Exploring South Carolina's bullpen options for 2023

South Carolina’s bullpen was inconsistent at best in 2022. Something will have to change in order for the Gamecocks to find success.

With preseason scrimmages around the corner, here are some of the options out of the pen for the Gamecocks this season.

Returners

Cade Austin was by far the Gamecocks’ best reliever last year. Whenever they needed outs, he could get them in any situation.

The Freshman All-American right-hander finished last season with a team-best 3.17 ERA and 55 strikeouts in 54 innings. He was even better in SEC play, with a 2.84 ERA and 32 strikeouts in 31.2 innings.

One good thing about Austin is that he won’t limited to one specific role. He can pitch as a closer, middle reliever or even go multiple innings. He was able to get six or more outs in 17 appearances last season.

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Austin’s high school teammate, Matthew Becker, was another freshman who found success in multiple roles. He made five starts for South Carolina but also pitched as a reliever for most of the year.

Becker pitched to a 5.21 ERA across 48.1 innings, striking out 68 and walking 33. He also tallied four saves for the Gamecocks in April. There’s a chance he could start or be a ready-to-use lefty out of the bullpen. There’s no doubt his role will grow after showing glimpses of what he could do in the long run.

Another reliever who has shown he can go multiple innings is Wesley Sweatt, who saw his season cut short by mid-March with an injury.

Sweatt struggled when he was on the mound, allowing 10 runs in 12.1 innings. He’ll be back healthy for South Carolina this season and will be asked to pitch meaningful innings.

James Hicks and Jackson Phipps, when healthy, could be important in getting multiple outs. Both are returning from Tommy John surgery and might be used for spot starts or long relief appearances.

The same could be said for Eli Jones, who returned from the same elbow procedure last year and started six midweek games. He could either return to this role or fill a spot in the bullpen.

Brett Thomas will try to chisel out a role as either a starter or long reliever as well. He made 10 appearances with six starts for South Carolina in 2022, finishing with a 6.65 ERA and 25 strikeouts.

After not allowing a run in five appearances, two-way player Michael Braswell imploded after blowing a save versus The Citadel. From there, he’d continue to struggle and finish with a 5.40 ERA in five innings. He went from a potential closing option to just a shortstop.

There’s always a chance that Mark Kingston could use Braswell as a reliever again but it feels like his focus will be on hitting and fielding.

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Newcomers

Eli Jerzembeck could be a great starting pitcher at some point in the future but his role will probably lie as a spot starter and reliever in 2023.

The highly-touted freshman’s fastball sits in the mid-90s while his upper-70s breaking ball is his best pitch. It features a lot of downward break and spin rates that can exceed 3,000 RPM. He should see the mound for some important innings when his opportunities come.

Austin Williamson, Connor McCreery and Trey Wheeler round out the remaining freshmen pitchers. They might not see a ton of action this season, with a lot of arms set to fill out spots in the rotation and bullpen.

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South Carolina added some arms from the transfer portal who could be crucial in the long run. The main one is Nick Proctor, a right-hander from California. In 2022, he threw 30.2 innings with a 4.11 ERA, 1.21 WHIP and 48-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio for the Golden Bears. From what’s been seen of him as a Gamecock, he closed out some games in the fall but can go multiple innings as well.

The Gamecocks also brought in Ricky Williams, another right-hander, from the portal. He previously played for in-state rival Clemson, pitching to a 2.95 ERA with 12 strikeouts in 21.1 innings last year. His biggest issue has been giving up walks, which was on display at times in the fall. But if he can limit them, he’ll find a role with the team.

Then there’s Dylan Eskew, a former JUCO product out of Chipola College in Florida. He primarily was a starter last year, making nine starts in his 13 appearances, but he’ll need to find a spot in the bullpen for now. He struck out 49 batters in 47.2 innings in 2022.

While he might not technically be a “newcomer”, Sam Simpson will make his collegiate debut this season. The redshirt freshman right-hander missed all of last year with Tommy John surgery, a recurring injury amongst Gamecock pitchers.

Simpson last pitched for Carrollton High School in Carrollton, Georgia. He had an 8-1 record with a 2.26 ERA in 66.1 innings for the Trojans. Perfect Game ranked him as the No. 10 right-handed pitcher and No. 25 overall player in Georgia.

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