2011 USC DRAFT CLASS

Name, pos., school (if a recruit), round (no.), pro team

Commit Taylor Guerrieri, RHP, Spring Valley HS, first (24), Rays

Commit Brian Goodwin, OF, Miami-Dade (Fla.) College, first supplemental (34), Nationals

Jackie Bradley Jr., OF, first supplemental (40), Red Sox

Matt Price, RHP, sixth (184), Diamondbacks

Commit Evan Beal, RHP, South County (Va.) HS, eighth (246), Royals

*Scott Wingo, SS, 11th (344), Dodgers

Commit Tanner English, OF, St. James HS, 13th (420), Rays

Commit Andrew Faulkner, LHP, South Aiken HS, 14th (444), Rangers, SIGNED, June 19

Commit Joel Seddon, RHP, St. Clair (Mich.) HS, 20th (619), Blue Jays

Peter Mooney, SS, 21st (649), Blue Jays

*John Taylor, RHP, 22nd (663), Mariners

Commit T.J. Costen, SS, First Colonial (Va.) HS, 22nd (684), Rangers

Adam Matthews, OF, 23rd (695), Orioles

Bryan Harper, LHP, 30th (907), Nationals

Michael Roth, LHP, 31st (938), Indians

Steven Neff, LHP, 41st (1,257), Giants

Commit Joey Pankake, SS, Easley HS, 42nd (1,284), Rangers

@Commit Shon Carson, OF, Lake City HS, 44th (1,345), Reds

@Commit Ahmad Christian, IF, Trinity Christian (Fla.) HS, 46th (1,391), Brewers

Tyler Webb, LHP, 48th (1,465), Reds

*Adrian Morales, 3B, 49th (1,476), Royals

*Seniors and have no remaining eligibility

@Signed with USC for football and have expressed an interest in walking on to the baseball team

Seventeen South Carolina baseball connections (current players or signees) have decisions to make before Aug. 15, the deadline for deciding to accept or pass on a Major League Baseball draft selection. The first connection, recruit Andrew Faulkner, already signed with the Texas Rangers while USC was at the College World Series, but the rest have just over a month to think about what they want to do.

GamecockCentral.com's David Cloninger weighs in:

GUERRIERI is one of the biggest prizes in the recruiting class, and perhaps in the country in terms of talent that could come to school. He accepted congratulations on his draft selection in a text message from GamecockCentral.com, but also said that his "advisor" told him not to do any interviews.

As the No. 24 overall pick, Guerrieri would naturally seem like a lock to sign. As a teenager with the whole world in front of him, Tampa Bay can plop a contract with several zeroes on it in front of him and set Guerrieri up for life, even if he never pitches an inning in the major leagues.

Several fans have mentioned that they spoke to Guerrieri while he attended some of USC's postseason games, and that Guerrieri very adamantly stated that he was coming to school. If that holds true, the Gamecocks would tremendously benefit -- a scouting report from Baseball America said that Guerrieri, at 6-foot-3, throws a heavy fastball that sits from 93-96 and can hit 98, while his curve clocks from 80-83.

It should be noted that in each of the past two years, first-round high-school pitchers have turned down millions of dollars to come to school (Texas Christian's Matt Purke and Florida's Karsten Whitson). It's good for USC that Guerrieri continues to say he's coming to school, but since negotiations for many first-rounders will carry up to the Aug. 15 deadline, it's really what any prospect should be saying -- "I'll take my time until I get my offer." There's nothing to lose.

Guerrieri should get an offer with the word "million" attached to it. It may carry right up until midnight on Aug. 15, but the expectation is for Guerrieri to sign.

GOODWIN, a late addition to the recruiting class, would also be a banner "get" for USC if he comes to school. He has some history -- he was dismissed from North Carolina for "academic issues" -- but went to Miami-Dade and tore it up this season.

The year got him to be one of the top prospects in Florida, and he was taken with the No. 34 overall selection. Like Guerrieri, the sheer number of the selection and the bonus he should receive are heavy considerations, but there is one small factor that could swing in USC's favor.

Goodwin has another year of bargaining power, if he wants to use it. He's only played two years of college, meaning he could improve his selection next year or perhaps go to another organization if he doesn't like how the Nationals negotiate with him. There would be a spot for him at USC -- he could step right in to center field -- and he could prove that he can tear it up in the best baseball league in the country, after doing it in the ACC and then against the top-tier JUCO programs in Florida.

The problem is, how much better than No. 34 can Goodwin possibly be? He could get hurt, he could not have a great year, he could suffer some other calamity that would drop him down the draft board. It's the best move for his future for him to sign.

Watching BRADLEY JR. two years ago, at the 2009 NCAA Regionals, when he brought back a home-run ball with one of those amazing catches, everyone knew this day had to come. Bradley Jr. would be one of USC's highlights for three years, then get his just reward.

It came, even after an off offensive season and a 29-game absence. Bradley Jr. went with the No. 40 overall pick, and it seems he will take it.

Bradley Jr. had another miraculous comeback to be able to play in the College World Series, giving his fans one more look at his abilities in center field. He caught the final out on a second straight national championship, and it's probably the final play of his collegiate career.

The facts are just too heavy. After he was drafted, Bradley Jr. held a session with the media where almost his entire family was there. He was showing them around Carolina Stadium in what seemed like a farewell tour. There is the possibility that a team would try to low-ball him, but it's Boston -- a big-market team will be able to give Bradley Jr. what he wants and supply him with a comfortable future.

The good news is, USC fans will still be able to see Bradley Jr. play. The bad news is, it most likely will have to be in Greenville, where the Red Sox have a farm club.

PRICE has a decision to make. After two straight national championships, where he heavily factored into each, he may be thinking that he can't do any better, which also may be his thinking on a sixth-round draft selection.

Then again, he has two years of eligibility left, not just one.

Price was drafted relatively high despite losing a couple of miles per hour on his fastball this season, and with so much success over the past two years, it may not be worth it to him to come back to school. He has a year where he could push himself higher in the draft -- or a year where he could slip.

One option that could entice Price to stay is if the coaches would commit to him about being a starting pitcher. Price began as a starter until the 2009 injury ended his season, then came back as a closer. Every pitcher wants to start, and Price could show his range and versatility in the innings leading to the ninth, instead of just the ninth. As a guy who has clearly earned "the stripes on his sleeve," perhaps the Gamecocks' staff would give Price that chance and move one of the other weekend starters into the closer's role.

It should come down to two things -- the amount of the signing bonus, and whether or not Price feels he can do better than what he's already done. He loves USC and being part of the team, but if Arizona offers him a substantial amount, he'd have to consider it.

As of Tuesday, too close to call.

BEAL is a right-handed pitcher that could immediately make an impact if he comes to school, but after an eighth-round pick, Beal may be tough to get to school. He is planning on an August enrollment if he does come, but Kansas City may offer him enough money to change his mind.

According to the Lorton Patch (Va.), Beal was being offered a 75 percent scholarship to come to school and after being drafted, Beal's father said that USC had upped it to a full ride. If that's true, it's an unusual offer but also a sign of how well the Gamecocks think Beal can do in Columbia.

His decision could take up until the Aug. 15 deadline, but as of Tuesday, it looks slightly higher than not that Beal signs.

ENGLISH was one of six recruits to enroll for the Summer II session at USC, which began today. While three of the six were drafted and can still sign with a professional team before Aug. 15, them being in Columbia already seems to be a very good indicator of what they will do.

Forrest Koumas did the same thing last year, although he was a late-round selection, and English, Joel Seddon and T.J. Costen will have a month and change to make their final calls. Never say never (Before the 2002 season, No. 4 overall pick Gavin Floyd was in his dorm room on deadline day before Philadelphia made the final offer just before midnight), but already being at USC shows a strong commitment.

English was confirmed by the other five enrollees to be one of the group of six that will start class in Columbia today and he will have a 13th-round draft selection to consider. A speedy outfielder, he could come in and play right away, if Tampa Bay doesn't offer him a good deal. It seems to be in USC's favor that English is already on campus.

SEDDON, a 6-1 right-handed pitcher who can also play infield, was just about to jump in the car for the drive to Columbia on Sunday. A native of St. Clair, Mich., Seddon just completed playing in a tournament in Pittsburgh -- his team lost in the semifinals so he was getting ready for a nine-hour trip.

"I basically live in a car," Seddon said. "When the Gamecocks made the championship series, we drove out to Omaha for that, and then came here."

This trip might be his final one for a while, or at least USC is hoping so.

Seddon has a 20th-round draft selection to consider, but like the other early enrollees, plans on beginning class today and staying in Columbia throughout the year. "I have every intention of coming to school," Seddon said. "If the Blue Jays offer life-changing money, I might have to bypass college, but right now, I have every intention of coming to school."

Seddon pitched St. Clair High School to a state championship while USC was storming toward the national championship and has kept playing summer ball. His team went 4-1-1 in Pittsburgh and he pitched in the opening 6-2 win, and he said he hit very well throughout the tournament.

"I'm so geeked about getting down there," he said. "I'm excited and curious to see what college life and Columbia are like, especially for me, being from Michigan. I met Seth Constable and Grayson Greiner and Tanner English already, so it's very familiar."

MOONEY, after a "dream year," has a choice to make. He's followed his brother's footsteps (former Florida infielder Mike Mooney) identically by playing two years of junior-college ball, then transferring to an SEC school, and it remains to be seen if he will do what Mike did, by going pro after his only year of Division I baseball.

It looks like Mooney will go, based on a few facts. Peter won a national championship, which his brother never did, so he's reached the pinnacle of the sport. It only took him a season to become one of the best defensive shortstops in school history, and part of legendary status in the double-play tandem of himself and Scott Wingo. If he came back, he would be paired with a fresh face at second base, and the magic would perhaps not be there anymore.

Also if he came back, he would lose any bargaining power he had, which for him may be the difference between a nice-sized signing bonus and the standard $1,000 a low-round recruit will get. A 21st-round selection isn't too shabby, and Mooney knows that no matter what he does on the field, many scouts are automatically turned off by his 5-foot-7 frame. That's never going to change.

The Blue Jays liked him enough to pick him in the 21st round, and after a very good season, Mooney has nothing left to prove on the collegiate level. If he returned, he'd have to hope to have a better season and be looked at by a team that will overlook his limited physical ability.

COSTEN, a shortstop prospect, left his Virginia home at 4 a.m. on Monday to make sure he could make the six-hour drive through July 4 traffic and get to Columbia. While naturally excited about getting to USC and officially joining the back-to-back national champs, Costen also comes in with a mission.

"I'm proud that they won it, but I want to win my own," he said on Sunday.

Costen can compete right away for what should be the open shortstop position, the player saying that he's been told he'll have a chance but no position is guaranteed. "Basically if I can go in there and perform at shortstop, it will be my best position," Costen said. "They'll put the best player there."

He does have a 22nd-round draft selection to consider, and said that he's not looking one way or the other right now. But Costen said his choice will be sensible.

"We're still negotiating, and we'll negotiate until the deadline," he said. "But I am coming to school on Monday, so that's a pretty good indication."

MATTHEWS said his head was still spinning after an incredible week. Playing his first game for the Florence RedWolves on Tuesday, Matthews said it had just begun to sink in.

"It's been pretty amazing," he said. "We won it again."

Matthews showed no signs of limping or hesitation as he played on Tuesday, starting in right field and showing the same speed he has always had on the basepaths. He hit the ball pretty well and is hoping that stays put for the summer.

The rising senior has a decision to make, after Baltimore selected him in the 23rd round. Matthews was having a career season before he pulled his hamstring, which relegated him to spot appearances for the rest of the year. Before the injury, he may have been drafted much, much higher.

Matthews' greatest gift is his speed, and he didn't get to show that during the last half of the season. He was still drafted, but he said there have been no negotiations between himself and the Orioles since they haven't been able to really see him play.

He'll play with the RedWolves this summer and see if Baltimore watches him, and then offers him a deal worth sacrificing his final year of college. "I'm just looking to stay healthy and have a good summer," Matthews said. "It's been so long since I could go full-bore that I'm still getting back into game shape."

Since there have been no negotiations, there's no real way to be sure which way Matthews is leaning. An educated guess, at this point, says it's 60-40 in favor of Matthews coming back. But there is a long month and change ahead.

HARPER seems to have already made his intentions clear. As soon as he was drafted, he began Tweeting about how good it would be to join his brother and meet the President. Picked by the Nationals, the same organization as brother Bryce Harper, the older Harper seems to be a lock to accept his position.

It's hard to blame him after coming to USC with a lot of credentials and never quite getting over the hump. Thought to be a challenger for a weekend role, Harper had the tools but couldn't consistently throw strikes. He became a situational left-hander out of the bullpen, and like all relievers, was behind the 1-2 punch of John Taylor and Price.

It would be hard to imagine that changing next year, and Harper wouldn't have any leverage. It's a chance for him to play professionally with a family member and now that Harper got a national championship ring while he was at USC -- his last team at College of Southern Nevada was beaten at the junior-college world series -- he has accomplished what many college players never even get to dream about.

ROTH, likewise, seems to have already made it clear what he's planning to do, but with good news for the Gamecocks. It's pretty much definite that Roth will come back to school after an outstanding season, which returns USC's Friday-night pitcher to the mix.

Roth admitted that after the first 10 or so rounds of the draft, he would get phone calls from major-league scouts and send them right to voicemail. "I figured I had said everything I needed to say," Roth said before the NCAA Super Regionals.

Scouts wouldn't want to talk to a player that's not interested in talking to them, and Roth plummeted to the 31st round. He didn't seem concerned about it at all, a feeling that lasted through the College World Series.

"I'll talk to them when I get back, or my mom will talk to them," Roth said. "She negotiates contracts for a living, so I'll leave it up to her."

Cleveland likely wouldn't pay that much over slot for a 31st-round pick, and Roth doesn't seem very interested in beginning a pro career. He left before USC's championship parade for six weeks in Alicante, Spain, where he's learning Spanish and windsurfing. There's no reason to doubt his feelings would change after he comes home.

NEFF has a huge decision to make. It's the third time in his life he's been drafted, and may be the last.

The problem is the slot. Neff fell to the 41st round just a year after being picked in the 23rd round. If he decides to chance waiting for next year's draft, there's no guarantee he could get back up to where he was, but it is guaranteed he would be in the "take it or leave it" category.

One source close to Neff said that the hurler is going back and forth on his decision, just not really sure what to do. He finally earned his way into the starting rotation this year, only to lose his spot to Koumas after Neff's familiar antagonist, injury, again surfaced. But he exploded into a valued part of the team over the last month of the regular season, when USC needed an outfielder -- Neff cracked five home runs to help the Gamecocks make it to the finish line.

The weekend rotation for next year seems to be set, meaning Neff doesn't have a great chance of breaking into it. He's a good outfielder or designated hitter, but not a great one, and there's also no guarantee that he could be an everyday contributor doing that.

Neff won't get much of a bonus, even if he negotiates a figure over slot. San Francisco does have a Class A farm club in Augusta (former Gamecock Bobby Haney is on the team), which may help the decision for the Lancaster native. As of today, it seems likely Neff will sign. There are just too many factors that could go wrong if he came back for another year.

PANKAKE, another infield prospect, will play American Legion ball for the next month and also participate in Easley's Big League World Series. After that, he's planning on coming to USC.

"I can't wait to get there," Pankake said on Sunday. "I got happy just going through Columbia yesterday, on the way back from the beach."

Pankake didn't get to attend the CWS but faithfully watched on TV as the Gamecocks won it again. "It was nuts," he said. "It was more expected last year, I guess you could say, but this year, it shows how great they play together. It was crazy."

Drafted as a pitcher instead of an infielder, and at such a low pick, Pankake should be in uniform at USC in the fall.

WEBB was a draft-eligible sophomore and was selected in the late rounds. It doesn't seem probable that he would take the selection, for several reasons. With a 48th-round pick, Webb would get a very small signing bonus and really, with the up-and-down season he had, the Reds probably wouldn't push to sign him anyway. Webb has two years of college eligibility left, not just the one that many draftees are facing, and can return next year and improve his stock. The staff likes him for what he can do, and he had a very strong finish to the season after a rough start.

The only potential question is how happy Webb is in his current role, that of a left-handed reliever. Every pitcher wants to start, and Webb was given opportunities as a weekend starter in each of the past two years, but lost it each time due to inconsistency. He performed very well this year when he was moved to the bullpen, including 2 1-3 gutsy innings of one-hit ball as USC attempted to equal a 1-0 deficit to Florida in Game 1 of the national championship series.

Webb can't say that he wasn't given chances to start, and who's to say he couldn't earn another chance to start in the fall? He would just have to hold on to it, and if he stuck as a reliever, he could end up being the setup man -- somebody's got to replace Taylor. He can contribute next year in one of two roles, and that could immeasurably raise his professional stock for next year's draft.

OTHERS

Recruits Mikal Hill, Grayson Greiner and Seth Constable each began classes at USC today along with Seddon, Costen and English. The former three had an easy decision -- they weren't drafted, so it was simply a matter of when to show up.

HILL is a 5-10, 180-pound shortstop from Charlotte's Mallard Creek High School who committed to USC before his sophomore year. A stress fracture in his back limited him during his junior year, but he has recovered and is looking forward to competing for a starting spot.

"It feels a lot better," Hill said on Saturday. "I've been doing some physical therapy and I'm all right. Coach (Chad) Holbrook told me he wanted to put me in at shortstop and see what I can do, and I think I can be an impact player.

"It was pretty exciting watching them win another title. I'm looking forward to getting there and trying to do even more."

Hill has the genes to succeed -- his father, Chris Hill, pitched for four seasons in Pittsburgh's minor-league system and his brother, Alex Hill, just finished his collegiate career at UNC Wilmington.

GREINER, a 6-5 catcher, will also begin class today and had a short trip to get to USC. The Columbia native estimated the drive at 10 minutes.

"Words can't even explain it," Greiner said on Sunday. "Two years I've been committed, we've won the national championship. It's pretty lofty expectations coming in."

There will be an open spot at catcher next year, since Robert Beary and Brady Thomas are leaving and Dante Rosenberg will return, but he only played two games last season. Greiner could step right in.

"They said I'll have my opportunity, to prove I can play as a freshman in the SEC," he said. "I played summer ball and fall ball with (some of the other enrollees) for a couple of years now, and everyone seems to be pretty excited. No reason not to be."

Greiner attended one game of the 2010 CWS (USC's opening loss) and two games this year (Texas A&M, the first Virginia game). He's ready to make his attendance in Omaha a three-peat, but this time as part of the team.

"That's the goal," he said.

CONSTABLE is a 5-10, 185-pound outfielder from Forsyth Country Day School (N.C.) who is coming to school early for a couple of reasons -- one, naturally, he's excited to officially be part of a back-to-back national championship program; and two, he's going to get right into the hands of USC's medical rehabilitation staff.

Constable suffered a gruesome injury in late April that short-circuited his senior year when he broke the fibula and tibia in his left leg. His high-school coach told The Winston-Salem (N.C.) Journal that Constable was chasing a fly ball, caught it, got his leg stuck under the outfield fence and twisted it, which broke both bones.

He's been recovering for a little over two months and is wearing an air cast around the leg. He can walk without crutches and for a small time without the air cast but will get to USC and see if the staff can help him along.

"Hopefully, it will be another two months," Constable said on Saturday. "I think that will be my recovery time. I hope it's in time for fall practice."

Constable said that Holbrook told him all the spots in the outfield were open, although Evan Marzilli would be a natural assumption for one spot. Constable is simply hoping to be able to challenge for one after he gets his leg better and can get back into game shape.

"I'm so excited, it's going to be awesome," said Constable, who went to Omaha for the final two games of the CWS. "That made me really want to be a part of it."

FOOTBALL/BASEBALL

Shon Carson and Ahmad Christian each signed football scholarships to play at USC, and began classes today as well. Each expressed an interest in walking on to the baseball team, and that option is always there, but perhaps not very likely.

While the two are on campus (each was drafted, but very low, and as stated above, being at USC seems to be pretty indicative of what they're going to do), they'll be doing football work first and second with baseball a distant third. Because the two are on football scholarships, they would have to walk on to the baseball team, and that creates a potential problem.

Walk-on spots for baseball are determined during fall and spring practice, much of it from the fall. Carson and Christian will be with the football team all fall and won't be able to show up at baseball practice. It doesn't seem logical that Ray Tanner would hold one of the precious eight walk-on spots for a player that couldn't make it on the field in the fall, unless it was a prodigious talent that couldn't be ignored. While it may happen, the solid bet is each playing football unless something unforeseen (injury, redshirt, etc.) happens.

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