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Will Sanders

  • position Right Handed Pitcher
  • height 6-6
  • weight 215
  • class Sophomore
  • B/T R/R
  • Hometown Atlanta, Ga.
  • High school Woodward Academy
  • position Right Handed Pitcher
  • height 6-6
  • weight 215
  • class Sophomore
  • 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