South Carolina has a dire need at the catcher position and it dipped into the junior college ranks to land a former Perfect Game All-American.

Luke Berryhill (Canton, Ga./Walters State) committed to the Gamecocks on Thursday over several other SEC programs, including Auburn, Georgia and LSU. Berryhill played one season at Georgia Southern before transferring to Walters State JC, where he will begin attending classes this semester.

Berryhill was selected to play in the 2015 Perfect Game All-American Classic and was on the team with current Gamecocks sophomore Carlos Cortes, former quarterback Brandon McIlwain and Seattle Mariners farmhand Joe Rizzo, who was also committed to South Carolina.

The 6-foot-2, 220-pounder visited South Carolina on Wednesday and waited about 24 hours before committing to the Gamecocks.

“When we first pulled up, I was looking at this beast of a stadium,” Berryhill said. “It was a great first impression just seeing it driving up. Coach Current was waiting outside for us and he was real nice. He showed us around, met all the coaches and saw the facility and campus. Everything was top of the line and I was very impressed, especially with the coaches. They all seem like very good men and great coaches.”

Berryhill said that the major thing he was looking for going through the recruiting process again was a place that he could develop on the field and off of it. He and his family made the decision that South Carolina would be a great place for that on their ride home from Columbia.

“We decided that not only would it be a great place to play baseball, I’d get to learn from good men,” Berryhill said. “I really was looking for a place that I would get really good instruction. Pretty much all the coaches on the staff have been hitting coaches at some point, so I knew I’d be getting really good hitting instruction.”

Berryhill played in three games with two starts at Georgia Southern before sitting out the rest of the year due to injury. After playing this season at Walters State, he’ll have three years of eligibility remaining to play three.

With South Carolina likely losing both of its scholarship catchers after this season with only one signed in the 2018 recruiting class, a commitment from a junior college player was a priority.

“They said they are bringing me in to start playing as soon as I get there,” Berryhill said. “They said they believe in my talent and work ethic and they want me to be ready to play when I get there.”

In the 2015 Junior National Showcase put on by Perfect Game, Berryhill was described as a “top level defensive catcher” by the organization.

“The coaches say they like my size and build,” Berryhill said. “The coaches are crazy about my defense. Catching has always been my biggest strength. I don’t think I’m a slouch with the bat, but catching has gotten me to where I am.”

Berryhill joins class of 2018 signee Wes Clarke as the only catcher in the recruiting class. Senior Hunter Taylor will graduate this year and junior Chris Cullen could opt to sign a professional contract leaving the Gamecocks without a scholarship catcher on next year’s team. Walk-on Elijah Bowers is the only catcher on this year’s team sure to return next season.

Coming out of high school, Berryhill was ranked as the No. 139 player in the country.