Will Sanders
- position Right Handed Pitcher
- height 6-6
- weight 215
- class Junior
- B/T R/R
- Hometown Atlanta, Ga.
- High school Woodward Academy
- position Right Handed Pitcher
- height 6-6
- weight 215
- class Junior
- B/T R/R
- Hometown Atlanta, Ga.
- High school Woodward Academy
Will Sanders Bio
AWARDS
- Perfect Game Preseason All-America second team (2023)
- Baseball America Preseason All-America second team (2023)
- D1Baseball.com Preseason All-America second team (2023)
- D1Baseball.com’s All-Fitt team (2023)
- Preseason All-SEC second team (2022)
- SEC All-Freshman team (2021)
- Perfect Game Freshman All-America first team (2021)
- Collegiate Baseball Freshman All-American (2021)
- No. 7 Top College Prospect for the 2023 Draft by D1Baseball.com (Dec. 3, 2021)
- No. 7 Top College Prospect for the 2023 Draft by Baseball America
- SEC Freshman of the Week (March 1, 2021)
- SEC Co-Freshman of the Week (April 5, 2021)
- SEC First Year Academic Honor Roll (2021)
JUNIOR (2023)
- Made 14 appearances with 11 starts for the Gamecocks his junior season
- Was 4-4 with a save and 77 strikeouts in 62.2 innings pitched
- Selected in the fourth round of the 2023 MLB First-Year Player Draft by the Chicago Cubs
- Struck out 10 and allowed just three hits and three runs in six innings in a win over Florida (April 20)
- Earned the save in the Columbia Regional championship game against Campbell (June 4), striking out six in three innings
- In a win over Bethune-Cookman (March 10), struck out eight in six innings of work
- Picked up the win at Vanderbilt (April 14), striking out four in five innings
- Had four strikeouts in three innings in a win over No. 1 LSU (April 6)
- Pitched seven innings at Georgia (March 18), striking out six and allowing four runs in a no-decision
- Had two strikeouts in an inning in the Columbia Regional opener against Central Connecticut State (June 2)
SOPHOMORE (2022)
- Started 15 games on the mound for the Gamecocks
- Was 7-3 with a 3.43 ERA and 91 strikeouts in 89.1 innings pitched
- Had 53 strikeouts in 57.1 innings in SEC games
- Finished fifth in the league in innings pitched and 10th in both ERA and strikeouts
- Struck out a career high 14 batters in seven innings against Clemson (March 4)
- Won the Tom Price Award as the Most Valuable Player for the Gamecocks in the Clemson series
- Had 11 strikeouts in seven innings pitched in a win over Vanderbilt (March 25)
- Made the start on Opening Day, allowing one run and three hits in five innings in a win over UNC Greensboro (Feb. 18)
- Earned the win over Georgia (April 9), striking out nine in 6.1 innings
- Pitched seven innings vs. Florida in the SEC Tournament (May 24), striking out 10 and allowing four hits and an unearned run
- Pitched at least seven innings in seven of the 15 starts
- Picked up the win over Alabama (April 30), striking out eight in seven innings
- In the win over No. 1 Texas (March 13), struck out six and allowed just two runs on four hits
FRESHMAN (2021)
- Made 22 appearances with 10 starts for the Gamecocks his freshman season
- Went 6-3 with a 3.54 ERA, a save and 54 strikeouts in 53.1 innings pitched
- Was part of a combined three shutouts on the season
- Went eight innings, allowing just one run with four strikeouts and no walks in a win over Georgia (April 4)
- Earned wins in back-to-back games against Clemson (Feb. 27-28), combining to pitch 1.2 innings of hitless relief
- Earned the win at LSU (April 17), striking out four in six scoreless innings
- Had a season high 10 strikeouts, allowing just one hit in five innings in a win over The Citadel (March 23)
- Struck out six in four innings in a win against Florida (March 28)
- Had three strikeouts in 1.1 innings of relief in the NCAA Regional game against Old Dominion (June 5)
- Had six punchouts in four innings against Missouri (April 11)
- Was selected to play for the USA Baseball Collegiate National Team in the summer
HIGH SCHOOL
- Attended Woodward Academy in Atlanta, Ga., where he helped the War Eagles to a quarterfinal berth in the 4A state playoffs in 2019
- Under Armour All-American (2019)
- Georgia Dugout Preview Magazine 4A All-State first team (2019)
- Perfect Game Preseason All-Southeast Region first team (2020)
- Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-America first team (2019)
- Perfect Game Preseason Underclass All-America honorable mention (2018)
- Played in the Perfect Game All-American Classic and the Under Armour All-American Game in 2019
- Was the No. 2 ranked right-handed pitcher and No. 3 overall player in the state of Georgia in the class of 2020 by Perfect Game
- Also ranked No. 58 player in the country and the No. 18 RHP in the 2020 class by Perfect Game
- No. 200 on Baseball America’s Top 500 Players for the 2020 MLB Draft
- Played summer baseball for the East Cobb Astros
PERSONAL
- Born on March 30, 2002
- Son of Rich and Rebekah Sanders
- Major is criminology and criminal justice