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Cole Messina

  • position Catcher
  • height 6-0
  • weight 215
  • class Sophomore
  • B/T R/R
  • Hometown Summerville, S.C.
  • High school Summerville HS
  • position Catcher
  • height 6-0
  • weight 215
  • class Sophomore
  • B/T R/R
  • Hometown Summerville, S.C.
  • High school Summerville HS

Cole Messina Bio

AWARDS
  • Johnny Bench Award Winner (2024)
  • Perfect Game Second Team All-American (2023, ’24)
  • NCBWA Second Team All-American (2023, ’24)
  • ABCA Second Team All-American (2024)
  • Baseball America Second Team All-American (2024)
  • D1Baseball.com Second Team All-American (2024)
  • All-SEC Second Team (2024)
  • SEC All-Tournament Team (2024)
  • All-NCAA Raleigh Regional (2024)
  • CSC Academic All-District (2024)
  • ABCA All-Atlantic Region First Team (2024)
  • NCBWA Dick Howser Trophy Hitter of the Month (May, 2024)
  • SEC Player of the Week (May 6, 2024)
  • Preseason All-SEC First Team (2024)
  • D1Baseball.com Preseason First Team All-American (2024)
  • Perfect Game Preseason Third Team All-American (2024)
  • NCBWA Preseason Third Team All-American (2024)
  • Collegiate Baseball Third Team All-American (2023)
  • Baseball America Third Team All-American (2023)
  • D1Baseball.com Third Team All-American (2023)
  • All-SEC First Team (2023)
  • ABCA All-Atlantic Region Second Team (2023)
  • D1Baseball’s SEC Extra All-SEC First Team (2023)
  • Buster Posey Award Watch List (2023)
  • Dick Howser Trophy Semifinalist (2023)
  • SEC Spring Academic Honor Roll (2023)
  • SEC First-Year Academic Award (2022)

JUNIOR (2024)

  • Played and started in 59 games for the Gamecocks in 2024
  • Led the team with a .326 batting average to go along with 64 runs scored, 19 doubles, a triple, 21 home runs and 71 RBI
  • Was seventh in the SEC in on-base percentage (.465)
  • Was tied for fifth in the league in doubles and was eighth in RBI
  • Led the Gamecocks and was 11th in the SEC with a .701 slugging percentage
  • Was 8-for-11 on stolen-base attempts
  • Threw out 13 runners trying to steal
  • Walked 50 times and was hit by 10 pitches
  • Hit .330 with 12 doubles, six home runs and 28 RBI in SEC contests
  • Set an SEC Tournament record with 16 RBI in the five Gamecock contests
  • Had 21 multi-hit and 21 multi-RBI games, both of which led the team
  • Had a 13-game hit streak and a 20-game reached base streak during the year
  • Homered twice and drove in five runs in an SEC Tournament win over Arkansas (May 22)
  • Had six RBI, including a grand slam, against LSU in the SEC Tournament (May 23)
  • Doubled and homered against Alabama (May 21) in the SEC Tournament
  • Two-run home run tied the game in the ninth in an NCAA Raleigh Regional win over James Madison (May 31)
  • Was 3-for-4 with two RBI in a win at Alabama (March 30)
  • Drove in four runs against Kentucky (April 27)
  • Went 3-for-4 at Tennessee (May 17)
  • Was 2-for-4 with three runs scored, a home run and four RBI in a win over Belmont (Feb. 25)
  • Scored four runs in a win over Longwood (March 10)
  • Three doubles and four hits in a win at USC Upstate (March 19)
  • Went 2-for-4 with five RBI in a win at Missouri (May 3)
  • Scored three runs and drove in three in a win over ETSU (May 1)
  • Doubled, homered and had three hits and two runs scored at Missouri (May 5)
  • Drove in three runs in a win over Miami (Ohio) (Feb. 18)

SOPHOMORE (2023)

  • Started in 62 of Carolina’s 63 games in 2023
  • Hit .307 with 62 runs scored, 18 doubles, 17 home runs, 65 RBI and eight stolen bases
  • Third on the team with 40 walks
  • Had a .615 slugging percentage and a .428 on-base percentage
  • Threw out eight runners trying to steal
  • Had 19 multi-hit games and 17 multi-RBI performances
  • Had a 12-game hitting streak from March 4-21
  • Went 2-for-3 with two home runs and four runs scored in a win over Bethune-Cookman (March 10)
  • Was 3-for-5 with three runs scored, four RBI, a triple and a home run in a win over Winthrop (Feb. 21)
  • Hit a pair of home runs and drove in three runs in a win over Vanderbilt (April 14)
  • Had four hits and scored two runs in a win at USC Upstate (March 8)
  • Was 2-for-4 with four RBI vs. Auburn (April 29)
  • Had two doubles and scored three runs in a win at The Citadel (March 28)
  • In the regional championship win over Campbell (June 4), was 3-for-6 with three runs scored
  • Homered and drove in three runs on Opening Day vs. UMass Lowell (Feb. 17)
  • Was a perfect 3-for-3 with two doubles in a win over Charleston Southern (April 18)
  • Drove in three and had two doubles at Kentucky (May 6)
  • Walked three times in the NCAA Columbia Regional win over NC State (June 3)

FRESHMAN (2022)

  • Played in 17 games with five starts for the Gamecocks
  • Had four hits, two runs scored and an RBI while walking four times
  • Was 2-for-3 on the day vs. Ole Miss (April 14)
  • Has his first hit as a collegian in a win over George Washington (Feb. 26)
  • Had a hit in the ninth inning at Texas A&M (May 6)
  • Walked twice vs. Appalachian State (March 1)

HIGH SCHOOL

  • Earned four letters at Summerville High School in Summerville, S.C.
  • Hit .492 with 29 runs scored, eight doubles, two home runs, 17 RBI, 10 stolen bases, a .641 on-base percentage and a .708 slugging percentage his senior season
  • Led the Green Wave to a 5A state championship appearance in 2021
  • South Carolina Baseball Player of the Year (2021)
  • All-State and All-Region (2018-21)
  • Ranked the No. 1 catcher and No. 8 overall player in the state of South Carolina by Perfect Game in the class of 2021
  • Perfect Game Preseason All-Atlantic Region first team (2021)
  • Perfect Game Underclass All-Atlantic Region first team (2020)
  • Perfect Game Underclass All-American high honorable mention (2019)
  • Played summer baseball for the Canes National team

PERSONAL

  • Born on May 14, 2003
  • Son of Becky and Mike Messina
  • Major is criminology and criminal justice