Several current Gamecocks and South Carolina baseball signees found themselves starting their professional careers last week after getting selected in one of the 20 rounds of the MLB Draft.
Eli Jones (Minnesota Twins; Round 7, Pick 218), Garrett Gainey (Tampa Bay Rays; Round 9, Pick 276), Carson Messina (Toronto Blue Jays; Round 12, Pick 367), PJ Morlando (Miami Marlins; Round 1, Pick 16), Cole Messina (Colorado Rockies; Round 3, Pick 77), and Brandon Clarke (Boston Red Sox; Round 5, Pick 148) were all taken. Except for Clarke, everyone has signed their contracts. Chris Veach, a right-handed pitcher, signed a contract with the New York Yankees soon after the draft.
One of the graduating seniors earned a professional contract on Thursday, and several other players from the previous year’s squad had plans to pursue careers in sports.
Dalton Reeves, a left-handed slugger, has joined with the Lincoln Saltdogs of the American Association of Independent Professional Baseball, he announced on social media.
The Saltdogs, who play in Lincoln, Nebraska, are a South Division team in the AAIPB. They are currently in the middle of their 2024 season. Reeves will give the squad a left-handed power hitter as well as a versatile player who can play first base, catch, and cover in the corner outfield positions.
Reeves may be given the chance to play in Major League Baseball if he does well. The legendary Jackie Bradley, Jr. of South Carolina baseball was signed by the New York Mets this week following a productive couple of months with the independent Long Island Ducks.
After playing for Presbyterian and Erskine from 2020 to 2023, Reeves switched to the South Carolina baseball program before the 2024 season. Reeves hit 11 home runs in just 119 at-bats during his time as a Gamecock, which helped him rise to prominence as the team’s designated hitter in the latter part of the season. His slash line at the end of the year was.294/.370/.597.967.
