South Carolina commit hoping to bring 'different look' to bullpen

When Nick Proctor first entered the transfer portal, he envisioned spending his final year of college baseball somewhere with a winning tradition. Ultimately, he decided to commit to South Carolina, something he publicly announced late last week.

“I wanted to go somewhere where baseball is competitive and there’s a winning culture where the team is going to be winning games and be in big spots,” Proctor told GamecockCentral. 

Proctor spent four seasons at California, where he played with former Gamecock outfielder Brandon McIlwain. He said McIlwain had a big impact on his decision to join South Carolina. 

“I talked to (McIlwain) a lot about it. He gave me a lot of really good things,” Proctor said. “And just talked me through it.”

With the Golden Bears, Proctor made 68 appearances (90.1 innings) with a 4.88 ERA and 106 strikeouts.

However, Proctor had a rough 2021 campaign in which he finished with a 5.94 ERA in 33.1 innings. As bad as it was, he said it was an important learning experience for him.  

“Honestly, it was a really good season for me because I learned a lot of things that I wouldn’t have learned if I had just cruised through it,” Proctor said. “I think, junior year and the summer after that, I really became a good pitcher because I learned what it took. And I really learned how to be tough and not just be complacent and go slow.”    

Following an offseason of hard work, Proctor’s numbers showed improvement. He finished with a 4.11 ERA and a .235 batting average against in 30.2 innings this season.

“I feel like I pitched well, and I got guys out when I needed to,” Proctor said. “And I think a lot of it came from inside. I thought I was a lot more confident in my ability to show up and throw pitches where I want to throw them.”

Pitching exclusively in relief, Proctor will be joining a Gamecock bullpen that finished with a 6.80 ERA in 228.2 innings. He said he’s looking to earn his spot and provide crucial innings for the team. 

“I was talking on the phone with some of the coaches and they’re saying a lot of the guys this year were a lot of fastball-changeup, and I’m a big slider guy,” he said. “So, I think that’s definitely a big part of providing a different look.”

In addition to working on his craft, the plan this summer will be getting familiar with Columbia. 

“Creating bonds with my new teammates and just creating that team chemistry so we can go into the season and make a deep run next year will be the main goal,” Proctor said.

Those connections quickly began after he announced his decision. Fellow right-hander Will Sanders was one of the first to reach out to Proctor. 

“He just wanted to say what’s up and check in to tell me that he’s excited for me to come,” Proctor said. “And honestly, that made me feel very welcomed. I mean, he seemed like a great guy. So, I look forward to meeting him.”

Despite being one of three incoming transfers, Proctor said he’s not going to be afraid to show his personality.

“I mean, I show up to the field every day, I wear a bunch of colors and bracelets. I listen to a bunch of 2000’s pop music,” he said. “I’m just that kind of guy and I’m not really a rocket. I’m going to be my own person.”

Above all, he’s looking forward to interacting with the South Carolina fanbase. 

“I know Gamecock baseball has a lot of fans, and I’m not going to be afraid to show my support back to them and reach out to the community,” Proctor said. “I think they should know I’m a really outgoing guy, and I’m really excited to meet them.”