South Carolina commit Peter Mershon excited to play for home state team
When Peter Mershon steps into the batter’s box, he wants to keep it simple. His goal isn’t to hit the ball as far as he can but rather do the things that win games.
“I have one of two goals when I step into the box: get on base, or if there are runners on base, drive them in,” Mershon told GamecockCentral.
It’s a mindset that could bode well for South Carolina, who received Mershon’s pledge to come play on Monday.
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It’s a big win for Mark Kingston and his staff, who have landed five commitments this week alone.
Mershon will be a key piece in South Carolina’s 2025 class. He’s an in-state kid from Eastside High School in Taylors, SC. And there’s plenty of excitement for him to stay home and play for the Gamecocks.
“I can’t wait to play for my home state team and help the Gamecocks win another college world series,” Mershon said. “Our class just keeps getting better with all the commits coming in.”
Mershon went on a visit back in mid-September. He built a good connection with Kingston and Monte Lee, which further solidified his interest in the program.
“The combination between Kingston and Monte is perfect. They both have had successful coaching careers, played professionally and know how to get to Omaha. That is the ultimate goal. South Carolina is one of six College teams to win a College World Series back to back years,” Mershon said.
“Their player development really stands out as well. They have a really good track record of players getting drafted, big name guys too, like Jackie Bradley Jr., Whit Merrifield, Justin Smoak and others.”
For Mershon, a 6-foot-2, 190-pound right-handed hitter, feels he can learn a lot from both Lee and Joey Holcomb.
“I have the utmost confidence that Coach Lee and Holcomb will help me improve tremendously as a hitter, especially with my approach and ability to drive the ball more,” he said.
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Mershon also plays with Canes Baseball, one of the premier travel and showcase teams in the country.
The track record speaks for itself — they produce talent. They’ve had over 3,750 college commits, 350 MLB Draft picks and 45 players make it to the big leagues.
“I can’t say enough good things about the Canes organization. Iron sharpens iron. My older brother, who is the shortstop for Mississippi State came through them as well, and my game has progressed tremendously since joining them,” Mershon said. When you play for Canes National, you’ll be playing with the top talent in the nation and always playing against the best. We also win a lot, which makes it a lot of fun. That’s always my goal, to do something every game to help my team win. If I’ve done that, I know I did what I was supposed to do.”
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While Mershon is dedicated to winning, he’s also a pretty versatile ball player. His primary position is catcher, but he also plays third base and outfield.
“Over the last 18 months I’ve run 3.6 and 3.8 30’s as well as a 6.58 60. So I have really been putting in time working on center field defense, as well with my dad, who played outfield professionally,” Mershon said.
“Bottom line is that I believe I will become a good to great defensive catcher, infielder and outfielder, and will play wherever coach needs me to play to help the Gamecocks win. I also take pride in my base-running by taking the extra base and stealing bases. It is one of my favorite things to do on the field.”
