South Carolina adds transfer portal pitcher from SEC East school
South Carolina added another piece to its transfer portal class today, this time bringing in an arm with SEC experience in Michael Polk.
The Gamecocks landed the right-handed pitcher in Polk, a former top 500 prospect who spent the last four seasons at Georgia as a reliever.
Polk missed the entirety of the 2023 season coming off Tommy John surgery. His last full season in 2022, Polk had a 9.62 ERA in 24.1 innings. He struck out 32 to 22 walks with a .255 batting average against.
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The Georgia native was really good over his first two seasons with the Bulldogs, though. He gave up just eight runs (four earned) in two seasons over the course of 24.1 innings.
His best season came in 2021 when Polk finished the year with a 1.86 ERA and a .254 batting average against in 17 appearances (19.1 innings). He struck out 23 to 17 walks with a 1.81 WHIP.
That season he finished with a 2.25 ERA and a 1.92 WHIP in 12 SEC innings.
He’ll likely give the Gamecocks some much-needed depth in the bullpen for a pitching staff losing a ton of key contributors from last season.
Polk visited South Carolina on July 15 and committed soon after that. He’s the second transfer in this class to come over from another SEC school.
Polk was a highly-rated player coming out of Georgia with the 2019 class. Perfect Game ranked him the No. 338 overall prospect in the class and the No. 31 player in Georgia.
South Carolina has three other pitchers expected to make it to campus with reigining CAA Pitcher of the Year Ty Good coming over from Charleston.
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Good finished last year with 4.26 ERA and a 1.32 WHIP in over 82 innings. He struck out 93 to 44 walks.
Liberty left-hander Garrett Gainey will be on the roster as well. He had a 7.28 ERA and a 1.49 WHIP last season as a starter for the Flames.
Tyler Dean comes over from Virginia Tech after pitching in just 12 innings for the Hokies with a 6.75 ERA.
Dean was a former top-100 prospect out of high school with a fastball in the mid-90s as well. All three of those guys can certainly help in the bullpen in some capacity.
The Gamecocks also landed Marist RHP Drake Quinn recently.
The Gamecocks have six committed offensive players that include outfielders Austin Brinling (North Florida), Kennedy Jones (UNC-G) and Charlotte’s Blake Jackson.
South Carolina also has commitments from Vanderbilt’s Parker Noland, North Carolina’s Tyler Causey and Presbyterian’s Dalton Reeves.
