Cole Messina
- position Catcher
- height 6-0
- weight 215
- class Freshman
- B/T R/R
- Hometown Summerville, S.C.
- High school Summerville HS
- position Catcher
- height 6-0
- weight 215
- class Freshman
- 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)
- CSC Third Team Academic 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, ’24)
- 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