South Carolina commit P.J. Morlando becomes first Gamecock off 2024 MLB Draft board
It did not take long for a South Carolina player to be selected in the 2024 MLB Draft. But this particular player has yet to appear in a college baseball game donning a garnet and black jersey.
Summerville (S.C.) first baseman/outfielder P.J. Morlando, who committed to South Carolina in July 2023, was taken with the No. 16 overall pick. The Miami Marlins took Morlando with their first-round selection.
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Morlando heads into a potential professional career with numerous accolades as an amateur player. He was recently named the South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year in baseball. This past season, Morlando hit .392, reached base in 60% of his plate appearances and had a 1.202 OPS as he helped Summerville to a 23-1 overall record and a trip to the Class AAAAA Lower State Championship game.
He has also been highly-rated by multiple prospect ranking lists. Morlando is rated as the No. 1 high school player in the class of 2024 by Perfect Game, as well as the No. 43 draft prospect by MLB.com.
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A member of USA Baseball’s U18 team, Morlando also saw one of the most significant achievements in the June of 2023. That month, he won both the MVP of the High School All-American Game and the High School Home Run Derby. Both competitions were part of MLB’s All-Star Game Festivities at T-Mobile Park in Seattle.
Should Morlando elect to play college baseball, he will join a South Carolina program in the midst of a rebuild. The Gamecocks finished the 2024 season with a 37-25 overall record and a 13-17 mark in SEC play. After reaching the postseason, the team was eliminated in the Raleigh Regional after falling to NC State and James Madison.
One day after South Carolina’s loss to the Dukes, head coach Mark Kingston was fired. The Gamecocks’ coaching staff has since seen a full overhaul. Former national championship-winning LSU head coach Paul Mainieri has now taken charge of the program. Monte Lee remains the team’s associate head coach and hitting coach, while Terry Rooney was brought on to serve as pitching coach and recruiting coordinator.
