Terry Rooney shares recruiting philosophy heading into first season with South Carolina
One area in which South Carolina has consistently stacked up against other elite college baseball programs over the past few years is recruiting.
According to Perfect Game, the Gamecocks have registered four top-25 recruiting classes over the last five recruiting cycles. South Carolina’s 2020 class was ranked highest in that span at No. 4.
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The Gamecocks’ recent recruiting success has carried over into the 2025 cycle as well. As of June 21, South Carolina has the No. 11 recruiting class in the nation. This ranking puts it in the top half of the SEC in terms of recruiting for next season.
Terry Rooney, South Carolina’s new pitching coach and recruiting coordinator, has also had his own fair share of success in this area. This past season, Rooney served as the Associate Director of Program Development and Recruiting at LSU. The Tigers had the second-best recruiting class in the country last year and currently has the top class this upcoming season.
Rooney said incoming players are looking to see what sets South Carolina apart from other schools around the country.
“Everybody can pick up a phone and talk to somebody about how great their program is, ‘Look at our facilities, and we’re in the SEC.’ Well, that’s wonderful because a lot of places have good facilities and good history. Certainly, not to the magnitude of South Carolina,” Rooney told GamecockCentral. “South Carolina has a lot of those variables.”
After working in college baseball for nearly three decades, Rooney feels confident that he knows what the best players want. He said he plans to follow a two-pronged approach when pitching the Gamecock baseball program to recruits, both of which aim to prove how South Carolina will help players achieve success in college and the professional ranks.
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“I feel like the best players in the country want to go somewhere they’re going to develop into a Major League player, and somewhere they’re going to have a chance to go to Omaha and win a national championship. All of the best players in America want that, whether they are a high school kid, a junior college transfer or a four-year transfer,” Rooney said.
“Those are the two variables that the best players in the country want. And, obviously, those are two factors that can distinguish us from others.”
He added that his recruiting philosophy isn’t about bringing in the greatest number of players. Rather, it’s about recruiting people with positive attitudes and build strong bonds with the team’s coaching staff.
“It’s not about recruiting quantity. It’s about recruiting quality. The relationships Coach (Monte) Lee has already had – it’s obviously evident in the players that are in the program and their love for him so much. That’s certainly going to continue.”
South Carolina’s recruiting efforts will not fall solely on Rooney’s shoulders, though. Rooney said each coach on South Carolina’s staff will play a role in bringing new players to the program.
“Every single person in this program is going to assist in recruiting players – like, everybody. Certainly, people have their own designated areas to focus on. But it takes everybody and my efforts and my beliefs to recruit,” Rooney said. “You’re dealing with high school kids, you’re dealing with the portal. You’re dealing with a variety of things that have to go almost 24 hours a day, so to speak. So it takes everybody in the program to be successful.”
