Highest-rated 2020 signee among three Gamecocks entering transfer portal
A trio of South Carolina baseball freshmen have entered the transfer portal, including the most highly-touted recruit out of the 2020 recruiting class.
Pitchers Magdiel Cotto and Travis Luensmann and outfielder Brandon Fields are all in the portal, a team spokesman confirmed to The State on Monday.
Fields was a top-50 prospect in his class, according to Perfect Game, and a top-150 prospect for the 2020 MLB Draft according to Baseball America before he elected to bypass the draft completely and come to school.
Heading into the fall, Fields was considered a contender for the Gamecocks’ center field spot and flashed tantalizing potential. Coach Mark Kingston did note, however, that he struck out at a high rate, and when the season began this February, Fields did not break into the starting lineup.
Instead, over 45 games this season for USC, he has appeared in just six, going 0-for-6 at the plate with one walk and one HBP, striking out four times.
Cotto and Luensmann were both top-200 prospects in Perfect Game’s rankings, boasting high-end velocity and size. Cotto, 6-foot-4, appeared in eight games this season, giving up nine runs, eight earned, in 8 2/3 innings. Luensmann, 6-foot-6, made just one appearance, giving up six runs, four earned, in 2 1/3 innings.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
