South Carolina baseball adds massive priority target out of transfer portal

South Carolina landed one of its biggest priorities out of the portal today with UNC Greensboro outfielder Kennedy Jones officially hopping on board. Jones announced his decision on social media Wednesday night.

Jones is a massive get for South Carolina, which is trying to deepen its lineup and also take that next step offensively after a solid year in 2023. 

And adding a talent like Jones is a big step in that direction. 

Jones finished this season hitting .357/.445/.598 with 14 home runs and 43 RBI in 281 plate appearances. He led the Spartans in average, OPS and was the best among qualified hitters (min. 20 plate appearances) in batting average on balls in play (.391). 

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Teams struck out Jones just 44 times in almost 300 plate appearances while he walked 26 times to 13 hit by pitches. A staple at the top of the lineup for UNC-G this season. And he seems tailor-made to do the same thing for the Gamecocks in 2024. 

Kennedy comes to South Carolina with two years of eligibility left to play. Has a freshman at Greensboro he hit .367/.420/.594 with 11 home runs and 73 RBI. 

He was a Freshman All-America and was named to the All-SoCon second team this season by both the league’s coaches and media. 

If Jones were on this year’s South Carolina team with the same statistics he would have led the team in average and on-base percentage. He would have finished second in doubles, tied for fourth in homers while being fourth in RBI. 

Jones joins a stout offensive transfer portal class for South Carolina that includes North Florida’s Austin Brinling and Charlotte’s Blake Jackson, among others. 

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Brinling is another candidate to start in the outfield and hit leadoff. He’s currently penciled in as the No. 1 option to hit leadoff and play in centerfield. 

Brinling, a lefty bat, comes to South Carolina from UNF where he hit .386 with a 1.040 OPS. He also had more walks (36) to strikeouts (20) this season. 

The Gamecocks are coming off a 42-21 season this year. This year saw the program’s first 40-win season and top 16 seed since 2016. It’s the first Super Regional berth since 2018. 

The season ended two wins shy of Omaha in a Super Regional at Florida. 

South Carolina will also bring back Cole Messina, Ethan Petry, Talmadge LeCroy, Gavin Casas. Plus other members of an offense that did take a step forward after a few tough years at the plate. 

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