The class of 2018 doubled in size this week with the addition of left-handed pitcher John Gilreath (Rock Hill/Northwestern). Gilreath, a player the South Carolina staff has tracked since last fall, picked up an offer after the Palmetto Games on Sunday and it didn’t take long for him to commit.

Gilreath said he is a lifelong fan of the Gamecocks and pitching on the mound at Carolina Stadium will be a dream come true. He used his time on the bump in his future home to impress the Gamecocks’ coaching staff.

“I don’t think I was throwing too hard this last time they saw me pitch,” Gilreath said. “I was throwing 80 or 82 at the most. From then until Palmetto Games, I worked my butt off to gain some velocity and work on my mechanics and secondary pitches. My changeup was working pretty well.”

The Palmetto Games is an event for the state’s top prospects and the rosters are filled with predominately juniors and seniors. A few select sophomores were invited, including Gilreath, and he was given the final inning to throw in his team’s final game.

Gilreath didn’t allow a hit in inning of work while sitting 83-84 with his fastball while topping out at 86 mph. Barry Mabry, a former professional pitcher who now works for Diamond Prospects, wrote that Gilreath’s “mound presence is far advanced for his age.”

“My changeup is definitely my best pitch,” Gilreath said. “It’s been working exceptionally well and I think the coaching staff liked that a lot.”

Following his performance, Gilreath was taken on a short tour of the stadium and had a meeting with recruiting coordinator Sammy Esposito.

After receiving the offer, it took less than 24 hours for him to commit.

“I’ve been a Gamecock fan since I was a little kid,” Gilreath said. “The facilities are amazing and coaching staff is amazing. The fan base is the best in the country. You can’t compete with anything with the Gamecocks.”

Gilreath is also a student of the game and has great admiration for South Carolina pitching coach Jerry Meyers. He would film a pitcher’s pre-game bullpen session, watch and study and also listen to Meyers as he would pass along tips and tweak the mechanics of current pitchers warming up before their games.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise when Mabry also says, “(The) first thing that stands out is his almost flawless delivery.”

Gilreath is also veteran of multiple South Carolina camps where he’s had the opportunity to work with Meyers.

“He gave me some instruction during a flat ground I was throwing,” Gilreath said. “Everything stuck out about him being a great pitching coach. He tutored Michael Roth and Jack Wynkoop and you can’t be a great pitcher without a great pitching coach.”

Gilreath joins catcher Charlie Welch in the class of 2018.

