Notebook: Player Rankings Highlight December News

Opening Day for the 2025 South Carolina baseball season is 63 days away, but there has been plenty of news about the Gamecocks heading into the New Year.

• Baseball America published its first 2025 Mock Draft after Tuesday’s MLB Draft Lottery and the publication has Ethan Petry going No. 20 to the Milwaukee Brewers. Petry is one of five SEC players in the first round mock and one of three players from South Carolina schools in the top 20. [BASEBALL AMERICA MOCK DRAFT]
• Petry was No. 29 on MLB Pipeline’s Top 100 prospects for the 2025 Draft.
• Petry (No. 10) was joined by Eli Jerzembeck (No. 129) and Henry Kaczmar (No. 135) in D1Baseball.com’s Top 150 College Prospects list, which was released on Tuesday.
• Kaczmar also made D1Baseball’s Top Impact Transfer Hitters list at No. 24.
• Cayden Gaskin and Brandon Stone both were on D1Baseball’s Top Juco Hitters and Pitchers. Gaskin was named the No. 11 hitter while Stone was the No. 27 pitcher.
• Head Coach Paul Mainieri received the collegiate award from the Italian American Baseball Foundation on Dec. 5 in New York.
• The Gamecocks released its 2025 schedule, with a 30-game SEC schedule, the three-game series vs. Clemson and neutral-site games against North Carolina and College of Charleston highlighting the slate. Carolina opens the 2025 season on Friday, Feb. 14 against Sacred Heart and kicks off the SEC season on March 14 against Oklahoma in Founders Park. [FULL 2025 SCHEDULE]