks. While he is in a draft league, the plan for him is to come to South Carolina in the fall and pitch next season.
[On3 App: Get South Carolina push notifications from GamecockCentral]
Ashton Crowther
Crowther, a Miami transfer, has been playing in the Cape with the Brewster Whitecaps. So far, he’s 0-2 with a 5.73 ERA, making two starts in four appearances. He’s struck out 10 and walked five.
Nathan Hall
Hall joined the Gamecocks in late June after playing for in-state rival Clemson. While with the Cotuit Kettleers in the Cape, he’s hitting .300/.364/.400 with one homer and five RBI. He’ll compete for time in the outfield next year and can play all three positions. He’s played nine games in right field, one in left and two in center so far this summer.
Nolan Nawrocki
Joining Hall with the Cotuit Kettleers is Nawrocki, who also will be transferring to South Carolina from Clemson. In 15 games, he’s slashing .288/.333/.407 with two homers and nine RBI. He’s only played at third base this summer, which is where he expects to compete in 2025.
Max Kaufer
Lastly, there’s Kaufer, who joins Crowther on the Whitecaps in the Cape. In 15 at-bats, he’s hitting .364/.467/.546 with four hits and an RBI. He also owns a solid 1.012 OPS, though it’s only been four games. Defensively behind the plate, he’s thrown out four runners in 16 attempts (25 percent).
